Maya's POV

"Maya, come back home "

The previous curious expression got stuck on my face before it gradually shifted into a serious one.

"Tell me you're kidding me, " I said, removing my hand from her grasp, no wonder her tone changed all of a sudden.

"It's high time you returned to your rightful place already " Grandma tried to convince me but my mind was made up years ago and there was no changing it.

"There is nothing like a rightful place in that hellhole called a home; I've never belonged and would never belong there, " I told her firmly but Kim's mother sprang up to her feet.

"You ingrate! I did everything for you and this is how you repay me?"

"Did everything for me? Did everything for me!" I stood up furiously, I was sick and tired of people pushing me around and blaming me for their misfortune!

"What exactly did you do for me?! " I challenged her, eyeball to eyeballs "What exactly is that great thing you did for me that I should fall on my knees and worship your God damn ass"

Everyone was shocked at my offensive language but no one dared to speak up - not even grandma - in fear of incurring my wrath.

"Giving birth to me? I would have paid you for that but I'm sorry, someone gave birth to you too so I ain't paying a dime for that.

"Training me up all those years? Fine, just come up with a list so I could pay for those services and be done with you! "

Angela's gaze darkened with a smile that twisted her mouth "Pay me back with what? The money you got from whoring around with a Spencer?" she rolled her eyes, "Oh please, come at me when you've achieved something notable on your own "

My fists were clenched, the anger burning in my blood made my head throb and veins to protrude.

I didn't try to correct the impression of sleeping with Niklaus for a reason: they already had a wrapped mentality that I slept with that casanova for money and fame, there was no need defending myself since they wouldn't believe me.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't blame her, the scandal and Niklaus's reputation did justice to her thoughts.

I threw my head back and began to laugh. The laughter became so ecstatic that the worried look on their faces told me they had thought I was slowly losing it; I gurgled to a halt.

My brow quirked up, "How are we any different? "

"Excuse me? "

"Like mother like daughter, you wouldn't be where you are today if not because of your rich husband either?" I slowly reminded her with a smug smirk.

"How dare you! " She fumed and raised her hand to hit me on the face but I was quick to grip her hand.

Angela struggled against me but I was much stronger, holding her hand hostage as I spat, " I'm no longer the ten-year-old Maya you could abuse the way you want "

I swung her arm away eliciting a shocked gasp from her - she probably couldn't believe that there would come a day I would stand up to her like that.

"That's enough! " Granny roared and stomped her cane on the floor, " Can't you both show me some respect? "

We both broke apart but the hateful look my mother gave me would be forever imprinted in my mind. She straightened her clothes and sat back down which I did too.

"I didn't come here to watch the both of you assign blames and quibble over past mistakes" She scolded the both of us sternly.

"Angela" Granny called out her name, facing her direction "No matter what happened, Maya is still your daughter and part of this family which is why she deserves a part of the company shares "

"Not on my watch! " Kim's mom objected right away as expected.

Interestingly, I sat back and watched how this one plays out this time.

"What do you mean not on your watch? "

"I'm not going to give that piece of trash a dime of my hard-earned stocks! "

"Angela! "

"Mother! " She boomed back, leaving grandma dumbfounded, " If I had known this is what we're here for, I wouldn't have stepped my foot into this dump"

"Fine, call it whatever you want, but we all know this place is ten times better than the house you grew up in " I would have retorted but that would be disrespecting my grandma.

After all, she and grandma had lived in the same house until she left for the city. Saying that out loud was indirectly insulting the Old woman too.

"No matter how, this brat is a mistake and thankfully, " She crossed her arms across her chest," Her name has been removed from the family's registry "

" What?! "

I scratched the back of my head, it seems she didn't know that news - thank you Niklaus.

My eyes collided with Grandma's, "Is that true? " she asked.

" Yes "

"Ouch !" I cried out in pain when she shit me on the back with her walking cane.

"You foolish child, how are you going to survive from now on? "

"I've been surviving without them, " I told her but that old woman still didn't believe me.

"Shut up, do you know you have just ruined your future? Being an illegitimate child was enough trouble, now you remove yourself from the registry? You're basically an orphan now! "

My head throbbed, this was getting annoying. Did they not believe I can stand on my own? Must I need an abusive rich family to succeed?

"Stand up" Grandma began to urge me on my feet, "You would go on your knees and beg your father when we get home. Don't worry, I'll plead alongside you so he would forgive and take you back in "

"Why don't you hear me out for once! " I raised my voice on my grandma for the first time.

The look on her face hurt me but if I don't do this now, I would never get another chance.

"Father?" I laughed sarcastically, "It's quite funny, I don't remember having a father else I wouldn't be tagged an illegitimate child "

"Maya… " There was a pained look on her face, only she understood what I had gone through in that house.

Angela had tried to abort me several times but I was one tough baby who still held on until grandma pleaded for my life. Perhaps, they would have abandoned me after my birth in some orphanage If the Old woman wasn't there to support me.

I wasn't a crybaby yet tears spring forth from my eyes as memories from those years flooded my head.

Dropping to my knees in front of her, I pleaded with her "Granny, please don't make me return there. I need to breathe a bit alright? "

She was the one that moved my heart and the only one I would obey without questioning because of the trust between us.

"My poor daughter " She gathered me into her arms and cried on my shoulder while I fought back my tears.

If both of us cried, who would console each other?

"I'm so sorry, you have suffered enough " She cried out her heart while smoothing my hair.

The scene was so heart-stirring that even the maidservant dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief save Kim's mother who was looking straight ahead unaffected.

Grandma pulled away, " You don't have to worry about your future, alright? "

I nodded.

"Though I'm not influential enough but over the years I've made friends with some rich madams who have well to do sons. I'll set up a date for you to meet them since I'm sure one of them would marry you "

A wry smile twisted my lips, finding a husband was the least of my problems right now. But I still appreciated her, she was thinking about my well-being anyway.

" Grandma, thank you "

Kim's mom snorted, she was probably making a mental assessment of the well-to-do men her mother was talking about.

It was not difficult to figure her out, Angela hopes I never succeed more than her daughter Kimberly. She has this distorted mentality that I'm born to be beneath her untainted daughter like she's some chosen one.

"Also " Granny went on, " I have two percent share in the company which I would transfer to you "

"You're seriously unbelievable, mother! " Angela pointed at me, "This girl would be nothing but a hindrance to her sister's progress "

"Healthy competition between siblings is not a sin! " Octavia barked at her daughter.

What healthy competition? It was an unfair competition! Two percent share versus the huge sum of shares Kim has? It was mission impossible - at the moment.

"Grandma, you don't need to transfer your shares to me, I already have mine "

"Alright - what?! " She was shocked.

Angela scoffed," What nonsense are you vomiting this time? "

"The money I received for selling my body to Niklaus, what do you think I used it for? Shopping? "

Angela paled at once, "No way, that's impossible "

"I was angry at Niklaus for what he did to your company but right now I'm the most grateful. Thanks to him, I now owe a five percent share in your dear company "

None of the shareholders would have sold out their shares if the company was not on the verge of bankruptcy.

"I'm not interested in taking over the company but tell Kim, she should never dream of becoming an heiress either, I'll make sure of it "