CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44: I ONLY WANT CINDY MOMMY

Tanya stared at her daughter through her sunglasses, who was glaring at her with a frowned little face, full of anger.

She was still too young, completely unable to hide her emotions, her joys and anger clearly displayed on her face.

In Joy’s world, Cindy Lynn was a good person, Yvonne was a good person, everyone in the Hawthorne Family was the best family to her, except for her, who was an outsider, a bad woman.

She could blame everyone, but she couldn’t blame Joy.

Joy was only five, living in the world crafted by the Hawthorne Family for her, disliking her was almost a matter of course.

"Joy." Tanya bent down and gently asked, "Can Mommy ask you a question?"

Joy was all bristled with anger, waiting for Tanya to be mean to her.

She had already planned it out; if that bad woman dared to scold her, dared to hit her, she would immediately call the driver uncle to pick her up and go to grandpa and grandma’s to complain, then tell Daddy, and have them drive that bad woman away!

But she was so gentle, Joy felt like her punch had landed softly on fluffy cotton candy.

Feeling a bit uneasy, she pursed her lips and spoke stiffly, "Ask what!"

Tanya smiled slightly.

After all, she was just a child, her attention diverted quickly.

"If at school, someone bullied Joy, slapped Joy, would Joy hit back?" Tanya quietly asked.

Joy answered without thinking, her little hand clenched into a fist, and punched forward.

"Of course, I’d punch them right back fiercely!"

Tanya was very satisfied with her daughter’s reaction.

As it should be - if someone respects me a foot, I respect them a yard. If someone offends me, I will offend them.

She had been too patient in the past.

"Joy, Mommy just did the same thing as you." Tanya slowly lifted her hair on one side, revealing the half-swollen face, showing it to Joy.

Joy was stunned, and nearby, Caden couldn’t help but walk over.

Caden quickly figured out the cause and effect.

"Is it Auntie who hit you?"

It was Auntie who hit her, so she fought back.

"Yes." Tanya did not deny it.

She initially didn’t want the two children to get involved in these messy matters with the Hawthorne Family, but it seemed it was inevitable now!

If she didn’t explain the reasons clearly to Caden and Joy, and let the Hawthorne Family continue to slander her, the children’s misunderstandings about her might deepen.

Maybe one day, she would completely lose them!

Just thinking about such a consequence made Tanya feel suffocated and unable to bear it.

These were the treasures she gave birth to after ten months of pregnancy; no matter what, she had to win back the hearts of her two children!

"Joy, Caden, I want to tell you, this is a matter between adults, not concerning you, and the relationships between adults are very complicated. But no matter what, there is one thing that will not change." Tanya gently but firmly said, "Mommy will always love you unconditionally."

Caden and Joy exchanged a glance, their expressions conflicted, neither responding to her,

Tanya’s eyes behind her sunglasses dimmed, but she also understood that she had only been back with them for a few days, and couldn’t rush things.

"Then I won’t disturb you; remember to eat the sushi and desserts. By the way, there are two flavors, mango and matcha."

She knew Joy liked mango, while Caden preferred matcha.

Tanya left the room, closing the door behind her.

The two little ones looked at each other.

Joy asked, "Brother, is what she said true? Would Auntie hit her?"

Caden paused a moment, "...She would."

Joy didn’t want to believe it, clenching her fist, wanting to argue, but her face turned red, finally giving up.

She knew in her heart that Auntie would hit that bad woman.

Auntie could be very fierce; she had seen Auntie hit the family servants.

That’s why that night she secretly took Auntie’s diamond bracelet, wanting Auntie to teach that bad woman a lesson on behalf of Cindy’s mom...

As Joy was struggling, she looked up to see her brother had already picked up the dessert that the bad woman sent.

"Brother, don’t eat it!"

Her attempt to stop him was futile, as Caden had already scooped a spoonful into his mouth.

His eyes lit up, "It’s tasty, Joy. Do you want a bite? Aren’t you hungry?"

Caden picked up a piece of mango cake beside him to tempt her.

"I won’t..." Joy opened her mouth to deny, but her stomach growled loudly first.

Joy covered her blushing face and turned her head away, shouting, "I won’t eat anything from that bad woman. Don’t think you can buy me off!"

Caden knew his sister’s temper, the little proud princess.

He then took a piece of matcha cake and headed to the study room, where his supercomputer was.

"Suit yourself, I’m going to play on the computer. Don’t disturb me."

Once inside the computer room, Caden closed the door but deliberately left a gap. Through the crack, he secretly watched Joy outside and silently counted down in his heart.

"Three... two... one."

As soon as he reached ’one,’ little foodie Joy couldn’t hold back any longer.

She walked shyly, pretending as if nothing happened, to the small table. Caden had anticipated she wouldn’t resist and had already opened the box of mango cake in advance.

Joy opened her mouth and quickly took a bite of the cake, stomping happily in place.

Caden smirked with a hint of knowing mischief, satisfied to close the door and put on headphones to play on the computer.

On the other side, Joy brushed her hair aside with her small hands, just about to take a second bite when her little phone rang.

The ringtone was specially set for Cindy Lynn, her mother.

Joy looked conflictedly at the tempting cake in front of her, turned around, and ran to answer Cindy’s call.

"Hello, Cindy Mom." She sounded a bit guilty.

"Joy, what are you doing?"

"I..." Joy looked at the cake she’d just bitten into, feeling like she’d been caught doing something bad, stammered, "I was just practicing piano with my brother."

If Cindy Mom knew she ate the bad woman’s cake, she would surely be heartbroken.

Cindy Lynn didn’t doubt anything, and gently said as always, "Tomorrow’s the weekend. Haven’t you been wanting to go to Marinus Park? How about I take you, and we’ll ask your brother to come along too."

"Yay!" Joy eagerly agreed, sweetly saying, "Cindy Mom, you’re the best. Then let’s ask Dad to come too! It’s been a long time since the four of us went out together."

Cindy Lynn chuckled dotingly over the phone, "Alright, everything as you say. We’ll probably be out for a long time tomorrow, so I’ll make some of your favorite mini cakes and prepare some fruit to take along."

"..."

Joy felt even guiltier hearing this.

Cindy Mom is so good, she can’t be swayed by that bad woman’s sugar-coated bullets! She must firmly stand by Cindy Mom!

With that in mind, Joy ran over and threw the mango cake she’d only taken a bite of directly into the trash can.

"Cindy Mom, I super-duper love you the most!" She declared her loyalty to Cindy Mom.

"I love Joy the most too." Cindy Lynn said with a smile, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, Joy, you need to ask your real mom at home if she agrees for you to go out with me tomorrow."

Before Joy could reply, Cindy Lynn sighed, "Forget it, Ms. Tanya probably wouldn’t want me to take you out. How about this, Joy, I’ll give the Marinus Park tickets to Dad. When your mom’s eyes are better, your family of four can go next time."

"I don’t want that!" Joy immediately refused, her eyes turning red, "Cindy Mom, didn’t you say you love Joy the most? Don’t you want Joy anymore?"

"Of course not, sweetheart. I love you, but..." Cindy Lynn sighed and said softly, "Now that your real mom is back, Cindy Mom should step back."

"No!" Joy was about to burst into tears.

To her, Cindy Lynn, who has always been with her, is her mom!

Joy, afraid of losing Cindy Lynn, immediately distanced herself from Tanya Sinclair.

"I only want Cindy Mom. I don’t want that bad woman as my mom. I don’t like her at all. None of us like her! Today, that bad woman even got hit by Aunt, and she hit Aunt too. Dad was really angry!" Joy spoke a string of words in one breath, anxiously.

On the other end of the call, Cindy Lynn listened while absentmindedly watering the pot plant by the window with a sprayer.

Hearing Joy’s words, her hand paused.

"Really? She even hits people?" Cindy Lynn’s tone was surprised, but her expression remained calm, with a faintly sarcastic smile on her lips.

"Yes, she’s really bad, no one likes her. Unlike Cindy Mom, everyone likes~ Anyway, I only need Cindy Mom!" Joy sweetly whined, "Cindy Mom, let’s meet at the aquarium tomorrow morning. Let’s agree on that!"

Joy quickly finished talking, afraid Cindy Lynn would change her mind, she immediately hung up the phone.

After hanging up, Joy called Dad, wanting him to join Cindy Mom in taking her and her brother to Marinus Park tomorrow.

It had been a long time since their family of four went out alone!

But Dad, who usually answers her calls quickly, didn’t pick up this time, even after the busy tone ended.