Chapter 495

Donald said, “Jennifer, I’ve called you so many times, and you just ignored me. If Ms. Nelson really is Jonathan’s grandma, wouldn’t it be great if the whole family got back together?”

“Not at all, Donald! You’ve made my life a nightmare,” Jennifer said, feeling more pain. Donald was completely surprised. Jennifer started hitting Donald. “Ms. Nelson hates being bothered, but you still had Jonathan go find her. If she gets mad, she’ll totally blame me. This is all your fault!”

Donald just couldn’t understand. A family reunion was supposed to be happy. So many people spend years searching for lost relatives, and when they find them, they feel so happy.

Jennifer said, “Call Jonathan and tell him to come back right now.”

Donald felt too embarrassed to call and tell Jonathan not to visit his own grandma. But Jennifer wouldn’t stop, so Donald had no choice but to call Jonathan. “I’m already there. We’ll talk when I get back,” Jonathan said, then hung up.

Jonathan parked at the end of a rough, unpaved road. The car couldn’t go any further. The path was muddy from yesterday’s rain. Following the location Donald sent him, Jonathan walked for half an hour before finally reaching the school. The old gate swung open. There was no security guard around. A few little girls with dirty faces saw Jonathan and shouted, “Ms. Nelson, a stranger is here!”

Genevieve was busy cooking in the cafeteria. As soon as she heard the kids calling out, she put down her knife, and Jonathan had already come inside. He stood in the doorway, sunlight shining over his broad shoulders, casting half his face in shadow.

“You’re Jennifer’s—” Genevieve muttered to herself. Jonathan took a few steps closer, and she said, “I was mistaken. You’re not Jennifer’s husband.”

Jonathan looked at Genevieve—her white hair was neat, her face full of wrinkles, but her eyes were sharp and lively. She looked a lot like Fiona from the photo. Jonathan gave a small bow. “I’m Donald’s cousin. My name’s Jonathan.”

Genevieve nodded. “Who told you about this place? Are you here to see me, or someone else?”

Before Jonathan could answer, a bunch of kids poked their heads in behind him, all saying they were hungry. Jonathan rolled up his sleeves. “Let me help you with that,” he said.

Genevieve looked at him, thinking he looked like someone who’d never done housework in his life. She smiled, doubting he could cook, but to her surprise, she was wrong. Jonathan chopped the carrots quickly and neatly, very at ease.

“Do you cook for all these kids by yourself?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Genevieve replied.

Jonathan helped her knead the dough, asking casually, “Are you from here?”

“Not really,” she said.

“No family? What about your own kids?” Jonathan asked gently.

Genevieve paused. She sighed, then smiled warmly. “All the kids here are my children.”

When the food was ready, Jonathan looked over the simple dishes—not even a piece of meat. The kids ate their bread and vegetables happily.

“This is for you,” Genevieve said, handing Jonathan a plate filled with cabbage. “You must be hungry too. Thanks for helping me cook today,” she added.

“You’re too kind,” Jonathan said.

Only then did Genevieve ask, “You still haven’t told me. What exactly brings you out here?”

Jonathan put down his fork. “I’m looking for someone,” he said.

“Who?” Genevieve looked around at the kids eating. “Don’t tell me you’re the dad of one of these kids?”

Jonathan shook his head slightly. “I’m here to find Fiona.”

The fork slipped from Genevieve’s hands. She looked at Jonathan, her eyes cautious and guarded. “Who are you?”

Jonathan took out an old photo and gave it to her. “This is Fiona—the person I’m looking for. Do you know her?”

Genevieve just looked at the photo and said coolly, “I don’t know her. What’s your connection to the person in the picture?”

“That’s my grandma,” Jonathan replied.

Genevieve took a deep breath. “That can’t be. Her kid died a long time ago.”

Jonathan narrowed his eyes slightly. “How do you know her child is gone? Are you Fiona?”

Genevieve was silent for a couple of seconds. “You answer me first, then I’ll answer you.”

Even though she was old, her mind was sharp as ever. Compared to Gordon, who was losing his memory, Genevieve seemed like she belonged to a different time. Jonathan told her everything he knew about Fiona.

Back then, Fiona was thrown out and schemed against by Gordon’s mistress. Gordon, believing his mistress’s lies, thought Fiona had cheated on him and ignored her—even though she was pregnant with twin daughters. Later, his mistress paid off the doctor and tricked Fiona into thinking both her babies had died. After Fiona disappeared, the mistress confessed the truth on her deathbed. By then, Gordon realized he had misunderstood his wife, but Fiona had already left a letter and gone without a trace. Gordon never believed his wife had taken her own life. He spent years searching for her. When he turned sixty, he got dementia. His memory faded, and he forgot almost everyone, but he still kept talking about finding Fiona every day.

Jonathan said, “At Donald and Jennifer’s wedding, my grandpa saw Jennifer wearing a bracelet and went crazy, insisting it was my grandmother’s. Everyone got scared. After asking around, I found out you were the one who gave Jennifer that bracelet. That’s why I drove all the way here from Nareigh.”

Genevieve listened quietly for a long time and said, “Gordon has dementia now and is unconscious?”

Jonathan said, “His health is really bad. He probably doesn’t have much time left. His only regret is not finding my grandmother before he goes.”

“I’m not your grandmother,” Genevieve said, turning her back to him. “I’ll give you an address and a phone number. Go find Fiona.”

Jonathan frowned, struggling to accept that the woman in front of him wasn’t his grandma after all. Genevieve wrote down an address and a number for him, then, with tears in her eyes, waved him away.

“I’ll get you some food for the road,” Genevieve offered.

“No need,” Jonathan replied.

“Take it. Drive slowly—the roads here are rough. Go find Fiona, and please, don’t come looking for me again.” Genevieve gave him a long look before turning away.