Xu Mey was baffled at the way her Juan talked to her. She really couldn’t believe that her daughter was blaming her. And for what? It was her fault for making Xiao Song cry! But instead of apologizing, she was arguing with her mother!"

  "I’m really disappointed in her today. I can’t believe my daughter could be this rude," Xu Mey’s words made Jie’s body stiff. He was about to place his hand on her shoulder as a way to show that he was with her but her words……

  "Ah-Jie, this is why I always told you to stop giving in to her wishes. Now, she’s becoming a spoiled brat. I don’t even know what to do with her. How can she talk back to me?" Xu Mey was uttering her complaints and dislikes about Juan’s behavior and completely didn’t notice the way Jie was looking at her now. "This is really unacceptable. Did you see the way she was looking at me? It was so disrespectful!"

  "You can see the way she talked or looked at you but did you for a minute think how you talked to her?"

  "What?" Xu Mey looked at Jie with a frown. "Are you saying I’m at fault here? Are you really taking your daughter’s side?"

  "First of all, she’s not just mine. She’s our daughter. Secondly, I’m not taking sides because we don’t take sides in the family. Besides, I didn’t say Juan was right. But you weren’t either. And also, you’re the one who started it."

  "Ah-Jie!"

  "Even if our daughter did something wrong, you’re supposed to take her inside the house and discuss like normal people instead of yelling at her like a madwoman." Jie sighed exasperatedly. "Did you, for a minute, care to think about how this will affect Juan mentally? She is only eight years old. Yes, she doesn’t act her age but that doesn’t mean you as a mother should forget that our twins are only eight years old!"

  "I know they are eight……"

  "Oh, I don’t think you do!" He interrupted her. "Just because our twins are mature, understanding, and smart that doesn’t mean they don’t need attention. They don’t complain, it does not mean they are happy." He looked at her face as continued, "You think you have a happy family, right? Sorry to burst the bubble, this family only looks happy. The dream of a perfect family you have is not gonna fulfill because this family is crumbling down slowly because of your negligence."

  "Are you saying I’m the reason why our family is having issues?" She felt hurt hearing those words from him. She worked every single day to make everyone happy and yet, she was the one being negligent? "What about you? Huh? You love spending time with the twins as well. Do you even care that you have a wife?"

  "I’m not the one locking you out of the room every other night, it’s you. I’m not the one who always have work to do, that’s also you. And since you don’t have time for the kids, I have to spend more time with them so that they don’t think their parents don’t love them."

  "But I love them very much!" Xu Mey retorted back.

  "Well, you’re certainly doing a very poor job of showing your love!" For the very first time, Jie raised his voice at her. He who had always had a leveled temperament around her finally lost it. If Xu Mey was his bottom line, his kids were as well. And when it came to his kids, he didn’t mind hurting his Mey as well. She needed to hear this.

  "If I remember correctly, you wanted to be different from your own mother," began Jie again making Xu Mey’s eyes widen as he brought up this topic. "You wanted to be a better mother than her. But guess what, you’re doing an even worse job than she did."

  "Are you saying that the mother who abandoned me is better than me?" Xu Mey couldn’t believe what she heard.

  "Did I say anything wrong? Yes, Xin Qian left you when you’re born but what about it? She wasn’t a part of your life and that’s why you felt the void of her absence. But you’re present in Bao and Juan’s life and yet they are feeling the void. Yet, my kids have to yearn for your motherly attention! Hell! You’re even making them question whether you love them or not!" Jie wasn’t happy bringing up her mother’s name into this. But he knew it was necessary. It was very much needed. She hated her mother but he needed to remind her that she was no different now.

  "You have no right to question my love for my kids," Xu Mey argued with tears pooling in her eyes. But she wasn’t gonna let them drop. She was gonna show him that she was angry with everything he said. He had no right to say that she didn’t love her kids.

  "Actually, I do. I’m the father and I’m seeing them suffering. I’ve been seeing it for a while now but I kept ignoring it until my son just straightforwardly told me that my wife is not happy with me. She seems happier with others’ affairs rather than knowing that her son has won in the Science fair or that her daughter needs a dress for the school competition." Jie closed his eyes briefly before continuing, "When your father used to pay attention to your step-sister, it hurt you. Whenever he believed her words, it broke your heart. It made you despise your father as well. Are you any different now? Are you doing any better now? Because I literally can’t see a difference. You took Xiao Song’s side without even listening to your own daughter!"

  Xu Mey was stunned to hear his words. She didn’t know how to process what he said. He was reminding her of that dark childhood she hated. He knew how much it hurt her but he was still doing it.

  "Bao and Juan won’t hate you. I promise they won’t. But congratulations, I guess you finally pushed them away from yourself. And I’m finally very disappointed in you!" Saying that he walked away with his hands clenched. He didn’t care if anyone heard their argument or not. He only cared about his daughter who left with tears in her eyes.