Chapter 281
The crowd around couldn’t believe their ears. “Good grief, is that even real?” someone exclaimed.
“Such a woman shouldn’t be a mother. She deserves to face the music right now, another added, disgust dripping from their words.
In no time, people spat at her and hurled eggs, leaving Miranda in a pitiful state. She yelled at the top of her lungs, “She’s my daughter! What I do with her is my business. You have no right to judge me!*
“Shameless!” someone shot back. “Just because she’s your flesh and blood doesn’t mean she’s your property. You can’t control her life
like that.”
“Must be rough having you as a mom,” another chimed in.
Overwhelmed by the onslaught of insults, Miranda’s bravado faltered. Her thick skin finally cracked, and she realized she had to swallow her pride and beg Lizzy for forgiveness.
owever, when she tried to find Lizzy, she realized that Lizzy had vanished.
Panic surged through her. Without Lizzy, how would she get home? The thought of living as a beggar forever was unbearable.
The weather was turning nasty as autumn began to bow out to winter. Miranda had left the house dressed too lightly, and now the biting wind and cold drizzle seeped into her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably.
As she huddled for warmth, she quickly felt the gnawing pain of hunger.
The people around her mocked her with cold detachment. When someone showed a hint of compassion and offered her food, others quickly intervened. “Don’t give her anything. She doesn’t deserve it.”
“She’s a real piece of work for abusing her daughter and scheming with her husband to steal her daughter’s kidney, someone remarked. Hearing that, the would–be helper pulled back their offerings, tossing them to a nearby stray dog instead. “She’s not worth an ounce of sympathy. I’d rather feed a dog than this vile woman.”
Miranda’s face flushed with shame; she felt like a zoo animal on display, exposed for all to see.
As the day waned and evening settled in, a flicker of hope sparked within her: Maybe Nathalie would come and take her home.
But her nightmare was far from over.
The bustling crowd under the overpass thinned out, and the beggars began their nightly routines, turning the lively scene eerily silent Miranda scanned her surroundings, desperate for salvation. However, redemption wasn’t coming, and only trouble lay ahead.
A group of sleazy men, grinning from ear to ear, sauntered over to Miranda. Completely oblivious to the danger lurking, she naively asked these men for help, “Can you help me call my daughter? She can come and take me home.”
The men sneered in disbelief, “Do you even know who we are? And you’re asking us for help? Ha–ha–ha.”
One of them whipped out a shiny dagger, pressing its sharp edge against her face. “I’ve had my eye on you all day. Someone as rotten as you probably won’t be missed. I was thinking of borrowing something from you…”
Seeing the knife, Miranda was frozen with fear. “You want money, is that it? Let me go, and I promise you’ll get plenty. My daughter has no shortage of cash; just help me contact her… I’ll have her bring you the money,” she pleaded.
The thug snorted, “You want your daughter to bring us… money? Damn, I’ve never seen a mom throw her kid under the bus like this. But I don’t want your cash. What I want is your kidney.”
Miranda was too selfish to care about Nathalie’s safety. “I’m old. My organs are on their last legs. Taking my kidneys won’t do much good. My daughter is young, beautiful, and strong. When she gets here, you won’t be disappointed.”
Without a word, one of the men kicked Miranda in the face, knocking her to the ground.
