Bullied and Dumped, But She Won in the End (Adriana) novel Chapter 173

**Chapter 173: Shameless Cynthia**

“Curtis, you’re finally back!” Cynthia exclaimed, bursting through the doorway, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, the redness hinting at sleepless nights and mounting desperation. Her voice quivered as she continued, “Curtis, please, I’ve never begged you for anything before. But this time, I’m on my knees. She’s my only child. You have to convince Adriana to drop the charges. Belinda is still just a student. If this case goes through, she’ll end up in prison, and her entire future will be shattered.”

Her tone was a delicate mix of softness and calculation, carefully crafted to tug at the heartstrings. She conveniently omitted the fact that Belinda had turned herself in, spinning the narrative until it was palatable enough to swallow.

Curtis’s expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to see right through her. His voice became low and menacing, slicing through the tension in the room. “When she pushed someone down the stairs, did she consider her future then? People who commit such heinous acts once are capable of far worse. Ms. Reese, you know better than most that when you commit a crime, you must face the consequences.”

Cynthia stepped closer, her tears spilling over as she pleaded, “She’s just a kid! We can talk to her, mend this as a family. You helped raise her. How can you abandon her now?” Her voice cracked as she turned to Adriana, desperation etched on her face. “Even if you can’t find it in your heart to forgive her, Adriana, at least do it for Curtis’s sake.”

She was still trying to twist the knife deeper, aiming to lay the blame at Adriana’s feet.

Cynthia could see the way Curtis looked at Adriana; it was as if the air crackled with unspoken feelings. Anyone could sense the bond between them, yet she refused to acknowledge it. The thought of being replaced by a woman who had only been his wife on paper gnawed at her insides.

Curtis’s voice cut through her thoughts like a shard of glass. “I’m the one who called the cops.”

A heavy silence enveloped the room, suffocating and thick. Cynthia blinked, her face draining of color as the weight of his words settled over her.

Even Adriana appeared taken aback. “Curtis… it was Belinda who called first.”

Curtis turned his piercing gaze toward her, unyielding. “I called too. The moment Belinda confessed that she pushed you, I reported it. What she did was a crime, plain and simple. Those who commit such acts must take responsibility.”

He hadn’t realized that Belinda had already confessed. Perhaps there was still a shred of decency within her after all.

Cynthia shook her head vehemently, her voice trembling with disbelief. “No. You wouldn’t do that. You watched her grow up. You can’t possibly mean it.”

Curtis’s jaw clenched, his tone dropping to a low growl. “That’s exactly why I did it. I raised her. I trusted her. And she tried to kill my wife. Have you ever heard the tale of the farmer and the viper? That’s what this is. You nurture it, and it bites you anyway. Tell me, Ms. Reese, does that sound wrong to you?”

His anger simmered just beneath the surface, flames of rage flickering in his eyes.

Before he could continue, Adriana interjected, her voice sharp and unwavering. “She told Belinda to do it. If this is the farmer and the viper, then you, Ms. Reese, are the one who taught the snake to bite.”

Cynthia might have been Curtis’s savior, but she was not Adriana’s.

Cynthia whipped her head around, her face contorting with fury. “Adriana! How dare you speak to me like that!”

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