Devil's Prisoner of Love by Prefer

Chapter 412: Life’s Unpredictability

Genevieve dragged her exhausted body back to the small motel where they were temporarily staying. As she entered, she saw Ivy asleep in a chair.

Ivy had been waiting for her all day and had eventually drifted off, worn out. Seeing Ivy's pale and haggard face, Genevieve felt a pang of guilt.

Not long ago, Ivy had been like a delicate flower, vibrant and full of life. Now, she looked pitiful and weathered, as if she had been battered by a storm.

Genevieve's heart ached. She had always believed that Ivy and Zachary would live lives of luxury, free from hardship. She never imagined they would end up like this.

"Ivy, have you eaten? I brought some food," Genevieve said, placing a takeout bag on the table.

Ivy stirred, slowly opening her eyes. "Mom, you're back. What happened with my brother?"

"He... he'll be fine," Genevieve replied, avoiding Ivy's gaze. She couldn't bring herself to tell her daughter how much humiliation she had endured that day.

Ivy's eyes fell on Genevieve's swollen, reddened cheeks. "Mom, who did this to you?" she asked, standing up and grabbing Genevieve's arm.

"It's nothing, Ivy. I did it to myself," Genevieve said quickly, covering her face with her hands. She had already gone to the pharmacy for ointment, but the swelling wouldn't subside so easily.

Ivy pulled her mother's hands away, and the severe redness was plain to see. "Mom, don't lie to me. Who did this?"

"It's really nothing. I deserve this. I made so many mistakes in the past. I interfered in someone else's family, ruined their happiness. This is just the bitter fruit of my own actions," Genevieve said, lowering her head.

Ivy didn't know how to respond. She couldn't judge her mother's wrongdoings because so much of what Genevieve had done was for her and Zachary. To outsiders, Genevieve might seem like a despicable homewrecker, but to Ivy, she was simply a mother who had done everything in her power to secure a better future for her children.

Ivy suspected that the slap marks were likely left by the Blake family, especially Kimberly, known for her ruthless ways. Ivy felt anger boil inside her, but there was nothing she could do to change their situation.

They had no money, no status, and Ivy now carried the stigma of being an illegitimate child. Since the scandal broke, she hadn't dared to contact any of her former friends.

conversations about designer collections, upcoming fashion shows,

world had been completely severed. She imagined her old friends laughing

been a princess high in the clouds. Now, she wasn't even

herself for being so

the average meal, but compared to the luxurious standards of the Montgomery family, it was a world

it," Genevieve said, pushing

had been through hard times before, so she could adjust to this lifestyle. But Ivy was different. She had been pampered

nothing like what our chef used

our life now. After paying off your brother's debts, I used up almost all my savings. I only have a little over $30, 000 left," Genevieve

we ever ran out of money. But Aurora went through my luggage and took most of it.

with what we have now. Just bear with it and get used to it,"

The days of extravagance were gone, and there

meal quietly, tears dripping into her food. She couldn't accept how drastically her life had changed-from a proud princess to an

woman.

tears, but there was nothing she could

motel didn't have a bathtub, massage oils, or scented candles. The bathroom

This was the only time Ivy wouldn't see or hear her tears.

streaming down her face as memories flashed through her mind

remembered her younger self, defiant and unwilling to live an ordinary life. Driven by vanity, she had thrown herself into the world of nightclub

places were rich. Their tips alone could cover her expenses for

were always a few vile ones who treated women as less than objects. Some were

Everyone else avoided

encounter battered and broken, but she received a handsome

the men in nightclubs weren't good people. Paul was no exception, though at the time, he was fit