Drawing a line

Once Ruby finished devouring the cakes, she shamelessly pardoned herself to go home. Without waiting for everyone's chitchat, she pushed the gas and leave while driving the original owner's car.

Ruby left everyone speechless in a dumbfounded state. They got the treatment similar to a useless rag that was thrown away after being used. Even Crystal was too stunned to speak. She had never seen such a side from Ruby.

Crystal had memorized the original owner who was depressed all day long and had a somber mood. The original Ruby was a person with a lot of problems. She used to be so distrustful, irritable, and gloomy.

Having seen Ruby's apathetic attitude towards the family, and how she deliberately made fun of her, ticked Crystal off.

She was a little uncomfortable about Ruby's sudden change of personality. Because she realized that none of the family thought seriously of it.

Crystal bit her lip. The fear that had been buried deep down her heart is beginning to sprout.

She was afraid the Heather family would forget her again. She didn't want to wander outside and ended up making mistakes like before.

Crystal forced a sweet smile to form on her face.

"Dad, can I move back home?"

"What's wrong?"

"I.. It's nothing. It's lonely living by myself."

Blake frowned. He didn't outrightly agree nor disagree.

There's a part of him that wanted to grant her wish, but some part also vehemently objected to his decision.

He didn't think it was good to let Crystal live at the mansion. But, he couldn't bear to reject her when Crystal was giving a sad expression.

Noticing that Blake was hesitating, Crystal turned her dejected expression to Catherine, trying to earn her pity.

Catherine was unexpectedly looking at Crystal with unclear eyes. Crystal didn't know what she was thinking, but she found it frightening.

Usually, Catherine would melt under her pitiful stare but today she didn't buy it.

If it was Catherine from before Ruby tried to kill herself, she might have been defeated by Crystal's eyes. However, she was different now.

Somehow a bit of the light bulb within her brain was brightly flickering.

She adopted Crystal because she was too heartbroken to lose Ruby until her mental condition became a little unstable. Blake had no choice but to offer Crystal as a replacement for a while to mend her broken heart.

Catherine was disturbed by the thought of how she had to treat another child as a replacement for her own child, but she was too desperate back then.

She had some misgivings but Crystal turned out to be a sweet and loveable child that she couldn't help but love her.

Throughout the years, the shattered pieces of her heart were glued with Crystal's help. She finally found life enjoyable and had value.

Although she was grateful for it, she was also sorry for Crystal.

Because the time for farewell has come.

She can't love Crystal as dearly as before.

She had to care for Ruby and give her a lot of affection to make up for the time they had lost together.

If she didn't draw a line to Crystal, she would neglect her and make the same mistake of being biased.

If she put the same amount of attention on both of them, Catherine was afraid Ruby would find it unfair. After all, Ruby had never truly felt Catherine's love for the time she had been back at the mansion, now that Catherine was going to treat them the same, wouldn't Ruby be as miserable as before from a different way of torture?

Isn't it a joke?

The balanced would tilt to Crystal.

Being a parent is tough, but being fair is even tougher than anything.

There will always be someone who gets hurt from a relationship, even if the perpetrator didn't mean to.

Catherine braced herself. "Crystal, mom is sorry.."

"However, Ruby needs me right now."

"In this whole world, only I can pay the debt of a mother's love for Ruby."

"It's cruel, but I hope you understand."

Crystal's shoulders trembled. She didn't like it.

She didn't like it at all.

In fact, she hates it!

"Wha- Wh-What do you mean mom?"

Zin and Zayn who had never felt the weight of the problems began to understand. They also trembled from Catherine's word.

Their conscience was thoroughly stabbed.

That's right. What right do they get to despise Ruby when all she did was come home and reunite with her family?

Weren't they Ruby's family?

Catherine's eyes reddened, she was stuttering, "Mom.. I.. I know you are hurt by this."

"You can hate me and curse me, but you can't ignore the fact that you had enjoyed what was supposed to be Ruby's."

"Can you imagine how hard Ruby had survived until today?"

"How she was treated?"

Ruby said she was treated like a dog.

Catherine almost got lost in madness when she imagine it.

The moment Ruby's life was flickering in front of her very eyes, she decided.

She would do it all the way down to the core.

"Crystal, you have to keep it in your mind."

"It's time for you to leave."

"Give some space for Ruby."

Crystal shot up, with a thunderous voice she shouted, "No!!"

Her dress was wrinkled and the sunny, cute appearance became horrible from the tears streaming down her face.

"Am I not your child?!"

"How can you do this to me?"

Catherine sobbed, she weakly leaned on Blake who had a dark face with a hint of melancholy.

Guy swiftly joined and said, "But you are adopted."

Crystal couldn't think straight anymore. "I never asked to be adopted by you!"

Guy replied as a matter-of-factly, "You agreed."

"It was your choice."

"We told you the situation and you still agree."

"We are heartless, yes, but I won't let my sister get mistreated again."

"One mistake was enough."