Chapter 820

Peggy grew up in a world without love. Her parents had her, and then a year later, they had a son. It was then that Peggy overheard her mother say something that stuck with her forever.

“If only Peggy were a boy, things would be so much better.”

Peggy, still a clueless little girl, ran over and asked, “Mom, why would it be better if I were a boy?”

“Because if you were a boy, you wouldn’t have a little brother at all,” her mother replied.

As Peggy recalled this, her gaze grew deep. “Those words have haunted me my whole life. I really hated being a girl. I kept thinking, “If I were a boy, would everyone in my family finally focus on me?””

Evelyn said, “And then you pushed Patrick into the well? He was only eight years old, wasn’t he?”

Peggy said, “He started it! He said I didn’t deserve to live in that house, that everything there was his, even our parents. I just got so mad and pushed him!”

Peggy suddenly started laughing. She looked just like someone who had gone mad from being weary of the world.

Peggy said, “It doesn’t matter anymore. Lucas doesn’t want me now, so I have nothing left to lose. Go ahead, report me, and let them sentence me to death. That’s what you want, right?”

Evelyn kept her eyes fixed on Peggy and didn’t say a word. It wasn’t until she noticed Peggy tapping her lips with her fingers that she asked, “Craving a smoke, aren’t you?”

She remembered that every time Peggy made that gesture, she’d immediately fish out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and light up.

Peggy stared at her in disbelief. “I didn’t expect you to remember that.”

Evelyn reached into her bag, pulled out a cigarette, and passed it to her through the little window. “No lighter, so just smell it.”

“Don’t you hate me? Why do you still remember what I like?” Peggy said. Her hand trembled as she took the cigarette.

She tore off the outer wrapper, put the tobacco in her mouth, and slowly chewed it like tea. Her expression was complicated, and so was Evelyn’s.

“I only hate you for swapping the children, for abusing Lucas, and for saying those terrible things to Hannah. As for everything else, I don’t hate you. It has nothing to do with me, so I have no reason to hate you,” Evelyn said.

Peggy’s chewing paused for a moment. The image of Lucas bowing to her for the last time flashed through her mind.

“Lucas, he’s a kind boy,” Peggy said, her voice choking up. “Tell my child I’m sorry.”

“Who? Lucas? Didn’t you say sorry to him yourself?” Evelyn asked.

“No, not Lucas,” Peggy said with difficulty. “I’m talking about the other child.”

Evelyn froze for a moment. “You mean Hannah?”

“Yeah,” Peggy admitted. “Did you name her Hannah?” This was the first time she had ever taken the initiative to ask about Jennifer.

“Before I divorced Philip, she was called Hannah Johnston. Later, Hannah changed her own name to Jennifer Nelson,” Evelyn explained.

There was a flicker of doubt in Peggy’s eyes. For the first time, she found herself genuinely curious about her own daughter and what kind of life she had lived.

Evelyn didn’t hide anything. She told Peggy all about Jennifer’s past. “Hannah hasn’t had a single good day all these years. That poor kid’s life has been nothing but hardship,” she said.

“So that’s why she couldn’t take it anymore and tried to kill herself.” Peggy shook her head with a helpless sigh.

“Kill herself?” Evelyn froze. Then she instantly asked Peggy what she meant.