The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 185: Climbing the Mountain Path

"Pearl... you’re right. I was being too impulsive," Renee Jennings forced herself to apologize, her tone flat.

No one around was on her side. Feeling annoyed and hurt, Renee Jennings decided to just keep her mouth shut.

She glanced over at the small group chatting together nearby. The smile on her face vanished as she fought to suppress her rage.

After landing in Stelaria, the guests boarded the production team’s van to continue their journey. As the scenery outside shifted, Chelsea Raines grew restless. "Hey, are we in the wrong place?" she called out. "Is the GPS messed up?"

The roadside scenery was utterly desolate. The surrounding jungle was so dense it looked like no one had set foot there in ages. The dirt road was a muddy mess, and the van had to stop several times when its wheels got stuck.

Affected by Chelsea Raines’s outburst, Jared Woods huddled timidly beside her, the jerky in his hand forgotten. "Mommy..."

The other guests looked over.

Chelsea Raines grew increasingly frightened, her eyes darting around warily. "Where are you taking us?"

In past episodes, the destinations were always scenic villages. This route, however, was far too remote.

"Don’t worry, everyone," the director explained from the back seat. "This is a necessary part of the route to our destination. We’ll be there soon."

After a few more stretches of muddy road, the color drained from Chelsea Raines’s face, her eyes filled with wariness and dread.

Margaret Jennings was the first to notice. "What’s wrong with you?"

"Pearl, where do you think they’re taking us? It couldn’t be... could it?"

Margaret Jennings glanced around. "This place is pretty remote. I can see mountains nearby. The destination is probably a mountain village."

"I read in the news recently... there’s been a lot of human trafficking. They lure people out to the middle of nowhere... these kidnappers have endless tricks up their sleeves..."

Her words made Margaret Jennings laugh. She pointed to a nearby camera. "Don’t be so paranoid. See? The live stream is still on. Still, it’s good that you’re so cautious."

Hearing Margaret Jennings’s words, Chelsea Raines relaxed. Once it sank in, she was inwardly annoyed at her own paranoia.

Staring at the overlapping mountain peaks in the distance, she fell into a daze. This was the kind of place she had once fought desperately to leave behind. The mere memory of it felt incredibly arduous.

The van finally came to a stop. The guests got out with their children, only to find themselves in a place with no houses and no people. ’Is this really our final destination?’

The guide appeared, holding a bullhorn and grinning from ear to ear. "Good afternoon, everyone."

Margaret Jennings asked, "Are we supposed to do a challenge here? The area is completely bare... there isn’t much to work with."

Chelsea Raines, now composed, said, "You guys on the production team are experts at tormenting us. I wonder what crazy scheme you’ve cooked up for today."

"This isn’t our destination," the guide said, pointing a finger. "That is."

He was pointing directly at the mountain.

"As you can all see, we’ll need to follow this mountain path. The terrain is too steep for vehicles, so we’ll have to hike up to our destination."

Looking up, they couldn’t even see the top. The path was narrow, only wide enough for a few people to walk abreast as it snaked its way up the mountain.

The guests were stunned into silence. Jared Woods burst into tears, tugging at the hem of Chelsea Raines’s clothes. "I don’t want to! I don’t want to! Mommy, I’m going to die from exhaustion! Can we please go home?"

"How many times have I told you not to talk about dying! It’s bad luck!" Chelsea Raines snapped.

The children had the strongest reactions, and a wave of crying instantly broke out.

Nathan Lynch wasn’t crying, which pleased Renee Jennings. She deliberately asked, "Nathan, are you afraid of the mountain path? I see you’re not crying like the other children. Why is that? Why aren’t you afraid...?"

"I’m scared." Nathan Lynch’s blunt reply cut off whatever else Renee Jennings was about to say.

Renee Jennings was left speechless. She had wanted to give Nathan Lynch a chance to shine on camera, but the kid was completely uncooperative. ’Just as Chelsea Raines said, he’s hopelessly dense,’ she thought.

Naomi Kenway held Ian Shaw’s hand. She was about to say something when Ian took a bag from her grasp. "Mommy, I’ll carry it for you."

The bag was a little heavy, and Naomi Kenway couldn’t bear to let Ian Shaw carry it. "It’s okay, Mommy can carry it."

"Ian can do it! Ian is a little man, and little men are very strong!"

Ian’s face was serious, and he refused to let go no matter what Naomi Kenway said. She had no choice but to indulge him for now.

After some time spent coaxing and consoling, the crying finally stopped.

"I believe everyone has composed themselves. Now, for our first challenge of the trip! The first team to hike up the mountain and reach the destination gets to choose their house first!"

The guests, who had been completely listless, instantly perked up.

Ruby Preston turned to Simon Sawyer at her side. "Son, we’re going to have to climb hard. Otherwise, we’ll be stuck in a dump for the next few days." She frowned as she spoke. ’Given the circumstances, none of the houses are probably going to be very good. If we want to be comfortable, we have to be the first ones up there.’

Simon Sawyer nodded.

As was tradition for the show, the guests handed over all their electronics and snacks at the foot of the mountain.

At the starting signal, Renee Jennings shot forward, pulling Nathan Lynch along. The other guests were right behind them. But the higher they went, the slower they became. The path was difficult, but that was only part of it. The other reason was psychological—a single glance down was enough to send a chill down their spines.

To ensure the guests’ safety, numerous staff members were stationed along the path, keeping a watchful eye.

The outcome of the race seemed insignificant compared to ensuring everyone’s safety. Naomi Kenway, for one, was completely uninterested in the competition. It was just that she was in good shape, so the climb felt effortless for her.

Realizing she’d never taken her son hiking before, Naomi Kenway treated it like a regular family outing, casually chatting with Ian Shaw about the scenery around them.

’In a way,’ she thought, ’this "Super Mom" show really has given me more opportunities to spend time with my son.’

The other teams weren’t nearly as relaxed. To secure a good house, Ruby Preston and Margaret Jennings were competing as fiercely as ever.

Despite being familiar with mountain paths, Chelsea Raines was moving the slowest of all.

Jared Woods looked back, stomping his foot impatiently. "Mommy, hurry up! Faster! They’re going to take our house!"

"You think I don’t want to go faster?!" Chelsea Raines retorted, lifting one of her aching feet. She was wearing a pair of delicate, expensive-looking red high heels, studded with tiny crystals. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

A staff member advised her to take off the heels, but Chelsea Raines refused.