The moment Lillian saw that, her usual cold demeanor cracked, replaced by jealousy and madness. She rushed over and raised her hand to slap Vivienne. "You shameless homewrecker, you stole my husband and daughter!"
I was just about to intervene when Rosie beat me to it. She stepped in front of Vivienne to shield her. "Don't you dare hit my mom, you bad woman!"
Lillian froze. It took her a while to process what was happening before she demanded, her lips trembling, "You're actually protecting her? Have you forgotten that I'm your real mother?"
Rosie shook her head and let her tears fall freely. "You're not my mom! If you are, why didn't you acknowledge me for nine years? You only have room in your heart for Marcus. You never cared about me or Daddy."
Guilt flashed across Lillian's face, and she stammered, "T-that's not true. Marcus is… just a work friend of mine."
Rosie covered her ears and sobbed, "I don't believe you! If he's just a friend, why do you kiss and hug him? You've never even hugged or kissed me! You're not my mom!"
Lillian was stumped. Her face flushed crimson before losing all its color.
For the past nine years, she had done plenty of shameful things right in front of me and Rosie. Every time I asked her to come home and spend some time with Rosie, she would always bring her "work friend", Marcus Fisher, along.
Even when Rosie missed her and I took her to the office to see her, we would invariably run into Marcus there as well.
The couple acted as if no one else was around, casually touching each other in ways that were far too intimate. They didn't even hold back in front of Rosie.
Every time that happened, I would cover Rosie's eyes with my hand. Eventually, I stopped taking Rosie to see her, and I stopped asking her to come home.
However, Rosie was still just a child, after all, and she craved her mother's love. Every holiday or whenever there was an important school event, she asked to see Lillian.
Time and again, I pleaded with Lillian to keep her distance from Marcus for Rosie's sake. It was the least she could do if she restrained herself while she was around Rosie.
Lillian agreed every time. Yet, the moment Marcus got close to her, she would go back on her word. To please him, she never even allowed Rosie to call her "Mommy".
It was no wonder that Rosie had been left with such deep psychological scars from the way Lillian and Marcus had behaved.
I pulled Rosie into my arms, unwilling to let her recall those ugly, heartbreaking memories. Then, I looked up at Lillian coldly. "That's enough, Lillian! If you distress Rosie any further, I'll make your affair with Marcus public!"
My daughter was where I drew the line. If Lillian upset her again, I would show her no mercy, regardless of our past.
Lillian's eyes misted over as she looked at Rosie with a devastated expression on her face. "I'm sorry, Rosie. I didn't do enough in the past, and I know I hurt you. I'll change. Please forgive me and return to my side with Daddy, okay?"
Rosie turned her head away, refusing to look at her. "I already have a mom. I don't need you anymore!"
Lillian immediately broke down and took all her anger out on Vivienne. "This is all your fault, you shameless homewrecker! You must've driven a wedge between us. That must be the reason Rosie grew distant from me!"
Rolling up my sleeves, I wanted to stand up for Vivienne, but she stopped me and looked at Lillian with a mocking smile.
"Don't you get it, Lillian? All you've ever given Rosie is pain! Even if I had never entered the picture, she would have still been utterly disappointed in you and refused to acknowledge you as her mother!"
Lillian was about to retort when her phone suddenly rang in her bag. She pulled it out, took one look at the screen, and instantly panicked.
The second I took in her reaction, I knew who was on the line. "You still have the nerve to hang around? Aren't you afraid your little secret will leak?" I jeered.
