Chapter 40 Her Image in Janna's Mind

Chapter 40 Her Image in Janna's Mind

A flash of panic crossed Susan's face as she instinctively dodged.

"What are you talking about? I have no idea what you mean!"

"Still pretending? It's you!"

A passerby sneered and complained to the person next to them: "That's the woman, remember? She claimed someone hit her, but she was the one who pushed someone down the stairs. And she's always posting things online to make everyone think she's pitiful, when really every word is meant to manipulate public opinion!"

"Oh, I remember now, isn't that exactly what she looks like? The woman she cyberbullied online is even prettier than her. I bet she was just jealous!"

"Cyberbullying people online and acting all high and mighty here? She has no class!"

More and more people recognized Susan, pointing at her and talking about her.

Someone even threw a banana peel they'd just finished eating at her head.

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Still hanging around here? Have some shame and get lost!"

Susan's face turned bright red, but the person who usually backed her up wasn't there.

She could only leave with red-rimmed eyes, slinking away without daring to say a word back.

After she left, three spots suddenly opened up.

Luckily, it was just Seraphina's turn.

Sitting on the carousel, with the breeze gently blowing and the music playing, Seraphina's face showed undeniable joy.

Only in this moment did she feel the world belonged to her alone.

Soon, time was up.

She followed the crowd out and immediately spotted Warren and Alicia waiting for her up ahead.

"How was it? Was the swing ride fun?"

Alicia nodded hard: "Fun, super fun!"

She grabbed Seraphina's hand, her eyes sparkling as she shared: "Oh, Seraphina, I even ran into a classmate! She's not in my class though, she's in the class next door. Her name is Janna, and her mom and dad came with her!"

"Her mom and dad?"

Even though she knew Janna had called Susan "mom" in front of others more than once, every time Seraphina heard about it, her heart still ached.

Alicia didn't notice Seraphina's emotions and continued nodding: "Yeah, her mom and dad have come to school before. She bragged to lots of kids, saying her mom is a painter who studied abroad and came back, that she's the most beautiful mom in the world, and she loves her mom so much!"

"But when some kids asked her about it—because they'd seen someone else drop her off at school before who didn't look like that—she said that was their family's nanny. She's the only daughter of the Talbot Family, so how could her mom possibly be a nanny?"

"But isn't a nanny just someone who takes care of her life? Just like you take care of me. I'd actually want you to be my mom, but Janna actually looks down on people's jobs!"

Alicia got more and more upset as she talked, letting out a little huff through her nose, completely missing how Seraphina's face had gone deathly pale, her heart aching to the point of suffocation.

So that's what she was in Janna's mind.

Just a nanny. She wouldn't even lie and say she was a relative?

No wonder they could take her devotion so much for granted. Maybe in their eyes, she was just a nanny serving the Talbot Family!

But that's fine.

The sooner she understood these things, the less likely she'd soften.

Alicia was still chattering away until Warren tugged at her, and only then did she snap out of it.

Seeing how sad Seraphina looked, guilt flashed in her eyes. She reached out her little hand and tugged at Seraphina's sleeve: "Seraphina, you don't look so good. Are you okay?"

Seraphina came back to herself, smiled bitterly, and shook her head: "I'm fine. Let's go."

Since she'd already decided to leave the Talbot Family, the sadness was only temporary. Time would heal all wounds.

Someday, she'd learn to let go.

Since they didn't care about her, she didn't need them either!

After accompanying Alicia on a few more rides, Warren took her to buy ice cream, and Seraphina found a bench to sit and rest.

She'd just taken out her phone to check the time when a shadow fell over her.

She looked up to see someone unexpected.

"Seraphina, what a coincidence, you're at the amusement park too." Susan smiled gently and spoke softly.

Seraphina couldn't be bothered with her and kept her head down in silence.

"Are you here alone? Did you follow Janna and Michael but felt too awkward to show yourself?"

As if she couldn't read the room, she kept talking: "Did I cause you trouble? Janna insisted on dragging me to the amusement park, otherwise this spot should have been yours."

"Are you done? If you're done, get lost. I don't want to see you."

Too lazy to listen to her nagging, Seraphina reminded her coldly.

Susan's eyes immediately reddened as she grabbed Seraphina: "Seraphina, I know I shouldn't be taking your place, but I really don't have much time left. I just wanted to walk around the amusement park—"

"I said, stay away from me!"

The moment she was touched, Seraphina got goosebumps and shook her off without hesitation.

"Ah..."

But with a scream, even though Seraphina had only gently pushed her away, Susan's whole body somehow fell uncontrollably toward the rose bushes nearby.

She fell hard into them, and the thorns on the stems made her cry out in pain. Before long, the white dress she was wearing was stained with bright red blood.

Seraphina froze for a moment, not expecting this to happen.

"Susan!"

Janna came running from a distance, her little face full of worry.

Susan's face was pale with pain, but she still managed a weak smile: "I'm fine, Janna, don't tell your dad."

Looking at the blood beading all over her body, Janna didn't dare move, her eyes red.

Suddenly, she turned and glared viciously at Seraphina.

"You evil woman, why did you push Susan?"

Seraphina raised an eyebrow, a cold look appearing in her eyes: "I didn't push her. She fell in by herself."

"You're lying! I saw it. You pushed her!"

Janna's tone was firm.

Seeing the hatred in her eyes, Seraphina instinctively moved closer, but she warily stretched out her hand, blocking Susan behind her, full of vigilance.

"Get away, you bad woman. I won't let you near Susan!"

"What's going on?"

A deep, cold voice reached their ears, and then a tall figure approached from the distance. Michael's brows furrowed as he demanded coldly.

The next moment, he saw Susan lying in the flower bushes, covered in blood.

"Susan!"

He rushed forward, ignoring the thorns cutting his own skin, and quickly pulled her out of the bushes, wrapping his jacket around her.

Susan smiled weakly: "I'm fine, Michael, I'm really fine."

Michael's eyes turned bloodshot as he looked up and glared at Seraphina.

"Look what you've done!"