Chapter 39
The original Geneva was always a kind–hearted person, haunted by guilt for not saving the other child. With everyone saying she was wrong, her guilt only grew, so she stepped forward to apologize and express her regret to Adele.
But to her surprise, after apologizing, she’d just get torn into even worse.
People on the internet said, “You say you have a clear conscience, then why apologize at all?”
With relentless cyberbullying flooding the internet, the original Geneva was utterly lost, barely daring to step outside.
But it didn’t stop there. The male lead, Cliff, schemed to frame her for embezzling funds, saddled her with massive debt, and then tempted her into taking out high–interest loans.
If it had only been aimed at her, that’d be one thing, but they didn’t spare her daughter either.
To them, their beloved son was gone, so they couldn’t accept that the original Geneva’s daughter, Melanie Motley, lived happily.
Cliff instigated some young girls from Melanie’s school to harass her. Eventually, the harassment escalated into campus violence. At the same time, Melanie’s boyfriend, under the pretext of taking care of her, sexually assaulted her.
Melanie, always obedient and seeing her mother’s struggles, never mentioned the horrors she faced.
She silently bore it all until one day, overwhelmed, she jumped from the school building in a daze.
The original Geneva had been married before, but her husband’s family favored sons over daughters. When she gave birth to a girl, an intellectually challenged one at that, they wanted to abandon her for another healthy boy.
Refusing to comply, the original Geneva divorced her husband and struggled to make ends meet with Melanie.
Now that Melanie was dead, posthumously smeared with accusations of improper behavior, Adele made sure to broadcast it in the news, drawing public scorn that deemed her death deserved. The original Geneva broke down, and she lost herself, wandering madly for years.
Until one day, she ran into the impeccably groomed Adele and Cliff on the street.
They had moved on with a new child, a happy family of three.
Seeing them snapped her back to reality, and Adele recognized her immediately. With pity, she said, “Karma’s a bitch, huh? Maybe you wouldn’t be in this mess if you were just a tad kinder.”
Then, tears welling up, she addressed the sky, “Clive, do you see it? Even God doesn’t spare this wicked woman. You can rest in peace now.”
Cliff sent Adele and their son away, admitting his actions were all in retaliation.
Shocked and crazed, the original Geneva ran into the street and got hit by a car.
In her final moments, she heard Adele teaching their son about the importance of kindness…
Even as she died, she wondered, ‘Am I not kind?‘
Watching her demise, Adele finally found peace, magnanimously deciding to forgive her.
Geneva was quite speechless with Adele. ‘You destroyed her life; what good is your forgiveness now?‘
Even Geneva, an onlooker, was left speechless, let alone the resentment the original Geneva must have felt in death.
Melanie wasn’t smart, so the original Geneva was always watching over her. She knew Melanie never pushed Cliff and Adele’s son, Adele Nichols.
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Chapter 39
Clive fell while playing; Melanie saw and jumped in to save him, drowning in the process.
So, even though they failed to save Clive, Melanie tried to do good.
Yet, she was falsely accused of pushing Clive and then subjected to such vengeance.
Geneva thought inwardly, ‘As a mother, was it wrong to save her own daughter first? Cliff and Adele failed to look after their child, yet they blamed her.
The original Geneva lent her body to Geneva, hoping she’d fulfill two wishes.
First, to nurture Melanie to a healthy, worry–free life.
Second, the original Geneva realized she herself had been too much of a pushover, never saying no. If she’d stood firm against Adele’s accusations, perhaps none of this would’ve happened. So, she wished to no longer be a doormat.
Neither wish was hard, but the original Geneva was nobody special, while Cliff and Adele had powerful families behind them.
Especially Cliff, whose family’s influence could crush the original Geneva easily.
Plus, he was the type to hold a grudge. Even if he knew his son’s death wasn’t really the original Geneva’s fault, to feel better and help Adele move on, he’d stop at nothing to bring her down.
It was classic displacement of blame. Unable to accept their own faults or hate themselves, they had to hate someone else.
‘Well, the original Geneva just had the bad luck to be caught up in it all, making her the perfect target for their frustrations.
‘You know, hating her and making her life a living hell, that’s how they justify not being total screw–ups as parents.
‘It’s like, if they can make her the scapegoat, then somehow they’re not to blame for everything that went wrong.
And hey, if she caused them so much grief, doesn’t it make sense they’d want revenge? So I can’t go thinking I can reason with these folks. The only way
to fight back is by climbing high enough that the Nichols family and the Pierce family can’t touch me, no matter how hard they try.
‘It’s doable, but it takes time.‘
That was what Geneva was thinking when a tiny, weak voice from the hospital bed broke the silence. “Mom…”
Geneva snapped out of her thoughts and turned to the bed. Melanie was awake, looking around with eyes too big and deep–set, a flawless face- beautiful but slower than most in her reactions.
Playing mom wasn’t something Geneva was used to, felt kinda strange, really. But this body remembered things from the original Geneva.
Instincts kicked in, and she found herself hugging Melanie without thinking, whispering comfort, “Shh, it’s okay now. Don’t be scared, Melanie…”
Melanie nestled into Geneva’s embrace for a bit before looking up, her eyes clear as they searched Geneva’s face. She asked in a low voice, “Mom, what about the little boy?”
No use hiding the truth from her, so Geneva told her gently, “He passed away.”
Melanie’s mouth fell open, tears spilling down as her whole body started shaking. “It’s all my fault, all because of me…”
Geneva frowned. ‘The original Geneva always took everything on herself, and Melanie, growing up with her, learned to do the same. It’s time to
that.‘
She held Melanie’s shoulders firmly, her tone turning serious. “Melanie, this isn’t on you. You did what you could as a bystander. Any blame after that should fall on his parents.”
Melanie blinked, confused. ‘How could it not be my fault?‘
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Chapter 39
“Mom, really…it’s not my fault?” she asked.
Geneva said, “No, and you shouldn’t have jumped in after him either.”
“B–but why?” Melanie looked confused.
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