Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System-Chapter 469: Maya or Laurie?

Far away from the scheming household, Annie sat frozen in her study, a DNA report trembling in her hands. Her breath caught painfully in her throat.

Maya. Her eldest daughter was alive.

Jules hadn't lied. Jules hadn't imagined things. Jules… had been the one suffering.

A wave of guilt crashed into Annie so strongly she almost dropped the report. Her knees weakened, and with trembling hands she covered her face as tears slipped through her fingers.

'I hurt my own child. I punished her. I believed every lie Maya fed me. I… I was a monster to her.'

She thought of Jules' terrified eyes, the way the girl flinched at her voice.

All this time, Annie assumed Jules was guilty, hiding something, feeling shame. But now she realized it wasn't guilt.

It was fear. Fear of her own mother.

And why wouldn't she be terrified? Annie had sided with Maya every single time, blind to the truth, blind to manipulation. Every harsh word she threw at Jules, every punishment, every accusation…

It was all cruelty.

Her throat tightened. 'Why did Maya fake her death? What was she hiding? What was she planning?'

But another horrifying thought hit her.

Maya had been alive. Alive and watching. She had seen Jules being blamed. She had let Jules be tormented. She had used a new name, a new identity… to hurt Jules all over again.

Annie's blood ran cold as realization struck her.

'Has Maya… always been planning to destroy Jules?'

Hatred and fear twisted inside her chest. She wanted to scream, to tear the truth from Maya's mouth, but she knew better. She couldn't confront Maya... not until she apologized to Jules.

She wiped her tears and stood with trembling resolve.

Tomorrow, she would go to Jules and fall to her knees if she had to. She would ask for forgiveness.

However, the next morning, as Annie stepped out of the mansion with her heart pounding, she came face to face with Maya.

Maya's eyes widened dramatically the moment she saw her. In a heartbeat, she rushed over and pulled Annie into an exaggerated hug.

"Annie!" she exclaimed, voice dripping with false sweetness. "You look exhausted… did you spend the night crying because you miss your dead eldest daughter again?"

Annie's breath hitched. Her stomach dropped. Her heart stopped for a beat.

The venom hidden inside those gentle words made her skin crawl.

Before this moment, Annie had already harbored a faint suspicion that Maya was deliberately ensuring she never forgot her deceased daughter. Now, that suspicion solidified completely.

She remembered it clearly... how Maya would casually drape an arm over her shoulder, sigh softly, and speak in that mournful tone.

How Maya's eyes would linger on Annie's face before gently reminding her that her eldest daughter was gone forever. At first, Annie hadn't noticed the manipulation hidden beneath those words.

After all, her eldest daughter had been the light of her life.

She should remember her.

But gradually, too gradually for Annie to realize, Maya had begun steering her emotions. Each reminder came wrapped in sympathy. Each comparison was coated in concern.

"She was so pitiful," Maya would say.

"She suffered so much."

"And Jules… she's living so comfortably now, isn't she?"

Little by little, those words twisted Annie's heart.

At that time, Annie had truly believed Maya was kinder, more thoughtful, more devoted than Jules. She believed Jules had forgotten her sister, forgotten her pain, forgotten her family... while enjoying a happy marriage and a peaceful life.

And driven by jealousy, grief, and manipulation, Annie had chosen cruelty.

Now, realizing it all, Annie clenched her fists until her nails dug painfully into her palms.

She looked at Maya.

But instead of crying like before, instead of breaking down as Maya expected, Annie lifted her chin and spoke evenly,

"Why is it that you can't stand seeing me happy?"

Maya froze.

Her brows knitted instinctively, one eyebrow lifting in confusion as she stared back. That tiny expression, so fleeting, so familiar... sent a sharp pang through Annie's chest.

'That expression… It's the same as Laurie's.'

How had she never noticed before?

Now, with the DNA report burned into her memory, Annie realized just how blind she had been.

Suppressing the urge to lash out, she continued calmly,

"You remind me of my deceased daughter every single day. If you truly cared about me as a friend, wouldn't you help me move on instead of reopening my wounds again and again?"

Maya's composure shattered.

Her eyes flashed with panic and anger as she raised her voice,

"How can you forget her just because she's dead? You should remember her even more! Only then can your eldest daughter feel warmth in the afterlife!"

Annie stared at her. Then she laughed.

The sound was hollow, bitter, and sharp enough to cut.

"Yes," Annie replied coolly. "I should remember her... for a while. But at some point, I need to let go."

Her gaze hardened.

"The dead are already dead. What's the point of clinging to them while destroying the lives of those who are still alive?"

Maya's pupils shrank. Her breath stuttered.

'No… this isn't how it's supposed to go.'

Every plan she had made depended entirely on Annie's grief. Annie was supposed to remain broken. She was supposed to stay trapped in guilt and hatred.

But now... Annie sounded detached. Rational. Almost… free.

Maya felt her chest tighten as panic crept in. Her mind raced, and suddenly she remembered the diary, the one she had hidden so carefully.

'Did she read it?'

The thought made her fingers tremble.

Trying to regain control, Maya forced a smile and tested the waters,

"Why are you suddenly saying this? Is it because you saw the diary in Laurie's room?"

Annie's heart skipped. 'A diary?' 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She had never even considered going through her daughter's room before. But now, hearing Maya's words, she knew something was there. Something Maya feared.

Maintaining her calm façade, Annie gave a slow, subtle nod.

Maya visibly relaxed, misunderstanding the gesture completely. She exhaled in relief and continued,

"Before Laurie died, she told me she kept a diary. Jules asked her to write in it."

Annie's eyes narrowed.

"You're saying my eldest daughter was supposed to write hateful things about her own sister, and Jules directed it?"

Maya hesitated.

And in that hesitation, everything became clear.

Annie finally understood... Laurie had written her true feelings. The diary wasn't planted by Jules. It was Laurie's own voice, her own evil side.

Maya lifted her gaze toward Annie and spoke quickly, her voice carrying an edge of urgency.

"Don't take that diary too seriously. People write nonsense when they're emotional."

Annie lowered her head slightly, her lashes casting shadows over her eyes. After a moment, she spoke in a calm, almost detached tone.

"I think the diary recorded my daughter's true feelings."

In truth, she was bluffing. She hadn't read a single word yet. But Maya didn't need to know that.

Maya stiffened, agitation flickering across her face.

"Then tell me," she snapped, "what do you think Laurie truly felt?"

Annie paused, letting the silence stretch. She replayed Maya's reactions in her mind, every slip, every overreaction. Slowly, a conclusion formed.

'If she's this defensive, then Laurie's feelings must have been ugly… far uglier than I imagined.'

She lifted her head and spoke evenly,

"After thinking it through, I believe Laurie hated Jules. She was deeply jealous of her."

Maya's pupils shrank.

In that instant, she became certain Annie had read the diary. Her mind raced, and she hurried to speak, her tone turning sharp.

"Those words were things Jules forced her to write. Jules wanted evidence. Evidence to escape blame for the accident she will do later on."

Annie's hands clenched at her sides. Her nails dug into her skin as a surge of anger flooded her chest. For a split second, she nearly raised her hand.

'Shameless.'

This girl standing in front of her felt nothing like the daughter she had once cherished.

Jealous enough to destroy her sister. Cruel enough to let Jules be blamed. And worst of all, she felt no remorse, no guilt, only calculation.

Even now, she doesn't want to let go of Jules!

Annie inhaled deeply, forcing the rage down. When she spoke again, her voice was cold and final.

"I want to be alone. Please leave."

Maya opened her mouth to argue, but Annie had already turned away. She walked toward the car, opened the door, and sat inside without another glance.

Standing there, Maya watched the car door shut. Her lips curled into a thin smile. 'So I'm no longer her daughter.'

Her fingers tightened into fists.

'That's fine. It won't last.'

In her mind, plans shifted rapidly. If Jules died completely, she could always reappear later with a new face, a new identity, claiming amnesia.

She would cry, apologize, and insist she remembered nothing. Then all the blame would vanish, and Jules would be gone forever.

By then it would be already too late.