It just showed how awful Ivyâs family truly was!
âThere, there, itâs all over now,â he said in a soothing voice.
Ivy clutched Balfourâs shirt over his chest in agony, âItâll never be over! Iâve already out, and why do they still have to hurt me like this?
Why has my own mother never believed in me? Her adopted daughter slanders me and she just never once thought about how I might feel, huh?â
As an actress now, Ivyâs online reputation hadnât been great to begin with. And Clara had given her that final nudge over the edge at the worst possible time, making it impossible for her to recover.
Tessa, as her biological mother; had never once considered the situation her daughter was facing.
Well, she wouldnât care at all even if she knew the situation. There was no room in her heart for her own daughter.
Balfour sighed internally. Not all parents were cut out for parenthood. It was because becoming a parent was so easy that there were so many unqualified parents and unhappy children.
âItâs not your fault. Theyâre the ones who did you wrong.â
Seeing herself maligned across the internet had not hurt Ivy as much as her motherâs indifference.
âI thought Iâd gotten used to my momâs favoritism over the years, but now I see itâs not favoritism. She just doesnât care about me at all. Is it my fault? Balfour, is it because I should never have been born?
Does she hate me because she never wanted me?â
Eyes brimmed with tears, Ivy looked at Balfour to search for an answer.
Balfour cupped Ivyâs face in his hands, âWhoâs been filling your head with these lies? You were always meant to be born. If you hadnât, what would I do? I forbid you to think like that.â
Ivy managed a weak smile, âThatâs what my mom said about me. She said how much better it would have been if Iâd never been born. Iâve never felt so helpless, you know? Even though I grew up there, I realized that place was never mine. I even didnât have my own room.â
Balfour felt his heart ache at the thought of little Ivy arguing with her sister just a few years older than her, with her own mother completely ignoring her, leaving her utterly alone and unsupported.
11-11 âItâs your motherâs fault, itâs their fault, but itâs certainly not yours. Donât punish yourself for other peopleâs mistakes. The moment you came into my life, thatâs when I knew being born into this world was a blessing.â
Before he knew about the troubles in Ivyâs household, Balfour had always assumed that the optimistic woman who always faced everything with a smile must have had an easy life.
How could someone without love grow into such a character?
But in this moment, he realized he was wrong. Some people could really irrigate the worldâs cruelty with love.
Ivy was still in great pain because of her native family.
She cried her heart out in Balfourâs arms. Eventually, she couldnât feel her falling tears and was all numbed.
Balfour stayed by her side in silence. He was wiping her tears and warming her hands, not rushing her.
When Ivy finally came to, he tentatively asked, âFeeling a bit better now?â
Ivy let out a sigh of relief and collapsed into his embrace, âThank you for being with me. I donât know how I would have gotten through this without you.â
In truth, it wasnât the first time she had felt this way. When she had packed her suitcase and defiantly left that house, she felt just as helpless.