Chapter 36

With a smug lift of her brow, Kaia remarked, "What else do you expect? Others hand out jewels or overpriced trinkets, but I'm the one who gave herbs and supplements."

At those words, Laura's face glowed with pride as she cupped Kaia's cheeks. "That's my daughter.Absolutely extraordinary!"

Satisfaction welled up in Laura's heart. She had always believed Kaia brought fortune to the family. After all,it was only after giving birth to Kaia that their fortunes rose,giving them the means to invest and step into high society.

Even with the Bennett family offering them advantages through marriage, Laura could sense Danica's condescension toward them.

In Laura's mind, whatever benefits came from the Bennetts would never last forever.

What she longed for were lasting gains, and winning the Lyons family's respect while widening her circle was far more valuable. Praise from a parent always struck deep, and Kaia's eyes curved with pride as satisfaction spread across her face.

From this moment, Laura grew more certain of one undeniable truth.

Gripping Kaia's shoulders, Laura spoke with fiery enthusiasm. "Kaia, do you see it now? Society is full of pretty socialites, but respected doctors are rare.The higher a family climbs, the more they obsess over their health. That's why you must master medicine.Once you do, powerful families will line up for your attention."

Her imagination ran wild with images of the most powerful people bending over backward to win her favor, and the very thought filled her with glee.

Catching Laura's meaning, Kaia nodded eagerly.She said sweetly, "Mom, you don't have to worry. I'll take medicine seriously. Just think, if it weren't for the herbs and supplements I picked out, Slater's grandfather would probably still be stuck in bed.Clearly, I've got a real gift for this."

Laura's heart swelled with relief at Kaia's words, but before she could respond, Verena stepped in from the doorway.

The sight of the cozy scene between mother anddaughter didn't surprise Verena anymore; she had grown desensitized to it.

She was about to slip by without a word when Laura's voice cut through the room.

"Where did you run off to this time?" Laura asked.

Before, Laura wouldn't have cared where Verena had gone. Yet with Kaia filling her with pride today, she couldn't help but measure one daughter against the other. How could her two daughters be so completely different?

The more she compared them, the more bitterness and resentment churned in her chest.

Stopping in her tracks, Verena shot Laura a sidelong glance. "Since when do you care about me?"

Laura shot up from her seat, clearly put off by Verena's tone. "Who do you think you're trying to impress with that superior act? Save it for someone else who'll actually put up with it."

Laura's gaze drifted proudly to Kaia. "See the difference? Kaia has always been thoughtful and obedient. She's in college now, and every teacher sings her praises. Just recently, with a few herbs she picked out, she even managed to help someone recover." Then she turned, pointing a sharp finger at Verena."And you? You failed to get into college, and then wasted time trailing after some self-taught village healer, picking up nothing but a foultemper.At your age, you're still a nobody. You can't even greet your own mother properly-forget skill, you don't even have basic manners."

Silent,Verena fixed her gaze on Laura. Each word felt like a needle pressing into her skin, hitting the rawest part of her.

From the day her younger sister was born, she had sensed Laura's dislike. Still, she had never imagined that, in her mother's eyes, she meant absolutely nothing. She had told herself she wanted nothing from her parents, that nothing could wound her anymore.But why then did the chill inside feel so sharp?

Her throat constricted, and she forced a faint curl of her lips. In a near whisper, she said, "Ye5, I am rude,because after | turned seven, I no longer had a mother."

The year Kaia was born, Verena had just turned seven,and from that moment, a mother's affection vanished from her life.

Laura remained rooted in place after hearing those words, her mind blank, and it was only after Verena disappeared upstairs that she slowly returned to Kaia caught sight of the odd look on Laura's face, a look she despised whenever it was connected to Verena.

Biting her lip, Kaia moved closer and clutched her mother's arm. "Mom, with Verena's attitude, do you honestly think she is fit for joining the Bennett family?"

The moment she heard the question,whatever mix of emotions had been on Laura's face gave way to a firm,unyielding look.

Casting a cold glance toward the staircase, Laura remarked, "Suitable or not, she has to marry into the Bennett family."

Kaia understood all too well that profit always outweighed everything else in Laura's eyes. Her question hadn't been to get the answer she wanted but only to shift Laura's focus. The last thing she wanted was to watch her mother show guilt toward Verena.

With the moment behind them,Laura and Kaia settled back on the sofa, slipping easily into their familiar bond.

As Laura turned her attention back to the television,Kaia busied herself by boasting about her newest triumph to her circle of shallow friends. Inside the group chat with her friends, KCaia eagerly sent a message, saying, "Girls, I've got some good news to share."

Almost immediately, a friend replied in excitement,"What happened? Spill it!"

Kaia snapped a screenshot of Slater's update,dropped it into the chat, and added, "See this? The herbs and supplements I gave actually worked, didn't they?"

One of the women who also followed Slater reacted in shock. "Seriously? Those herbs in his post came from you?"

With pride swelling in her chest, Kaia answered,"That's right. I am studying medicine after all. I simnply chose some herbs and supplements that suited his grandfather's condition, and to my surprise, they worked."

At the end of her message, she tacked on a shy little emoji.

The chat quickly filled with envy, her friends gushing again and again about how amazing it was to be studying medicine.

Then one of them asked, "Kaia, after helping them like that, the Lyons family has to invite you to dinner,don't they?" Another one quickly added, "Dinner is just the beginning. With the Lyons family's influence, your position in society is sure to climb, Kaia."

Reading their chatter, Kaia couldn't hide her wide grin as she responded, "Please, I didn't help Slater's grandfather just to get a free meal."

Even as she denied it, her thoughts were already drifting into daydreams. After all, with the help she'd given, it was only natural that the Lyons family would invite her to dinner. And dinner with the Lyons family meant more than food-it meant an opening.

...

Back in her room, Verena showered, settled at her desk, and reached for her phone to send lsaac a message.