After Liam Vance and the heiress of the Evans family officially announced their engagement... I, a washed-up, D-list actress, dropped a massive bombshell to the press. "I have a child with him." Thanks to that explosive headline, Liam Vance finally deigned to answer my phone call. "Hey. I'm dying. Are you going to take the kid or what?" 1 I could hear the utter disgust in Liam's breathing over the phone. A few seconds later, he said coldly: "Fine. Once you're dead, I'll take her." Just as I thought, he didn't believe me. He hadn't even bothered to look at the medical records I emailed him. After all, years ago, I used every trick and manipulation in the book to try and get his money. And even now, a leopard can't change its spots. "Look, I might not drop dead immediately. Can you just come get her first?" "She's really easy to take care of. She doesn't cause any trouble. She's so good and quiet..." Before I could finish, he had already hung up. I tried calling back, but the line was dead. He blocked me. That's fine. I have my ways of delivering the kid to him. I turned my head. Six-year-old Mia was staring at me with big, wet eyes. She was holding up a plate with a fried egg on it, offering it to me like a precious treasure. "Mommy, Mia learned how to fry an egg in the little pan! Mia can take care of Mommy now." "Mommy, please... please don't give Mia away, okay?" She climbed onto the bed and used a little spoon to feed me the egg. Only then did I notice a small blister on her soft left cheek from popping oil. My conscience took a sharp hit. It was a sin, making a little child take care of me. Lately, I had been feeling lethargic, sleeping all day. I really hadn't been taking good care of her. Her little pigtails were a mess, her clothes were old and worn, and she was always half-starved. Her little chin had gotten so sharp. I should definitely give her to Liam. After all, he was a billionaire heir in New York. Even his dogs ate better than Mia did right now. I tried to coax her: "Our family is very poor, and Mommy has a terminal illness. I could die any minute. How are you supposed to survive as a little kid? Go. Go to your Daddy and live a good life." I pointed at a photo on my phone and said: "Look, this is your Daddy. And that's your Daddy's fiancée, which means she's your new Mommy." "From now on, the three of you will be a happy family. That chubby kid at school will never be able to make fun of you for not having a dad again." Mia clutched the ears of her stuffed bunny, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want a Daddy! And I don't want a new Mommy! I just want my own Mommy!" This stubborn little kid took after me. But I was her mother, and I was even more stubborn. Finally, I managed to convince her. She blinked her big eyes, letting out a hiccupy sob. "Daddy has so much money. Let's make him take Mommy to the hospital to get better, okay?" I pinched her little cheek. "Your Daddy hates me to death. If you say that, he'll throw you out on the street too." "You have to tell him that Mommy is a wicked, evil woman. That I hit you and scolded you every day, that I didn't let you go to school, and that I didn't even give you enough to eat. Tell him I deserve to die of this disease. That way, you and Daddy will be on the same team, and he'll believe you." 2 I specifically chose the day of the Vance Corporation's anniversary gala to deliver the kid to him. That man looked handsome and dashing, standing on the stage in a perfectly tailored suit, practically glowing. I suddenly remembered what he had told his mother six years ago. "I just keep her on the side for fun. I'm never actually bringing her home, don't worry..." Even though my feelings for him weren't exactly pure either. But I hold grudges. Very soon, he wasn't going to look so handsome anymore. The second he stepped off the stage, Mia launched herself at him like a little cannonball. "Daddy! Daddy!" Looking at the little face in front of him that shared a 90% resemblance to his own. Liam Vance almost lost his mind. He let out a furious, bitter laugh. "Unbelievable. Rose Miller actually had the nerve to secretly raise my child." The venue erupted into chaos. We both made this child together. But just because he had money, the peanut gallery was only going to insult me, right? "Rose Miller's leak was actually true! Wow, it's rare for her to tell the truth." "She specifically chose to drop this bombshell right before the Vance and Evans wedding. Vance Corp stock is going to tank tomorrow, isn't it?" "Rose Miller is just blowing this out of proportion so she can extort a massive payout." "Look at the kid's sweater, it's all pilled. She even has a burn mark on her face, and her bangs look like they were cut with safety scissors. Even if the kid is just a tool for her to extort money, she should at least treat her decently. With an unreliable mother like that, this kid is cursed." Good. The worse they insulted me, the happier I was. At least it would show Mia that her mother really was a terrible woman. That way, when I sent her away, she wouldn't try to come back and cling to me. People need to understand: raising a kid is actually incredibly annoying. Liam crouched down, trying his hardest to suppress his rage as he asked: "Where is Rose Miller? How much money does she want this time?" "Mommy doesn't want money. Mommy is already dead." 3 Liam froze for a second. "When did this happen?" Mia looked like she had suddenly remembered something. She shoved her stuffed bunny into Liam's hands. "Daddy, hold this for me." Then she pulled a powder-blue urn and a forged death certificate out of her backpack. "She died the day before yesterday." The ashes were fresh. I had taught her to say all of this. Liam was silent for a moment, his expression completely unreadable. Mia looked at Liam tentatively. "Daddy, are you going to keep me?" "Daddy, I'm not a picky eater. Mommy said your Samoyed's food is really yummy. I can just eat the same thing as the dog." I wanted to laugh. You little idiot, I said his dog food was high quality, I didn't say we should actually eat it. Liam gritted his teeth and forced out a sentence: "Your mother fed you dog food?! Is that how she raised you?!" Mia thought about it for a second, then nodded. I taught her that, too. Whenever her dad asked if her mom was bad, she had to say "yes." Liam's face visibly darkened. He turned to his assistant and ordered: "Take those ashes and scatter them." "Who's dead? She could survive anything. What a liar." Finally, he picked Mia up and left under the escort of his assistant and bodyguards. The reporters' cameras flashed frantically, taking a million pictures. A few of the paparazzi—the ones who smelled blood in the water and refused to let go—were specifically invited by me. No matter how hard Liam tried to suppress the trending topics later, the narrative was already out there. He had to accept this child. My goal was officially achieved. Oh, right. I had a delivery driver mail the kid to the venue. Everything described above was relayed to me by him, heavily supplemented by my own imagination. Because, obviously, I couldn't be at the venue myself. The day before yesterday, I was rushed into the hospital by an ambulance for emergency resuscitation. 4 The gossiping from the next bed over woke me up. "Tell me quickly, what happened to the kid from the trending topic? Did the Vance family accept her?" "Of course they accepted her! They already did a paternity test. My cousin told me Liam Vance actually spoils her rotten. He even brings her to work with him." "How does your cousin know?" "She's Liam Vance's assistant! She said the kid is so sweet and adorable. While Mr. Vance works, she just plays quietly by herself." Hmph. At least Liam has a shred of conscience. "The poor kid. I heard she frequently wakes up crying in the middle of the night, saying she misses her mom. That's why Mr. Vance keeps her close to comfort her." "Is the Evans heiress, Chloe Evans, really willing to be a stepmom?" "Why wouldn't she be? I heard she's been in love with Liam Vance for years. Plus, for rich people, raising a kid is as easy as raising a cat. It doesn't affect her at all. She frequently buys toys and brings them to the office to coax the kid. She treats her pretty well." My mood instantly lightened significantly. The trending topics on my phone seemed to be true. #ChloeEvansHappilyBecomesBestStepmom The attached photo showed Liam and Chloe taking Mia to a high-end, kid-friendly restaurant. The look in her eyes as she put food on Mia's plate was actually quite gentle. I've been surviving in the entertainment industry since I was a teenager; I wouldn't misread that look. Mia was eating ice cream, smiling so wide you couldn't even see her eyes. Alright then. The little brat was eating well, living well, and had people doting on her at the Vance estate. Over time, she was bound to forget me. In a great mood, I couldn't help but order some takeout. The nurse doing rounds scolded me: "Get some rest! What kind of patient starts ordering takeout and buying makeup the second they start feeling a little better?" I smiled. "I've loved looking pretty since I was a kid. Even if I'm dying, I want to be a beautiful corpse." Too bad I won't be beautiful for much longer. Sigh. I guess it's karma for all the times I scammed people for money when I was younger. I deserve to die young. I applied some lipstick, and my deathly pale face finally looked somewhat alive. Suddenly, a sentence caught me completely off guard. "Hey, my cousin said the kid was suddenly hospitalized! She's right here in our hospital..." 5 I sprinted toward the pediatric ward. The words they had said echoed endlessly in my head. "Some people are saying the Evans heiress poisoned the kid." "Holy shit, the evil stepmother trope coming to life?" When I burst into the pediatric ward, the door was slightly ajar. Chloe lowered her voice and said: "I'm so sorry, I didn't know she was allergic to mangoes. I shouldn't have given her mango juice." Liam comforted her: "It's okay, it was just an accident." "If you're going to blame anyone, blame Rose Miller for not paying attention when she raised her. She didn't even know Mia was allergic to mangoes." To comfort his fiancée, he pins the blame on me. Liam, you absolute dog. I stood in the corner of the hallway, waiting until they left before slipping into the room. Mia had just woken up. She opened her groggy eyes, and they suddenly lit up. She reached her arms out to me. "Mommy! Mommy, hug!" "Why did you eat mango on purpose?!" Mia was always obedient. She knew that eating mangoes made her feel terrible, and she never touched them. And I knew that someone with Chloe's status and intelligence wouldn't stoop to doing something so stupid. Therefore, the only possibility was that Mia ate it on purpose. She buried her face in my chest and whispered: "Mommy, I'm sorry. I missed you too much." "I knew you were in the hospital." "If I had an allergic reaction, Daddy would definitely bring me to the hospital." There are thousands of hospitals in New York. The little idiot got lucky actually running into me. She broke into a wide grin. "Yay! I really did get to see Mommy." I was so angry I could have died. "You have food and a home with the Vance family! Why are you thinking about me? Don't ever do this again, and don't even think about me! I'm very busy. I'm leaving." Her tiny hands gripped me tightly, refusing to let go. With red eyes, she begged me: "Mommy, stay with Mia a little longer. Just a little longer, please?" She touched my nose. "Mommy, does your body still hurt? Is your nose going to bleed again?" In that instant, a wave of profound sadness crashed through my body. If I wasn't dying... Why would I ever have given her up?
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