Chapter 42
“Actually, you could’ve saved the younger one first. He was closest to you, right? What you did is no different from killing that child yourself
“Yeah, you’re really selfish. It’s just a matter of reaching out to grab him, right? How could you not save him when he was drowning? You didn’t just destroy a child, but a family’s hope…”
Geneva nodded. “Yeah, I am incredibly selfish. How could I have thought only about myself eating? I should’ve gone hungry and given my food away. Why would I spend my salary on my own family’s expenses? I should donate it all away. How dare I save my own child? I should’ve watched my child die. I’m so selfish; I don’t deserve to live in this world…”
The speakers were momentarily at a loss for words before stammering, “You… You’re just being defensive…”
Geneva smirked, “You sure are quick to judge from the sidelines. Is about 10 feet deep considered shallow? My daughter can’t swim to begin with. If I had gone to save someone else’s child first, who’s to say my daughter would’ve survived until I could get to her? All I did was protect my own daughter, and I’m getting blamed for it? Let me ask everyone here, if your child and someone else’s child were both falling into water, would you save the other person’s child first? Could you be that selfless? Don’t tell me you could, because I wouldn’t believe it unless those kids weren’t your flesh and blood.”
Her words hit hard, making everyone there instinctively cringe.
They agreed. ‘Right, no one’s a saint. Everyone has their priorities. Who could honestly ignore their own child drowning to save another’s?”
All Geneva did was protect her daughter, yet she faced criticism.
And Adele failed to protect her own child; she couldn’t blame Geneva.
Most people fell silent, but there was still a contrarian who refused to give up. “Just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean others can’t…”
Geneva turned to this contrarian. “That’s a good point. So, does that mean you’re one of those who can do it?
“In that case, how many good deeds have you done each month? Have you helped anyone? Adopted any stray children? Donated to charity? Taken care of stray cats and dogs?”
The contrarian was at a loss for words. He thought Geneva was even more of a contrarian than he was.
After silencing everyone with her words, Geneva continued, “I’ve said it before, I’m just an ordinary mother, responsible for my own child. For others, I help if I can, but if it means losing my own child, then sorry, I’m not that selfless. If I had to choose again, I’d still choose my daughter without hesitation.”
No one said anything after that, not even Cliff and Adele could find anything to refute her with.
After a while, Adele suddenly shouted, “But it was your daughter who pushed my son into the water. All of this is your daughter’s fault!”
As she spoke, her bloodshot eyes turned to Melanie.
Melanie, scared by Adele’s furious glare, hid behind Geneva.
Geneva pulled her out, knowing she was timid, but some things needed to be clarified.
“Melanie, Mommy needs to ask you, did you push that boy?” asked Geneva.
Melanie blinked her innocent, clear eyes. “No, Mommy. I saw him fall in and wanted to help him, then I ended up falling in too. Mommy, I didn’t push
him…”
“Okay,” Geneva said, holding her hand and facing Adele. “You heard that. My daughter says she didn’t push him.”
Cliff said coldly, “Ms. Motley, this is just your daughter’s story, isn’t it? Seems like you’ve prepared well to shift the blame. Making your daughter lie like this, aren’t you afraid she’ll grow up to be a liar and a failure?”
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Chapter 42
Geneva sighed mentally. “How could he be so convinced he was morally superior?
‘Leveraging his family’s power in the media industry, he stirs up trouble against anyone he doesn’t like, digging up dirt and ruining lives at the drop of * hat, dealing in usury. A real social menace, indeed!
“Mr. Nichols, you insist your son was pushed by my daughter. Do you have any proof?” she asked.
Cliff smirked, “i will find the evidence.”
“So you’re saying you don’t have any evidence, just going off your assumptions to express your feelings?” Geneva snorted. “When your son fell into the water, my daughter didn’t hesitate to try and save him, and ended up in the water herself, barely escaping death. And this is how we’re repaid? If standing up for what’s right leads to this, let me ask, who will dare to do good deeds in the future?”
The world had become so cold because of people like Cliff and Adele, making humanity indifferent, where no one dared to do good again.
Cliff glared at Geneva with a dark look, speechless for a moment.
Melanie held Geneva’s hand, her eyes also fixed on her.
She felt a bit nervous, but thought Geneva, shining brightly in that moment, seemed to diminish her own fears bit by bit.
Adele, as if triggered by Geneva’s words, fainted again.
Cliff scooped her up in his arms and left, casting a final icy, venomous look at Geneva.
Geneva took Melanie home. Although Melanie was a bit slow, she was incredibly diligent.
Back at home, she helped Geneva with the chores before starting on her homework.
The assignments were clearly challenging for her; her little face scrunched up, looking pitifully lost.
Geneva walked over, took a look, and asked patiently, “If there’s something you don’t get, ask Mommy.”
The original Geneva was also a hard worker. To find a job, she self–studied accounting; to tutor Melanie, she learned all the subjects from elementary to high school herself.
In Melanie’s eyes, her mom was the best, the most wonderful mother in the world.
She nodded and pointed out a few problems.
Geneva explained them in the easiest way for her to understand.
Melanie’s eyes sparkled as she said, “Mommy, you’re so smart! I get it now.”
But when the questions came in a different form, she was stumped again. Still, she didn’t give up, trying over and over to find a solution.
Her perseverance was beyond ordinary; if only she were a bit brighter, she could really make something of herself in the future.
Geneva suddenly remembered a special study on human brains she did back in the Star Era, proving that most humans only utilize about ten percent of their brain capacity. The remaining ninety percent lay dormant, and once awakened, it could multiply both IQ and physical abilities by hundreds, even thousands of times.
