Lila nodded vigorously, tears still streaming down her face, but her determination was unwavering: "Yes! I want Vanessa to be my mom! I don't want this fat woman as my mom!"
Clara looked at the scene before her and felt a chill run through her body. Her back still ached, but her heart ached even more, as if she were about to suffocate. She finally understood that there was no longer a place for her in this home. She took a deep breath, and the last trace of lingering affection in her eyes vanished completely—on the 20th, she would leave immediately and never look back.
