Chapter 368: Does Your Family Still Need a Daughter?

Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Does Your Family Still Need a Daughter?

Arabella Donovan’s tirade rendered Cassandra Lynch speechless and had the surrounding guests and livestream audience cheering with delight.

[I hereby declare this girl my new internet spokesperson! The way she tears into a green tea is just flawless—perfect logic, crystal clear points. It’s just so satisfying.]

[Seriously, I need a mouth like hers in my life! My job forces me to deal with all kinds of weirdos. I always get super pissed, but I’m too tongue-tied to argue back. By the time I think of a good comeback, it’s hours later and the moment’s long gone. Every time I think about it, I get so mad I can’t sleep at night. Watching someone like her, who just calls people out on the spot, is unbelievably satisfying. I can’t even imagine how much happier I’d be if I had a mouth like that.]

[To the commenter above, don’t go! As an introvert, I relate to this so, so hard.]

[...Okay, I admit, I was too naive. When that woman was speaking, my mind went fuzzy for a second. Rich family conspiracies, inheritance battles... all the popular melodramatic tropes flashed through my head. I almost fell for her act.]

[The commenter above has to be a guy, right? It’s true what they say, nine out of ten men can’t see through a green tea. The moment that woman opened her mouth, she laid the act on so thick I could barely breathe. And don’t even get me started on how she plays the victim whenever she’s losing an argument. She’s the one who starts trouble, but she always makes it look like she’s being bullied. It’s so infuriating to watch.]

[Are we getting sidetracked? Did everyone miss the part where she’s a FAKE HEIRESS? Fake heiress, people, a fake heiress! I have to say it three times because it’s that important. A fake with no blood relation fighting the real heiress over an inheritance and making such a huge public scene. It just proves the saying: there’s no stopping someone who has no shame. It’s like saying, ’I’ve been renting this house for a decade, so now it’s mine. If you rent it out to someone else, you have to give me a cut. And if it gets demolished, I get half the compensation money.’ Is that the logic we’re using here?]

[...Wow, that explanation cleared things right up. No wonder that girl called her selfish and a bad seed from birth. Genetics are a funny thing. Her biological parents must have been no good, and she turned out even worse. I suddenly feel really sorry for the Lynch Family. They didn’t just raise someone else’s child; they raised a living, breathing King of Hell who wants their heads!]

While the livestream audience was busy feeling sorry for the Lynch Family, the Lynches themselves were busy cutting all ties with Cassandra Lynch for good.

"Serena is right. Our kindness was a courtesy, not an obligation," Mr. Lynch said. "We kept thinking about the dozen-plus years we spent as a family. Even though you were heartless and ungrateful, we didn’t want to be too cruel. We thought we were honoring the bond we once had. But now I see that excessive mercy is simply enabling. For someone like you, the more you’re given, the greedier you get. You will never be satisfied."

Mr. Lynch’s words made Cassandra’s heart drop. A sense of foreboding washed over her.

Sure enough, in the next moment, she heard his cold voice. "Ever since you were old enough to remember, your two older brothers and your sister each received a monthly allowance of one hundred thousand. But we considered your poor health and the fact that you’d need more money when you went out, so we gave you two hundred thousand a month. We’ll start the calculation from when you were five until you turned seventeen. That’s twelve years. The grand total comes to twenty-eight million, eight hundred thousand."

The moment Mr. Lynch finished speaking, the café fell silent. Even the livestream chat froze for several seconds.

A few seconds later, an avalanche of comments flooded the screen.

[Holy shit, an allowance of 200,000 a month? I don’t even make that much in a whole year!]

[200,000 a month is 2.4 million a year. That’s enough to buy a nice-sized house in my small city. The joys of being a rich kid are just so simple and unpretentious, huh?]

[And this is what that woman called ’humiliation and abuse’? If you don’t want it, give it to me! I can handle this kind of ’abuse.’ Please, feel free to ’abuse’ me all you want!]

[Hey, commenter above, have some decency! And while I’m at it, it might be forward of me to ask the Lynches, but... are you looking for another daughter? 100,000 a month... no, 50,000 is fine! I promise I’ll just be a quiet, pretty decoration. I won’t act up, won’t fight for favor, and won’t cause any trouble!]

Mr. Lynch was unaware that a crowd of strangers on the internet was now vying to become his son or daughter. Having finished calculating the most basic expenses, he turned and gave Mrs. Lynch a meaningful look.

Mrs. Lynch took the cue and stepped forward. "Furthermore," she continued, "your seasonal wardrobe and jewelry were personally curated through house calls from private designers and luxury boutiques. When you left, you took all the jewelry from your personal safe, along with a portion of your clothes. I will have someone calculate their total value and send you the bill." ℯℯ𝑙.

"A... a bill?" The color drained from Cassandra’s face. Clearly, the thought of returning those items had never crossed her mind.

Melody Lynch saw her reaction, crossed her arms, and let out a soft laugh. "Didn’t you say all the good things our family did for you were actually meant to ruin you with indulgence? If that’s the case, how could we possibly continue to ’harm’ you? Naturally, we have to take back all the things we used to ’ruin’ you with. Only then can we call it even and make a clean break, once and for all."

"You... Are you trying to drive me to my death?"

Melody laughed, utterly exasperated. "My, how dramatic. So, us taking back what belongs to us is the same as ’driving you to your death’? By that logic, people who can’t repay their bank loans can just act like deadbeats and claim the bank is trying to kill them by asking for the money back. In that scenario, who do you think a judge would side with? The bank, or the borrowers?"

"You!"

"It’s only natural to pay back what you owe. If you shamelessly refuse to return the money, that’s fine too. The worst-case scenario is we gather the evidence and file a lawsuit. That is, unless you’re not afraid of being blacklisted and having your assets forcibly seized."

"Cousin, are you really going to be this cruel?"

Melody’s expression darkened. "Don’t call me that. I have no sister like you. The thought that I spent all these years doting on and defending a creature like you just makes me sick."

Cassandra staggered back, her face ashen, as if she’d been dealt a devastating blow.

"After all the years we spent together, I thought you were different from the rest of them. I never imagined... you’ve disappointed me more than anyone!"

Melody Lynch: "..."

The rest of the Lynch Family: "..."

The Donovan Family: Pfft...

Arabella Donovan saw Melody’s expression darken at Cassandra’s words and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Oh, that’s enough. Stop with the loaded compliments. If you’re greedy, just be greedy. If you’re shameless, own it. If you honestly admitted to your greed and ambition, we might actually respect you more. But people like you, who are so damn sanctimonious... just looking at you makes my eyes hurt."

"You, shut up! This is all because of you! None of this would be happening if it weren’t for you! This is all your fault! I—"

Hearing Cassandra’s hysterical screaming, both families tensed up, afraid she would suddenly lunge at Arabella.

Just then, a loud voice called out from the doorway.

"Cassandra Lynch! Who here is Cassandra Lynch?"