?<strong>Chapter 1212:</strong>


    That fact shed light on Baker’s harsh behavior toward Belinda.


    “Then, do you or Dad know who her real father is?” Kylee asked, her voice shaky.


    Holley shook her head. “Only Car knows that. Frankly, Belinda is a bastard without a known father.”


    Holley looked at Kylee intently and added, “Now you see why Car tolerates me and Belinda so much. She epted our presence and never pushed us away. Because her own past is wed—she’s in no position to judge us!”


    Holley’s lips curled into a mocking smile.


    A moment of realization dawned on Kylee.


    No wonder!


    That exined Car’s leniency toward Belinda and Holley. It all made sense now.


    Who would have thought… Car didn’t seem like the type to have secrets like these. But it turned out she had cheated before.


    Before learning her own story, Kylee had often med and resented Baker, thinking him a viin who had harmed her and her mother.


    Despite learning the truth about her origins, Kylee had continued to resent Holley, her biological mother, for her role in destroying another family. Only now did she realize that Car had been the one to betray Baker first.


    With the truth revealed, Kylee felt a noticeable lift in her spirits. Holley spoke again, her voice low and cautious. “Kylee, don’t bring this up to your father. He values his reputation, and this would be a humiliation to him.”


    “I understand; don’t worry,” Kylee replied with a nod.


    Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she furrowed her brow and asked, “Mom, why did you and Dad decide to give Belinda hormone treatments?”


    Holley let out a heavy sigh before responding, “Firstly, your father was consumed by bitterness toward Car and wanted to get revenge through Belinda. Secondly, he feared Belinda would begin resembling Car more as she aged. So, we nned to mark Belinda’s face with a dark birthmark and administer hormone pills to her. But we didn’t foresee Belinda going abroad for three years, which disrupted our ns. When she returned, she was much slimmer, and the dark spot had disappeared.”


    Holley’s voice carried a trace of frustration as she spoke.


    Curious, Kylee pressed on, “How did that dark spot on Belinda’s facee about then?”


    Holley exined, “Your father found a special solution that, once applied to the face, cannot be washed off. Even advanced equipment would only detect it as a birthmark. However, the effect wouldst only a year, so I reapplied it annually to maintain the dark mark on Belinda’s face.”


    After a pause, she continued, “But then, Belinda mentioned going abroad, which I opposed. However, she was adamant and went regardless. The year she left, I urged her to return, but she refused. As time ran out, I traveled abroad to find her, but she wasn’t in Chixdon — she had gone to Ascein instead. I never saw her, and that’s why the mark faded over time.”


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