The True Heiress Returns: A Mother's Awakening Chapter 2

In my previous life, after Audrey's death, Isabella and the male lead achieved their "happily ever after."

As the plot reached its conclusion, I gradually broke free from the narrative's control and regained my sanity.

Every night, I dreamt of Audrey's final, desperate look before she died, and her body plummeting from the thirty-eighth floor.

I developed severe insomnia, replaying the days after Audrey returned home over and over in my mind.

We had all favored Isabella, ignoring Audrey, belittling her, looking down on her, and falsely accusing her.

In the eight years she spent back in the Hawthorne family, she hadn't experienced a single good day.

In life, her reputation was destroyed; in death, she was despised and scorned by everyone.

Her biological father had said, "If we had known she was going to hurt Isabella, we never would have brought her back!"

Her biological brother had said, "Just thinking about having the same blood as that psycho makes me sick."

Her biological mother had said, "How could I have given birth to a monster like her?"

The daughter I carried for ten months only experienced the treatment she deserved on the very first day she entered the world. Every day after that was filled with suffering.

Once free from the plot's control, I spent my days drowning in regret.

By chance, I stumbled upon a conversation between Isabella and her biological parents.

Only then did I discover that this seemingly fragile, kind-hearted adopted daughter had known her true identity since she was nine years old.

She had incited her biological parents to abuse Audrey, even suggesting they sell her off to a remote mountain village to permanently bury the truth.

Every single misfortune Audrey encountered after returning to the Hawthorne family had been orchestrated by Isabella. Her sole objective was to make everyone hate Audrey.

I was paralyzed with shock. I burst out of hiding to confront Isabella, demanding to know why she did it.

Whether under the plot's control or through years of genuine interaction, I had always viewed her as my daughter.

I hated that I couldn't break free from the narrative sooner, and my heart bled for my biological daughter, Audrey. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to truly hate Isabella.

I had raised her from a tiny infant into a beautiful young woman; she was my daughter too.

I had always believed the gentle, kind persona she presented was her true self. Who could have imagined she was the mastermind behind my daughter's tragic life?

I was broken and despairing. But after a brief moment of panic, Isabella's face contorted with hatred. "You forced me to do it!"

"You all claimed you loved me the most! But the moment you found out I wasn't your biological daughter, didn't you immediately bring that bitch Audrey back?!"

"And you, Mom! Didn't you tell me I was your only daughter? So why did you look like you lost your soul when Audrey died?!"

"And now, you're here to accuse your favorite daughter over a dead person?! Why, Mom?! Why?!"

We argued fiercely. In the ensuing struggle, she and her biological parents teamed up and pushed me off the second-floor balcony into an empty swimming pool.

I died on impact.

I thought my soul would descend to the underworld, where I might at least have the chance to beg Audrey for forgiveness. But to my shock, when I opened my eyes again, I had been sent back eight years in time.

I was overjoyed to find that I was no longer under the plot's control.

My very first action was to bring Audrey back from the countryside.

Ignoring William's objections, I publicly announced Audrey's true identity to the world.

Then, I took Isabella's biological parents to court.

I was determined to give Audrey happiness.

I would change her tragic fate, ensure she was happy every single day, and give her a completely new life.

I refused to be the vicious supporting character in someone else's script ever again.

"Are you really... divorcing him for me?"

As I helped Audrey pack her things to leave the Hawthorne mansion and move into a property under my name, she couldn't hide her anxiety. "Will you regret it later? Giving all that up for me."

I told her with absolute certainty, "No."

"Your father and your brother chose Isabella, the girl they've lived with day in and day out. But I choose my biological daughter."

"I know this is incredibly unfair to you, but I want you to know: they abandoned you first. You don't need to waste a single thought on them."

I looked deeply into her eyes. "You only need to know this: you are my daughter. We share the same blood. It is the closest bond in the world. You have nothing to worry about. Mom will prove it to you."

Her eyes reddened, and she nodded emphatically.

Since I was going to change her tragic ending, this lifetime required cutting all ties with Isabella.

I transferred Audrey to the top public high school in the city, explicitly avoiding the elite private academy Isabella attended.

I also took her back to the Kensington family—my side of the family—to meet her grandfather, grandmother, uncle, and aunt.

In my past life, the Kensington family had vastly preferred Audrey, the granddaughter who had suffered outside for over a decade, over Isabella.

This time was no different. Compared to the spoiled, pampered Isabella, they clearly favored the sensible, obedient Audrey.

Upon learning of my decision to divorce William, my parents and my brother were fully supportive.

My marriage to William was a strategic business alliance.

While we were fortunate enough to develop genuine feelings for each other after the wedding, those feelings had long since faded into a bland routine over the years.

More importantly, he was keeping women on the side. Plural.

In my past life, under the plot's control, my sole imperative was to provide Isabella with a perfect, unbroken family, so I had tolerated it in silence.

Free from those constraints in this life, I directly mailed him the evidence of his years of infidelity that I had gathered.

Less than fifteen minutes later, he called. "What is the meaning of this?"

I frowned. "Was I not clear enough?"

"Honey," William's voice softened, adopting a placating tone. "We've been married for so many years. At our age, is this really necessary?"

"I was just having some fun on the side. You know you're the only official Mrs. Hawthorne. No one can change that."

"If you really don't like it, I'll spend more time at home with you and the kids. Audrey just got back; causing a scene like this right now isn't a good look, is it?"

"William Hawthorne," I said, my tone hardening. "Let me reiterate this one more time. I am divorcing you. This is not a joke, and I am not playing games. I can no longer tolerate living with you."

"I find you repulsive. I find it repulsive that you are so blind you can't even recognize your own biological daughter, choosing instead to treat a human trafficker's child like a treasure. Do you understand me now?"