My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Take Him Back - Chapter 260

Chapter 260: The quarrel Chapter 260: The quarrel Erica’s frustration boiled over.

She had known this would happen, that Lydia wouldn’t help her.

But she was desperate for money.

“Don’t be so heartless, Mom,” Erica spat.

“If I don’t pay them back, they’ll destroy me.

My reputation will be in shreds!

Do you want that to happen to your daughter?” “It’s your problem.” Lydia pivoted and pinned a stern glare at her.

“You owed them, not me.

Why would I help you?

I warned you so many times to be careful, but you never listened.

You’re reckless, just like your father.

His debts ruined our family once, and now you are dragging us down the same path.” “I’m sorry, Mom,” Erica apologized.

She stepped closer and held her hands as she tried to appeal to the small shred of compassion she hoped still existed in her mother.

“I know I messed up.

But I swear, if you help me this one last time, I’ll change.” Lydia studied Erica’s tear-streaked face, her own expression wavering for a brief moment.

But the years of frustration and disappointment had hardened her heart, and she quickly steeled herself against the plea.

“I’ve already spent millions on you.

I don’t have that kind of money anymore.” A helpless look crossed on Lydia’s face.

She had been saving that money for months, intending to secure a valuable piece of land.

If she used it to pay off Erica’s debts, all her plans-her future-would crumble.

She couldn’t take that gamble.

Her words only fueled Erica’s ire.

“Don’t have money!

Why are you lying?

I know you have a rich boyfriend €“ Mr.

Blair.

Why don’t you ask him to help you?” Lydia couldn’t believe Erica had said that.

Before she could think, her hand lashed out, the sharp sound of the slap echoing in the room.

Erica staggered back, landing on the edge of the bed, her cheek burning with the force of the blow.

Erica whipped her head and glared back at her mother as she lifted her hand to her stinging cheek.

“You…

slapped me?” Her mother had never laid a hand on her, no matter what she had done.

But today, Lydia hadn’t hesitated to hit her.

“I can’t believe this.” Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but her indignation overpowered her pain.

“I should have done this a long time ago.” Her hand still tingled from the slap, but her heart felt heavier than ever.

“When you made your first mistake, I should’ve corrected you.

Instead, I covered for you, brushing it off as childish folly.

I convinced myself you’d grow out of it, that you’d change.

But you never did.

You’re just like your father-stealing from the Brooks’ mansion without a shred of remorse.” The blood drained from Erica’s face, her mother’s words unearthing memories she had long buried.

“If I had schooled you at the time, you wouldn’t have become like this,” Lydia continued.

“When my sister-in-law caught you red-handed, I was the one who begged her to keep quiet.

I pleaded with her not to tell my brother, to protect you from the consequences.

That was my mistake.

I should have let her handle you.

I should have let you face the punishment you deserved.” “Mom,” Erica interrupted with nervous desperation.

She didn’t want to relive those moments.

She wanted them to stay buried.

“Can you stop bringing that up now?” But Lydia wasn’t finished.

“No, Erica.

You need to hear this.

You need to understand what you’ve done.

If I had grounded you then, none of this would have happened.

Instead, I coddled you.

I backed you up every time you were in trouble, fueling your arrogance.

And because of that, you thought you could get away with anything.” Her voice grew louder, laced with an anguish that had been bottled up for years.

“Because of that, you dared to hurt them.

You killed them!” Erica’s breath hitched, her body stiffening.

“How could you bring that up?” she cried.

“You promised we’d never speak of it again!

Why now?” Lydia’s face twisted with disdain, her usual mask of composure cracking.

“To save you, I’ve lied, schemed, and sacrificed everything.

I’ve been tirelessly covering up that crime for years, keeping you safe from the truth, from justice.

And you dare call me heartless?

Do you have any idea what Dylan would’ve done if I hadn’t shifted the blame to Thomas?” “No, I didn’t kill anyone,” Erica retorted vehemently.

“I was just a kid-only sixteen!

I didn’t know what I was doing.

All I wanted was to scare them, to make them pay for humiliating me.

It was your actions that led to their deaths, not mine!” “Shut up,” Lydia thundered, her voice shaking the walls.

“Don’t dare pin this on me.

You were the one who messed with the smoke pipe of their car.

If it were not for you, they would’ve driven away safely.

But no-your spiteful little stunt stranded them.

That’s why they ended up in Thomas’s car!” Erica’s mind swirled with the haunting memories of that day.

She had been blinded by anger at Dylan’s mother, who had caught her red-handed stealing from the family safe and threatened to expose her.

In a fit of rage, she had stuffed rags into the smoke pipe of the car, smirking at the thought of inconveniencing them.

But she had never imagined the chain of events her actions would unleash.

“I didn’t know they’d die!” Erica protested.

“I never wanted that to happen!

I just wanted to teach them a lesson.

But you-” She pointed a trembling finger at Lydia.

“You are the one who tampered with Thomas’s car.

You wanted to kill him!

And instead, you ended up killing your own brother!” “You ungrateful brat!” Lydia roared, her face flushed with fury.

“How dare you speak to your mother like that?” Her hand shot up again to strike her.

But before the slap could land, Erica caught her wrist in the air and pushed her away.

Lydia staggered, her balance faltering as she braced herself against a nearby table.

“You pushed me!” She stared at Erica, a mix of shock and disbelief on her face.

Erica stood tall, her expression cold and unyielding.

“You are getting old, Mother.

Don’t try to mess with me anymore.

I’m not the scared little girl you used to control.” She stepped closer, her presence looming.

“Now, give me the money, or I swear I’ll expose everything.

I don’t care what Dylan does to me.

But I’ll make sure you are dragged down with me.

If I go to hell, you’re coming along for the ride.” Lydia’s hands clenched into fists, but the defiance in Erica’s eyes made her falter.

For the first time, she felt the power dynamic had shifted.

She would no longer be able to control Erica.

Thump€¦ The muffled sound from outside the room sent a jolt through both Lydia and Erica.

Their heated argument came to an abrupt halt as their heads snapped toward the door.