Chapter 535
“I’ll hold this grudge till the day I die. Everything happening to Irene’s family now… they deserve it.”
They brought it all upon themselves. They’re only getting what they…
Evelyn said, “Forgive and forget, Hannah. You need to learn to move on with your life.”
Jennifer said coldly, “You have no right to lecture me. From the moment I fell off that cliff as a child, I swore I’d hate you and Philip for life.
“I won’t rest until I see, with my own eyes, everyone I hate living in misery.”
Evelyn gave a bitter chuckle. She said, “Well, my life’s already in shambles now. Are you satisfied?”
Jennifer clenched her fingers as a sudden wave of inexplicable bitterness washed over her. She took a sip of coffee and muttered, “Yeah. I’ll take care of Teresa here in Nareigh.
“Don’t worry about us sisters, just focus on looking after Isabel yourself.” With that, she stood up abruptly.
Evelyn caught Jennifer’s hand, and then, in one smooth motion, she slid a bracelet onto Jennifer’s wrist.
She said, “Gordon snatched your previous bracelet from you, and that’s precisely why your wedding turned into a complete disaster.
“I am giving you a new bracelet now. Let the past go, and focus on building a good life for yourself. It’s not too late for anything, Hannah.
“Just try to open your heart a little wider, and don’t always obsess over every little thing. Otherwise, your stubbornness will cost you dearly one day.
“All these years, I failed in my duty to raise you properly. I truly have no right to lecture you. Just take this as the most heartfelt blessing from a stranger.
“As long as you and Teresa are both well, I can be at ease wherever I am. About Mike’s situation, I think you and Teresa should discuss it and find the right time to tell Jonathan together.
“As the child’s father, Jonathan has every right to know his son exists. Whether Jonathan and Teresa remarry or not is a separate matter. From this moment on, it’s never too late for anything.”
It was a long while after Evelyn had left that Jennifer finally registered her absence. Jennifer wasn’t going to see Evelyn off. She thought, ‘Some things, once done, could never be undone.’
Jennifer wiped away a single tear from the corner of her eye before turning to leave the café.
Sanford had sent the housekeeper away to the hospital to care for Liora. Alone at home, he sat on the sunlit sofa, afternoon light filtering through the curtains.
Leaning back on the sofa, he stared at the long shadow stretching across the floor, lost in thought. He saw himself as a child, clutching a photo frame he’d found hidden away, confronting Liora with urgent questions.
He asked, “Mom, who’s the man in this picture? Is he my dad?”
Liora replied, “No, he’s just a friend of mine.”
Sanford said, “Just a friend? But I saw the name on the back, Yorick. That’s gotta be my dad, right?”
Liora said, “No, it’s not.”
Sanford pressed, “What do you mean, no? Then answer me, why is my last name Thomas? What’s my dad’s last name? If you won’t tell me, I’m gonna go find him myself.”
Liora said, “Don’t go looking for him, he’s gone.”
Sanford exclaimed, “What?”
Liora said, “He’s gone. There’s no one left by that name in this world, Sanford. Please, just stop looking for him.”
Snapping back to reality, Sanford’s mind was flooded with Liora’s words–she had been the other woman, had deliberately gotten pregnant with Yorick’s child just to have something to remember him by, and Yorick had never known.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Sanford, still reeling, went to open the door.
Outside the door, two police officers displayed their badges. One of them said, “Mr. Thomas, you’ve been reported for defamation and intentionally spreading false information. Please come with us to the station for further investigation.”