As for Grace, when it came to Tessa, she did everything personally, never hesitating for even a moment.

And the reason Aurora hadn’t wanted to go back was simply because she couldn’t bear to see Grace like that. Besides, she and Grace had already had some conflicts before. If it hadn’t been absolutely necessary, Aurora wouldn’t have wanted to return at all. But once she did, there was no turning back. Aurora had always been clear-headed about that. That was why she hadn’t wanted to come home. She didn’t want to see that false smile, or the way Grace looked at Tessa with such gentle concern. All of that, to Aurora, was like a blade to the heart. But now, there was nothing she could do.

When she stepped back into the house, she saw Grace and Tessa sitting together on the couch. And just like she’d expected, the two of them sat so close, not even a sliver of space between them. No one was foolish—just one glance made it obvious how close their relationship was. Young Aurora froze for a moment, then silently turned to head upstairs, not wanting to waste time downstairs. But Tessa called out sharply, refusing to let her go quietly.

“Sister, seeing me and Mom sitting here, aren’t you even going to say hello?”

At that, young Aurora paused mid-step, unsure what to say. Aurora, watching from the sidelines, saw everything clearly. Her fists tightened slightly, as if reliving the inner battle she once had. Seeing this unfold, Aurora felt a deep ache in her heart, and she saw that Tessa was challenging her.

So even back then, she had already been treated unfairly? Then how had she made it through all of that? Was it really just enduring the looks of that mother and daughter to survive? But back then, her father had already passed. How had she made it through all on her own? Thinking of that, Aurora felt a wave of sorrow for her younger self.

Grace, at the time, hadn’t thought much of it. After all, she had been focused on Tessa’s illness and had indeed neglected Aurora. She didn’t even know how to face her. If Aurora had simply been ignored, maybe things wouldn’t have been so bad.

But after Tessa’s comment, Grace began to feel uneasy. No matter what, she was still Aurora’s mother. And now, here she was sitting on the couch, while Aurora walked past without a word and headed upstairs. Wasn’t that outright disrespect?

Young Aurora tried to hold it in. She wasn’t blind to the malice behind her, nor was she oblivious to Tessa’s provocation. But in front of Grace, she didn’t want to make a scene. Better to play it safe. She stepped back down the stairs, her face wearing that familiar, polite smile.

“Sister, you misunderstood. Why would I ignore you and Mom?” She looked at Grace, the smile on her face deepening. “Mom, I just had a long day at school. The homework’s a bit much. I just wanted to get started quickly, that’s all.”

Hearing that, Grace still felt a little off inside, but didn’t say much in the end. After all, Aurora had explained it was just because of schoolwork. But Tessa didn’t feel satisfied at all. She didn’t want Aurora to get away with it so easily.