Chapter 492

"Maurice, you're still being stubborn? Are you trying to drive me nuts?" Carol cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Mom, aren't you just as stubborn as Dad? He made his decision after thinking it through. He doesn't want to owe Mr. Eilish. Why force him?" May shook her head, thinking Carol was being unreasonable.

Susan thought May was the unreasonable one. The kind sister she remembered seemed different now.

"Dad, I know principles matter to you, but are they more important than family? Look at what you're putting Mom through. It breaks my heart. I made mistakes and accept your blame, but now you're hurting Mom." Susan's eyes reddened, her voice breaking.

Maurice looked deep in thought, his brow furrowed.

"I can't force you to have the surgery, but please think about the family. Whether you see me as your daughter or not, you'll always be the father I respect and love." Susan gave Maurice a long look before leaving the hospital room.

"Susan," May caught up with her, angry. "Dad made his decision. Why are you trying to change his mind?"

"Because I don't want Dad to have an accident. He needs the surgery," Susan said coldly.

"I think you're just trying to get Dad to accept you again. You're selfish. You know Dad doesn't want to owe Caleb, yet you still..."

Susan suddenly smiled.

"What are you smiling at?" May felt uneasy.

"You think I'm trying to gain credit, but why did you tell Arnold?"

May panicked.

"How did you..."

"How did I know? It wasn't hard to find out. Did you think you could hide it? May, I don't understand you anymore. You know Dad cares about the school, yet you did this. Do you not want Dad to have the surgery?"

"I didn't say he shouldn't have the surgery. I'm contacting doctors..."

"Can Dad's surgery wait any longer?" Susan raised her voice.

May's face turned red, then pale.

"Is what Susan said true? Did you go to Arnold?" Carol's trembling voice came from behind them.

Carol looked at May with bloodshot eyes.

May was flustered. She thought Susan wouldn't expose her in the ward, but Susan had another plan. Susan must have seen Carol behind her and said it on purpose.

"Mom..." May didn't have time to lower her head before Carol angrily slapped her.

May's ears buzzed, and she felt a surge of anger, biting her lip. Getting slapped in front of Susan was humiliating.

"Why did you do this?" Carol shouted.

"I just didn't want Dad to hold a grudge..."

"Don't use that excuse, May. I can make my own judgments." Carol was trembling with anger. "What are you really trying to do? Harm your dad?"

Carol grabbed May.

"How could I want to kill Dad? Mom, you've got it all wrong..." May explained, feeling dizzy.

"Mom, calm down." Susan quickly intervened.

"Mom, don't do this..."

Carol cried out, "I raised you, gave you the music store, and this is how you repay me? How can you be so heartless?"

"How cruel you are!"

"What are you thinking?"

Under Carol's questioning, May's emotions collapsed, and she snapped back, "I'm heartless? What about Susan? She got pregnant before marriage, made Dad a subject of gossip, ruined his reputation, and took away his dignity for years. Dad's heart condition was caused by her actions."

"She ruined Dad, made him hospitalized, and you don't hate her, don't blame her, and treat her like a savior. And what about me? I've been contacting doctors, taking care of you every day, being filial, and yet you scold me. Just because I'm not your biological daughter? You've never treated me as your real daughter!"

"I've been by your side for so many years, but in your heart, there's only one daughter, and that's Susan. I'm nothing."

Carol felt a coldness spread through her body. She never expected her efforts to be so unappreciated, and in the end, she was the one at fault.

Seeing her mother in pain, Susan couldn't help but feel angry. "May, how can you say that about Mom? Don't you know how she treats you?"

"Shut up, you have no right to criticize me," May shouted. "You're always the little princess of the Wilson family. Mom always protects you, so of course, you'd say that. You've never considered my situation."

"Your situation?" Susan thought May was being ungrateful. "Have you forgotten how well Dad and Mom treated you? Whatever I had, you had. They never treated us differently, and I always saw you as my real sister."

"That's just for show. In their hearts, there's a difference. Susan, why do you have such a good background? And I can only be adopted, living off your family's charity? No matter how much I do for this family, in Dad and Mom's hearts, you're their real daughter."

"That's your own insecurity..." Susan pointed out.

May nearly broke down. "Insecure? I'm better than you, why should I be insecure? It's their favoritism. Even if I do better than you, they still think I'm not as good as you."

"May..."

"You are a family, and I'm just an outsider, an adopted child."

"May..." Carol cried in pain.

"In your eyes, I'm the villain now, trying to kill Dad. I'll leave, will that make you happy?" May said, turning and running away.

"May, May..."

Susan wanted to chase her, but Carol felt dizzy.

"Mom." Susan quickly supported Carol, but May had already disappeared.

"Mom, sit down." Susan quickly poured her a glass of water.

Carol choked with tears. "I never thought May always thought of me this way. Have I not done enough? Am I really biased?"

Susan quickly shook her head. "No, you've done very well. May is too sensitive; she has a complex, so no matter how well you do, she won't be satisfied. Mom, don't blame yourself; it's not your fault."

"But May said those things, and it hurts..." Carol was heartbroken. "In my heart, you are both my treasures; there's no one more important than the other. I've seen how much May has done for this family and the music store over the years."

"I was originally very grateful to have such a daughter, which somewhat made up for the loneliness of you not being around, but I never thought she always felt this way." Carol forced a bitter smile. "I really am a failed mother."