Chapter 182: An Irresponsible Mother
Before William could reach them, Isabella's group had already repositioned themselves at the top of the beginner slope.
Olivia was attempting a more challenging run—sliding all the way from the summit to the base.
She was still nervous. Isabella and Julia stood beside her, cheering her on.
"You're learning way faster than I did! The first time I tried skiing, it took me half a day just to work up the courage to get on the snow!" Julia squeezed Olivia's hand, using her own experience to encourage the younger girl.
"Even if you fall, it's okay—you're wearing all your safety gear. Just be brave and go for it!"
With Julia's words ringing in her ears, Olivia steeled herself and pushed off down the slope.
Despite some wobbling, her technique remained solid. Every movement was correct.
Isabella was just thinking Olivia would land safely when disaster struck.
As Olivia reached the bottom of the slope, a dark figure suddenly shot out from an adjacent trail.
The two bodies collided at the base of the run.
Both children hit the ground hard, tumbling backward onto the packed snow.
Isabella didn't hesitate. She and Richard immediately skied down to check on them.
The slopes were crowded and noisy—no one else seemed to notice the minor collision.
Olivia lay flat on her back, tears welling in her eyes. When she spotted Isabella, they finally spilled over.
Coming down at that speed with no time to brake, Olivia had slammed into the other person at full velocity.
Even with her helmet and protective padding, she was clearly in pain.
The person she'd hit lay face-down in the snow—a child about Olivia's height who hadn't moved in several long seconds. Isabella and Richard didn't dare touch them.
They were about to call ski patrol when the child suddenly stirred, pushed themselves up on their hands, and sat upright.
Isabella recognized them instantly.
Nathan.
What were the odds? On this massive slope, the two of them had managed to crash into each other.
Laura and William finally snapped to attention and hurried over to check on Nathan.
When he saw them, Nathan started crying too. Like Olivia, he clutched his head and said it hurt.
"Could it be a concussion? That looked like a really hard hit. How can they be this badly hurt even wearing helmets?" Laura gasped from the sidelines.
Joseph rolled his eyes. "Race car drivers wear helmets too. How many of them walk away from crashes?"
"How did you teach Olivia to ski if she doesn't even know how to brake properly? What if she'd hit someone else? If it had been an adult, Olivia would have broken bones by now!"
As usual, William immediately placed the blame squarely on Isabella.
Isabella felt utterly wronged.
"We had a clear view from the top. Nathan suddenly cut from Trail Three onto Trail Two. Before Olivia came down, we checked—Trail Two was completely empty. That's why we let her go."
When she knew she'd done nothing wrong, Isabella refused to back down.
Parents like William and Laura were the ones who needed to reflect on their choices.
The two of them had been off enjoying their romantic ski session, leaving Nathan to play alone.
An accident was inevitable.
"Who made a rule that just because you're coming down from the top, everyone else has to get out of your way?" Laura argued unreasonably.
"If you'd been watching Olivia properly, none of this would have happened."
William's gaze toward Isabella was filled with disappointment.
Laura chose that moment to twist the knife, her tone dripping with theatrical concern.
"Sigh... Isabella, I really hate to say this, but I've never seen such an irresponsible mother in my life. Your own child is hurt, and your first thought is figuring out how to dodge responsibility."
Once again, Isabella found herself accused of not caring about her children.
"I don't think someone who had to buy ill-fitting ski equipment on-site for her stepson has any room to lecture anyone about parenting," Isabella shot back immediately.
She could accept being called many things—but she would never accept being called an unloving mother.
Their shamelessness was almost laughable.
She gently touched Olivia's head, checking her over for injuries.
Children really did have remarkable resilience. Despite the violent tumble, Olivia hadn't sustained any damage—not even a bruised knee.
Isabella almost envied her.
"Joseph," Isabella whispered, covering her mouth as she leaned close to his ear, "go pull the security footage from the beginner slopes."
Joseph slipped quietly through the crowd. Laura and William's attention was so fixed on Isabella that they didn't notice him leave.
"Isabella, I know you're upset that Olivia got hurt, but just because you're jealous of William and me being close doesn't mean you should use your daughter like this!"
Another ridiculous accusation landed on Isabella's head, leaving her caught between laughter and exasperation.
What on earth was Laura even talking about?
"Excuse me—where exactly were you and William just now? I honestly didn't notice you two were even on the slopes!" Isabella replied flatly, anxiously waiting for Joseph to return with the footage.
"William, do you hear her?!" Laura immediately turned to William with a simpering, saccharine voice.
The sugary tone was enough to make bones melt.
Isabella actually shuddered. Listening to that voice gave her goosebumps.
Could Laura not hear herself?
Shaking off the thought, Isabella crouched in front of Nathan.
"What really happened just now? Who hit who first—you or Olivia?"
Isabella hadn't used such a gentle tone with Nathan in a very long time.
For a moment, he simply stared at her, dazed.
But after several beats of silence, Nathan pressed his lips together tightly and looked away.
He'd clearly decided he wasn't going to tell her the truth.
Isabella didn't push him. She stood up and continued waiting for Joseph.
With Richard and Julia's comfort, Olivia finally stopped crying, though she still sniffled as they waited for Joseph to bring back the footage.
"Don't worry. Richard and I saw everything from the top—it definitely wasn't your fault," Julia said, shooting a glance toward Nathan.
She'd never met such an insufferable kid.