Chapter 4 The Internet Backlash
729 Words
A: [She just cannot stand seeing her own mother happy, can she?]
B: [They have been so good to her mom, and she has to go ruin it. What is wrong with her?]
C: [This kind of daughter is psychologically twisted. She cannot bear to see her mother find happiness.]
D: [Her mother finally found a companion, and she is trying to tear them apart. So selfish.]
A: [Honestly, it is just control issues. Mom remarries, and suddenly she is not the center of attention anymore. She cannot handle it.]
Someone even dug up my company and flooded it with bad reviews. Someone found my phone number and threatened to blow it up. I locked my screen.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs. My mother was coming down. "Rachel, I heard you two fighting..."
"It is nothing, Mom," I said.
She came over slowly and sat beside me, taking my hand.
"Mom," I said, "Chloe posted about what happened online today. She is saying I cannot stand seeing you happy."
The color drained from my mother's face. "How could she do that?"
"It is fine," I said. "I will handle it."
I sent Zoe a message.
Rachel: Keep digging. Chloe's entire reimbursement history, all her transfer records, every single bill from the split group, screenshot everything. Do not delete the post online. I am keeping it for a reason.
Beside me, my mother said quietly, "Rachel, maybe I should just go back to the Daltons'. Do not let my problems ruin you and your husband..."
"Mom," I cut her off, "you are not going back there."
"But..."
"Whatever is going on with Marcus has nothing to do with you." I squeezed her hand. "He is the one with no shame."
Tears spilled down her face. "It is my fault. I should not have remarried. I should not have brought you all this trouble."
"Mom," I said, pulling her into my arms, "you have not done a single thing wrong. Wanting a companion is not wrong. Trusting people is not wrong either. What is wrong is what those people did to you."
She sobbed against me, trembling.
The next day, while I was in the kitchen ladling soup for my mother, Richard called.
"Rachel, I am having my birthday banquet this Saturday. You absolutely have to come."
I said nothing.
"And your mother too. The whole family together," he added. "You and Chloe can hash things out face-to-face. Let us shake hands and not let this drive a wedge between family."
I gripped the phone tighter. "Fine," I said. "I will be there."
I hung up. My mother looked up from the couch. "Who was that?"
"Mr. Dalton. He wants us at his birthday banquet."
My mother paused. "Maybe I should not go."
"You are going," I said, setting the soup down in front of her. "And so am I."
Saturday arrived. Grand Blossom Hall was buzzing, with quite a few of the Dalton relatives already present. I walked in with my mother on my arm.
Richard spotted us and hurried over. "Magnolia! Come, sit at the head table."
Chloe was seated across the room. She stood, wine glass in hand. "Rachel, what I did the other day was wrong. We are family. Let us not hold grudges."
Her smile was sincere, her tone gentle, the picture of a sweet, reasonable younger sister.
But I did not take her glass. Her smile stiffened for a split second, and a few relatives nearby noticed and began muttering.
Richard coughed and smoothed things over. "Come on, let us eat first."
He raised his glass to the stage. "Thank you, friends and family, for coming to my birthday celebration. I want to give special thanks today to my wife, Magnolia."
He looked at my mother and stretched out his hand. "Magnolia, thank you for these three months of taking care of me. Having you by my side, my later years are finally complete."
My mother stood up, a little flustered.
I stood as well and walked straight onto the stage. I took the microphone from Richard.
"Mr. Dalton," I said, "you are absolutely right. You should be thanking my mother. After all, you and your daughter have been living off her for three months."
The entire room fell silent. Richard froze.
Then the big screen lit up. Chloe's face went white as a sheet.
- Writer
