Unfortunately, Sylvia's sharp words had no effect on Lilia.
Lilia raised her hand and wrapped Jean's coat around her shoulders. She glanced at the food box in Sylvia's hand.
"I don't think you deserve to call me an ungrateful child." She said calmly. She had lost all respect for the woman she once thought was her mother. "If you have time to make fun of me here, you better use it to teach Leila manners."
"…What do you mean?" Sylvia asked with an angry face.
"You love her so much but I don't see Leila return it to you the same. At the Irwan Family's house that day, didn't she cry and refuse to go home with you? Or are you going to say that you've forgotten about it?" Lilia replied with a cold smile.
Sylvia glared at Lilia and replied fiercely, "You have no right to talk like that about my daughter! Aren't you the one who drove her out of the house? You're the one who caused all this!"
Lilia said nothing, but her hand gripped the end of Jean's coat tighter.
"Don't forget that you could marry Jean Widjaya because the Pangestu Family gave you the opportunity! If we didn't feel sorry for you and raised you all this time, you would never be able to meet that man! However, the only person who can marry the Widjaya family is the daughter of the Pangestu Family! This marriage is invalid because you are not a child of the Pangestu Family!" Sylvia snapped.
Lilia sighed. What was Sylvia trying to accomplish by saying all this? Was she trying to get Jean to divorce her? That's right, like a mother like a daughter. They all took advantage of others for their own gain.
Lilia stepped forward and narrowed the distance between them. Her eyes reflected the light from the garden, making her calm expression look even more intimidating.
She said, "If you claim so, try to answer my question. If this marriage is not valid, can the Pangestu family return the financial assistance given by the Widjaya family?"
Sylvia fell silent as soon as she heard that. Of course they couldn't. The money had been spent to fund all of Leila's wishes.
Lilia looked at the woman with a humble look and continued, "We also need to talk about how I should address you. I've always called you 'Mother' even though you clearly don't like me. Now, how should I call you? Mrs. Pangestu? Or Mrs. Sylvia?"
Sylvia's face began to turn a deep red as she clenched her fists tightly.
"You also said something interesting earlier. I admit that the Pangestu family indeed has raised me for many years and that you paid for my life until I reached adulthood. But let me remind you that I have never spent a penny from you since I started college," Lilia said coldly.
Ever since before Lilia started college, she had worked hard and saved for her living expenses. She initially started her career as a model also because she wanted to have her own income.
"If you want me to pay back all the money you spent on raising me, I don't mind. The financial assistance provided by the Widjaya Family should be enough to cover all the costs." After saying that, Lilia showed a smile as beautiful as a thorny rose. "That way, we can go back to being strangers who have nothing to do."
Sylvia choked on Lilia's words for a few seconds. She stared at the model angrily. Her face looked as red as a tomato and her body trembled with anger.
"Lilia, I'm really sorry to have raised a child like you all this time! When I found out that you were exchanged with Leila, I should have kicked you out of the Pangestu Family house and let you take care of yourself!" Sylvia shouted.
She was so angry that she accidentally revealed something interesting. And Lilia didn't miss it.
Lilia narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Exchanged? So, you already know that Leila and I were exchanged 14 years ago?"
Sylvia's face was bright red but now immediately turned as pale as paper. She opened her mouth to try to correct her words, but Lilia wouldn't let her speak.
"But I still don't understand it. So you, Robert, and Leila have been enjoying the reunion as a family behind me all this time," Lilia continued. "And yet there is something strange about it. 14 years ago, you were always cruel and cold to me. Isn't it like you already knew I wasn't your daughter… from the beginning?"
Sylvia took a deep breath and took a step back. "You ..."
"As far as I know, Leila was born in Jakarta on May 30 while I was born in Surabaya on June 1. But you said we both exchanged. How exactly could we get exchanged if we were both in different cities?" Lilia cornered the woman.
She clearly remembered it when she asked Jean to help investigate Leila. The report clearly recorded the place and time of her birth. That's the information she couldn't understand. She never doubted the results of Jean's investigation, but Sylvia was so confident in her speech. It was clear that the woman knew what had happened.
The fact was, they already knew that their daughter got exchanged fourteen years ago. Then did that mean they deliberately changed their child's birth information for some reason?
It was possible that they did this because of Robert and Sylvia's love for Leila. Similarly, in the investigation conducted by the Irwan family, there was a reason why the identities of those who exchanged were never revealed. Had it really not been investigated? Or was there hidden information buried yet to be revealed?
At this moment, Lilia's expression looked grim. 14 years ago, they realized they were raising the wrong child. Then how many stories could they've hidden from Lilia all these years?
Sylvia noticed that her expression changed slightly, and took a step back in panic. "Don't talk about these useless things, Lilia. If you still have a conscience, you won't oppress Leila just because she was raised by the Irwan Family! If you disturb her, I will fight you with all my might!"
This was the attitude and determination that a mother should have when defending her child.
Lilia looked at Sylvia coldly and sighed. "I will remember your words. Then, tell my words to Leila as well. If she dares to plan something against Sister Mellisa, she will not be able to find peace in her life," she firmly warned.
After saying that, Lilia walked past Sylvia. But then she paused and looked to the side.
Lilia added in a cynical tone, "I hope Leila and I were really exchanged. Now I can't wait to find out what you and Robert did after finding out that your daughter was exchanged after birth!"
Sylvia did not think that the daughter she had treated so coldly and rejected all this time would have such a harsh attitude toward her.
Lilia kept walking away, ignoring Sylvia who was still screaming behind her. But the night wind blew hard, carrying Sylvia's cries away from there. The woman's voice fell in the empty garden without anyone responding to her words.
At this point, not even Sylvia could predict what was coming after this. She blabbed out something she should've kept as secrets, causing things that she had been carefully hiding fourteen years ago gradually revealed.
Worse yet, the one who heard it was someone who didn't know the most — Lilia herself.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢