CHAPTER 493: CHAPTER 493: STOP BEING STUBBORN, TAKE IT OFF

Ivana Monroe pulled Tonia behind her with one hand and blocked the woman with the other, frowning as she said, "Are you Tonia’s mother? Tonia has come back, and you’re not even concerned about her; how can you beat her without knowing any details?"

The woman saw how well-dressed Ivana was and mistakenly assumed she was Don’s lady boss, so she smiled ingratiatingly, "I’m Tonia’s mother, and precisely because I’m her mother, I need to teach her a good lesson. How could she be disobedient and not work properly while out for work? She was sent back by others; what future does she have now?"

The money had already made its way into her pocket. They had agreed on a year, and in less than a month, Tonia was sent back. As for that money... she had no intention of refunding it.

As the woman spoke, her eyes glanced over at Tonia.

Huh! This wretched girl is wearing such nice clothes? Could she have really earned well out there, allowing her to buy new clothes?

She was furious inside. This wretched girl, wasn’t it agreed she’d go out to earn money for her brothers’ schooling, and here she is buying new clothes for herself, spending quite a bit, huh?

What’s even more infuriating is that this wretched girl earns money but doesn’t work properly and just wants to run back home after spending the money.

Ivana was truly stunned; is money all that this mother loves?

Her daughter’s health, her daughter’s body—none of it mattered? Has she drowned in the lure of money?

Does she really have the nerve to say that? How old is Tonia? And she’s been sent out to work?

"She wasn’t returned but saved by us," Leon Keane said coldly.

"Saved?" The woman was startled, looking at Leon Keane. She saw the icy look in his eyes and dared not look any longer, murmuring, "She was just taken out to work, what’s there to save?"

"Do you know what so-called work Tonia was doing?" Ivana Monroe took a deep breath, held back her urge to scold the woman, and recounted everything that had happened to the woman.

Unexpectedly, after listening, the woman was agitated.

She wasn’t anxious for Tonia but for... .

"Why did you have to interfere? Work is all about hardship. We toil in the fields, barely having enough to eat every day; what’s so surprising? If the job is bad, enduring a few hits is fine. Young girls shouldn’t be so pampered; when they grow up, pampered girls can’t find husbands."

What kind of fallacy is this?

Ivana’s fingers tightened, wanting to slap the woman and loudly question her, "Is Tonia really your biological daughter?"

What kind of mother treats her own child like this?

A girl, making her learn to work, endure hardship, endure beatings—is this something a mother would do?

"How many children do you have?" Ivana asked.

"Four, why do you ask?"

"Here’s the deal, for your four children, I will cover all their schooling costs."

"Ah?"

Shock spread across the woman’s face: "You... you mean it?"

"Of course, but I have a condition: from now on, you must not let Tonia go out to work, nor let her help with household chores. I want her to focus on studying."

"But you see, our family is so poor, the eldest daughter is already in school, and the two younger sons are too small. Tonia is the second child; if she doesn’t help me work, I’ll be truly overwhelmed."

Ivana sneered.

"I’ll supplement you with an additional three thousand a year; will your body handle that?"

"My God! Really? Would you really give so much money?"

"As long as you agree with me, I’ll give you that money every year."

To Ivana, it wasn’t much? But to Tonia’s impoverished family, it was a fortune.

"I agree, I agree, I promise not to let Tonia help me with any chores. No matter how tired I am, I won’t let Tonia help me. And I definitely won’t let Tonia work again."

The woman smiled widely, discarding the stick she held.

Ivana didn’t bother to look at the woman’s disgusting expression. She was willing to give money for Tonia’s sake and also for this poor family’s other children.

The children should not pay for the mistakes of the adults.

Ivana had always been clear-cut about right and wrong.

"Tonia, do you remember the promise you made to Auntie? You must study well!"

Ivana squatted down, looking tenderly at Tonia.

Tonia’s eyes were full of tears; she didn’t want Auntie to leave, but Auntie had already done so much for her, and she couldn’t further burden Auntie.

"Yes, Auntie, Tonia will definitely get into college and come find you."

"Pinky swear."

Ivana and the little girl hooked their pinkies and then turned to leave with Leon Keane.

As Tonia watched Ivana’s departing figure, she cried her heart out.

"They’re gone, let’s go back inside."

The woman grabbed Tonia’s hand and pulled her into the house, her eyes fixed on Tonia. Without Tonia’s consent, she reached out to take Tonia’s clothes off.

"Mom, what are you doing? Don’t take off my clothes; Auntie gave these to me."

"You heartless wretch, wearing such nice, warm clothes while your brothers are freezing? Take them off, let your two brothers wear what you were given."

"No, I won’t, Auntie gave me these as a gift. Mom, I beg you, don’t take them away. Didn’t Auntie promise you three thousand a year? You could use that money to buy your sons clothes."

"That money needs to be saved to build houses for your brothers. Ungrateful wretch, don’t argue with me, your clothes eventually belong to them, better let them have them now than later, hurry up and take them off."

Tonia was no match for the woman, and it wasn’t long before her clothes were stripped off, even her shoes were taken away. The woman happily distributed Tonia’s clothes to her two sons.

Tonia cried bitterly, but the woman was deaf to it, her eyes only saw her two boys.

Ivana had left Tonia’s house not long ago.

Tiger’s grandmother and several other women came running up, carrying old hens, fresh eggs, big white geese, and big muscovy ducks.

"Young madam, thank you... thank you for saving my little Tiger."

"Thank you for saving my Nia."

"I am Bug’s mom, we owe it all to the young madam this time."

"And my Joy, young madam, your great kindness, I don’t know how to repay you, but you must accept these."

Ivana was taken aback: "..."

Derrick Stern came over, smiling as he said, "Young madam, I already told them about you saving their children."

So that was it.

Seeing the enthusiasm and gratitude in each of their expressions, Ivana suddenly thought of Tonia. Despite being mothers and having children with similar experiences, why was Tonia’s mother so different from the others?

"Derrick, accept them!"

President Kane spoke, not wanting all these things, especially as all those chickens, ducks, and geese were filthy and the smell was unpleasant.

"Yes, President Kane."

Derrick took a chicken in one hand, a goose in the other, and carried a big muscovy duck in his arms, looking miserable as the muscovy duck quacked incessantly at his face.