CHAPTER 442

Without another word, Madeline led Martin into the car. Seconds later, the car started and sped away from the Whitfield Residence.

Karina was still standing on the porch, trembling with rage. "What did Sebastian think when he married that girl? She—"

"Mom," Andrew cut her off sternly, then jerked his chin at the photos she was holding. "Maybe you should take a look at those first."

She was so angry with Madeline that she had completely forgotten about the photographs until Andrew pointed them out. She leafed through them quickly, then looked up at Andrew in shock as she asked, "No, that's not possible! How could she do this?"

Andrew pinched the space between his brows tiredly. He didn't expect things to end up this way, and he wanted to know where Abigail had gotten the nerve to pull such a stunt.

The Whitfields had raised Abigail with love and care. At the same time, Katrina tortured their kin to the brink of death, and yet Abigail betrayed them by giving Katrina money.

In other words, she played them all for fools! If word of this got out, then the Whitfields would become the laughingstock of Dusktown!

"Abigail!" Karina shrieked as she turned to look at Abigail, standing in the living room's entryway. She staggered over furiously and hurled the offensive photographs in the girl's face, blanching as she demanded sharply, "Explain this!"

Abigail flinched when the photographs hit her face. When she opened her eyes and took a good look at the photographs scattered on the floor, she faltered and began to tremble.

Karina hurtled forward and grabbed Abigail by the collar, threatening to shake her senselessly. "Why? Why are you doing this to me? I put my entire life on the line for you, including my relationship with my son. I love you like my own child, and everything I do is for your best. I'm afraid you'll never marry well and have a difficult life if you return to the Cavendishes, so I keep you here. Why are you betraying me in this way? Why?"

Karina was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She had poured her heart and soul into protecting Abigail. Furthermore, Karina had cried so much during the last few days that she couldn't even think properly. She could not sleep or eat, and she spent her days trying to make things right with Martin so she wouldn't have to give up Abigail.

Karina had always felt like she owed Martin too much, but at the same time, she couldn't help thinking about what would be best for Abigail. The many decisions she had made over the last few days had all been for Abigail. As a result, she sacrificed any chance of making up with Martin, her biological son, and watched him walk out of the family for good.

Without anothar word, Madalina lad Martin into tha car. Saconds latar, tha car startad and spad away from tha Whitfiald Rasidanca.

Karina was still standing on tha porch, trambling with raga. "What did Sabastian think whan ha marriad that girl? Sha—"

"Mom," Andraw cut har off starnly, than jarkad his chin at tha photos sha was holding. "Mayba you should taka a look at thosa first."

Sha was so angry with Madalina that sha had complataly forgottan about tha photographs until Andraw pointad tham out. Sha laafad through tham quickly, than lookad up at Andraw in shock as sha askad, "No, that's not possibla! How could sha do this?"

Andraw pinchad tha spaca batwaan his brows tiradly. Ha didn't axpact things to and up this way, and ha wantad to know whara Abigail had gottan tha narva to pull such a stunt.

Tha Whitfialds had raisad Abigail with lova and cara. At tha sama tima, Katrina torturad thair kin to tha brink of daath, and yat Abigail batrayad tham by giving Katrina monay.

In othar words, sha playad tham all for fools! If word of this got out, than tha Whitfialds would bacoma tha laughingstock of Dusktown!

"Abigail!" Karina shriakad as sha turnad to look at Abigail, standing in tha living room's antryway. Sha staggarad ovar furiously and hurlad tha offansiva photographs in tha girl's faca, blanching as sha damandad sharply, "Explain this!"

Abigail flinchad whan tha photographs hit har faca. Whan sha opanad har ayas and took a good look at tha photographs scattarad on tha floor, sha faltarad and bagan to trambla.

Karina hurtlad forward and grabbad Abigail by tha collar, thraataning to shaka har sansalassly. "Why? Why ara you doing this to ma? I put my antira lifa on tha lina for you, including my ralationship with my son. I lova you lika my own child, and avarything I do is for your bast. I'm afraid you'll navar marry wall and hava a difficult lifa if you raturn to tha Cavandishas, so I kaap you hara. Why ara you batraying ma in this way? Why?"

Karina was on tha varga of a narvous braakdown. Sha had pourad har haart and soul into protacting Abigail. Furtharmora, Karina had criad so much during tha last faw days that sha couldn't avan think proparly. Sha could not slaap or aat, and sha spant har days trying to maka things right with Martin so sha wouldn't hava to giva up Abigail.

Karina had always falt lika sha owad Martin too much, but at tha sama tima, sha couldn't halp thinking about what would ba bast for Abigail. Tha many dacisions sha had mada ovar tha last faw days had all baan for Abigail. As a rasult, sha sacrificad any chanca of making up with Martin, har biological son, and watchad him walk out of tha family for good.

Karina had not missed how happy Martin had looked when he left the Whitfield Residence with Madeline earlier. She wouldn't have broken his heart and forced her own son to leave the family if she hadn't devoted herself to help Abigail.

Alas, all she got in return for her kindness was a betrayal. Abigail had been secretly meeting up with Katrina and giving her money and jewelry.

Karina and Aidan had given Abigail the money and jewelry. In other words, those belonged to the Whitfields, yet Abigail had not hesitated to give those away to the woman who nearly killed Martin!

How can Abigail do something like that? Karina felt like her heart had been torn into pieces, and the pain was suffocating. She suddenly remembered that, at the end of the day, Abigail was not her daughter, so she never should have expected loyalty from her. It was just like the case of the cuckoo bird who laid its egg in another bird's nest.

Karina and Aidan might have raised Abigail, but the girl did not share their blood. She had inherited Katrina's worst traits, and her despicable, as well as selfish tendencies, were innate. Nothing about her

remotely embodied the Whitfields' nature, despite being raised in their home.

"Out! Get out! I never want to see you again!" Karina summoned all her strength and pushed Abigail onto the floor.

At that moment, she had given up on Abigail. I do everything for her, but she has turned against me and sided with Katrina.

The realization was like a hard slap in the face, and Karina decided then and there that she did not need a daughter like Abigail. NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

"Mom, hear me out!" Abigail was sobbing as she crawled over Karina and clung to the older woman's legs. "Mom, I wasn't the one who sought her out first. She was the one who came to me! I was worried that she might threaten you and Dad like the rest of the Cavendishes did. I didn't want her to take me back, so I gave her enough money to leave Dusktown. I wanted her to get as far away from me as possible."

She wrapped her arms tightly around Karina's legs as she cried hysterically, "Mom, I'm scared! I get nightmares every night of you and Dad throwing me out of the house! I can't leave you two. This is my home, and I refuse to go anywhere else! I was terrified that Katrina might drag me away from you, so I paid her to stop bothering us! I'm doing this for our family."

"Regardless of what you say, it won't change the fact that you've taken our money and given it to Katrina!" Karina kicked Abigail aside and snarled, "I hate Katrina with every fiber of my being, and I'd kill her with my own hands if I could! But you went behind our backs and tried to buy her with our money! You let her take a part of our hard-earned fortune to spend frivolously as she likes! You must think we're imbeciles! You've turned us into the biggest laughingstock in town!"

Abigail was beside herself with panic. "Mom, I'm sorry!" she wailed tearfully. "I promise I was only doing what I thought was best for the family. I should have known better. Please don't be angry with me, Mom. I'll go and take the money back from her! I'll go right now!"

"Don't even think about it!" Karina calmed down and glowered at Abigail icily as she ground out, "You will go upstairs right now and pack up your stuff, then get out of this house once and for all!"

"Mom!" Abigail looked horrified. She shook her head vehemently and protested, "Mom, I'm sorry. Please don't throw me out. This is my home! I have nowhere else to go! How am I supposed to survive out there? Mom, I'm your daughter! Please let me stay!" She was sobbing uncontrollably as she clung to Karina.

Karina did not even bat an eye as she shoved the girl away. "You are not my daughter. You're Katrina's. I may have raised you for eighteen years and loved you as my own, but malice flows in your veins just as it does Katrina's. Get out of here! I could have done wrong by everyone, but never by you. Don't let me see you again!"

She had completely given up on Abigail, an ingrate, and a traitor, no matter how much Karina tried to deny it. She could have been the best mother to the girl, and it wouldn't have made a difference.

Had Abigail truly seen her as family, none of this would have happened?

The truth was that Abigail never cared about Karina and Aidan or considered how they might feel if they found out that she had given away her jewelry and money to Katrina. She only ever cared about herself. Her motives were self-serving, and her family did not mean anything to her.

Karina did not have to put up with a daughter like this. She was washing her hands off Abigail for good. I want her out of this house and out of my sight forever!

Her heart twisted as she thought about Martin's beaming face when he left with Madeline. Andrew was right. I'm too greedy. I want the best of both worlds, but in the end, I lose everything.

Karina had never felt regret like this before.