It was always the same group, reaching out to her whenever they felt like it, acting all familial while brandishing their supposed superiority, hoping to lord it over her.


    The words "Have I ever acknowledged you as my mother?" sent Cloudia into an apoplectic rage.


    Ste retorted, "Questioning me? And on what grounds, pray tell?"


    "Even if you refuse to admit it, I am your mother!" Cloudia was livid.


    Without hesitation, Ste dialed Susanna''s number.


    The phone was picked up promptly, "Star."


    ncing at Cloudia, Ste spoke decisively into the phone, "I need you to publish an article stating that I am not a daughter of the Larkin family. It should say the Larkins made a mistake. I''ll send you the paternity testter to include." "You''ve lost your mind!"


    Cloudia was in disbelief, snatching Ste''s phone and abruptly ending the call.


    "You actually are going to cut ties with us? Have you gone mad?" Cloudia, hysterical, yelled at her.


    Ste snatched back her phone, "Is it really so strange to want to sever ties?"


    "You, you, you ingrate..."


    "Ingrate? Ha!" Ste''s scoff wasden with irony. The notion felt like a ridiculous joke to her. "If I were to be ingrate, it certainly wouldn''t be directed at you. Who even are you?" Cloudia was speechless.


    Every word was a clear line drawn, distancing herself further.


    Cloudia was nearly breathless with fury, her gaze towards Ste filled with resentment.


    "I nearly died giving birth to you, and this is how you repay me?"


    "Trying to guilt-trip me?" Ste uttered.


    As if intimidation wasn''t enough, now she was resorting to moral ckmail?


    "Well, when you had people bring me back, Urs had reimed the price for your sake. I got hit and bled profusely, nearly lost my life."


    That car ident had nearly been the end of her. A severe head injury, losing blood fast, and at death''s door until timely intervention saved her.


    "My life was saved by doctors. You might have stayed in the hospital for a month at best when having me? I was hospitalized for two, twice as much!"


    "That''s not how debts of life are settled. I gave you life, you can''t sever ties with me."


    "Well then, if not severing ties with you works, how about letting Urs go, would that be fine?"


    "Don''t even think about it."


    The mere mention of Urs set Cloudia off even more.


    When Ste was brought back, Cloudia had promised to Urs, no matter what, she would still be considered her daughter.


    "The ident wasn''t her fault, don''t you dare take it out on her."


    Even now, Cloudia still stood by Urs on this matter.


    To say Ste didn''t feel disappointed would be an understatement.


    "So, you can''t cut ties with me, can''t let Urs go either, quite greedy, aren''t you?"


    "Anyway, you dare publish that article,


    as a


    get


    lie. If will publicly denounce i


    lie. If you want to avoid


    embarrassment, I''d advise against such actions."


    "Threatening me now, after everything?"


    Ste found the ideaughable. It seemed these people hadn''t learned enough of their lesson yet.


    "You kept the daughter of the nanny who swapped your child close, and now you, threaten the daughter you had so much trouble finding because of the nanny''s daughter?


    en


    Mrs. Larkin, there''s something seriously wrong with your brain."


    Really, what kind of sane person wouldn''t despise the nanny responsible for swapping their child?


    This Larkin family saga was truly a spectacle for the ages!