Chapter 61 CHAPTER 60

Chapter 61 CHAPTER 60
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Two weeks.
Two long weeks that felt like my heart was being squeezed tighter and tighter each day.
My page was gone for good, and with it, the life I had worked so hard to build. The followers I had gained through countless sleepless nights and exhausting days over the years had vanished as if they had never existed. And the most painful part?
The livelihood that supported my daughter and me disappeared along with them.
I tried to get back on my feet. I created a new page, but dear God... it felt like I had been thrown all the way back to the starting line. The business that once received a hundred to a thousand orders a day had become nothing more than a bitter memory. Now, not even twenty people bothered to inquire.
It hurt.
The pressure in my chest was almost unbearable.
I let out a long sigh and pressed my aching temples, desperately holding back the tears threatening to spill.
"I hope I don't lose my job as a virtual assistant too. I'm exhausted... but this is the only source of income I have left," I whispered into the empty air, my voice cracking.
"Mommy!"
That voice sounded like music to my ears.
My worries instantly disappeared when I saw Amethyst running happily toward me.
In the blink of an eye, I buried all my sadness behind a smile.
"What is it, my beautiful princess?"
I wrapped my arms around her tightly, drawing strength from her tiny body.
Whenever I felt like giving up, the warmth of her embrace was enough to ease the burden in my heart. For a moment, all my exhaustion and problems seemed to fade away.
She was my life.
She was the reason I kept fighting even when life forced me to crawl through hardship.
"Mommy, are you still busy with work?" she asked, a hint of loneliness lingering in her eyes.
"Not really, sweetheart. Why do you ask?"
"Can we go to the mall later? Please?"
I gently ran my fingers through her soft hair.
Even if I had nothing left, how could I deny the only treasure I had in this world?
"Of course. Anything for my princess."
"Yay!"
She jumped up and down while clapping excitedly.
That reaction alone made all my sacrifices worth it.
"Mommy just needs to finish her work first, then we'll go, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy!"
"Hmm... eat a lot first, then take a bath, alright?"
"Yes, Mommy!"
She happily ran off toward Hilda.
I turned back to my laptop.
A few minutes later, Hilda approached carrying a plate of food. Concern was written all over her face.
"Eat first, Lilith. You must be starving," she said softly.
"Thank you, Hilda."
She glanced at my laptop screen and sighed.
"You're still not done?"
"Almost. I'm working overtime because several virtual assistants are absent today. The extra income helps too."
I tried to sound cheerful, even though my eyes were struggling to stay open.
She nodded sympathetically.
"Let's just take public transportation to the mall so you won't have to drive."
"I can still manage, Hilda. I don't want to trouble you with the crowd."
"Lilith, listen to me. You're sleep-deprived. I've seen you nodding off all day. If we commute, at least you can get some rest during the trip. Have some mercy on your body."
Her concern touched my heart.
I smiled faintly.
"Alright, Hilda. Thank you."
"Good. Now eat."
I had been awake for almost sixteen hours.
Every muscle in my body ached, and my eyes burned from lack of sleep, but I ignored it all. The only thing that mattered was making my daughter happy.
Even if I couldn't give her the luxuries of the world, I wanted to fill the emptiness in her heart—the longing for a father's love, the love of a man who had betrayed us.
"Mommy, let's eat there!"
Amethyst suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me toward her favorite fast-food restaurant.
"Slow down, sweetheart! I might trip," I laughed, though the truth was that exhaustion was making the world spin around me.
She let go of my hand and ran even faster.
"Hurry up, Mommy!"
She was giggling and running full speed when everything changed in an instant.
Because of her excitement, she accidentally slammed into someone walking toward us.
"Amethyst!"
Fear ripped through me.
She landed hard on the cold mall floor.
Startled and hurt, she burst into tears.
I immediately dropped to my knees and pulled her into my arms, checking for injuries.
"I told you not to run, didn't I?" I scolded gently, unable to hide my worry.
"This isn't a playground! Why are you letting your child run around?!"
The sharp, familiar voice sent electricity through my entire body.
I slowly lifted my head.
My world stopped.
Every muscle in my body froze when I saw who was standing in front of us.
Aeros.
And beside him...
Isabel.
Her swollen belly was impossible to miss now.
The child born from their love.
"Instead of apologizing for knocking into a child, you actually have the nerve to get angry?" I snapped, rising to my feet while struggling to keep my voice steady.
Aeros remained silent.
He simply stared at Amethyst, who was still crying.
There wasn't a trace of concern on his face.
Meanwhile, Isabel raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms arrogantly. She rubbed her stomach before looking me up and down.
"Why should I apologize? This is your fault as a mother. You obviously don't know how to teach your child proper manners. Then again, what should I expect? You're from the slums. No wonder you're so excited just to step inside a mall. No class whatsoever."
Blood rushed to my face.
My fists trembled with a rage more intense than anything I had ever felt before.
"You have no right to question how I raise my daughter, Isabel," I hissed through clenched teeth.
Thankfully, Hilda was holding Amethyst.
Otherwise...
If I weren't thinking about my daughter, I would have already attacked this devil of a woman.
"You and your daughter are both trash anyway."
A mocking smile curled on her lips.
"Take that back."
I lost every ounce of self-control.
Every bit of restraint shattered.
In a split second, I swung my arm with all my strength and slapped her across the face.
Pak!
The sound echoed through the mall.
"Ahh! You bitch! Aeros, she slapped me!" Isabel screamed, clutching her reddening cheek.
She raised her hand to hit me back, but before she could, Aeros grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"That's enough," Aeros ordered coldly.
"Honey! Don't take her side! You saw what she did! She slapped me!"
"Don't stoop to her level, Isabel. The stress might affect your pregnancy. Think about our child."
His words felt like knives stabbing into my heart.
Then he looked at me.
A glance filled with impatience.
And disgust.
"But—"
"We're leaving. Now."
Aeros wrapped an arm around Isabel's waist and guided her away as though being near us disgusted them.
"You bastards!" I shouted after them, tears of fury burning in my eyes. "Do you really think I'm afraid of you?! I hope the two of you rot together!"
My chest rose and fell violently.
I felt like I was about to explode.
"Lilith, that's enough. Calm down," Hilda warned softly. "Everyone's staring."
Only then did I notice the crowd around us.
The whispers.
The phones pointed in our direction.
The strangers watching us as if we were some cheap daytime drama.
It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over me.
Humiliated.
Hurt.
Exhausted.
I lowered my head.
Then I lifted Amethyst into my arms and hugged her tightly as she buried her frightened face against my neck.
"Come on, sweetheart. Let's go."
We quietly walked away from the crowd.
I tried to calm my trembling body.
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat.
But the hatred burning inside my chest refused to die.
It wasn't because they mocked my poverty.
I could endure that.
But they had insulted my innocent daughter.
They had stepped on her dignity and treated her like garbage.
And for that...
I would never forgive them.