“Yup!” I giggled in an attempt to tease him.
“Isabelle?”
My jaw dropped in shock. “Anthony, have you been spying on me?”
“Don’t get mad, I’m doing this for your safety. There are many people looking to grasp Featherstone Corporation for themselves. I can only let you out if you are safe and sound,” Anthony chuckled.
“I’m not a child,” I argued stubbornly.
“You shouldn’t argue back,” Anthony’s magnetic voice resonated in my ears. His voice was filled with fondness.
With a pout, I remained silent.
Right at the moment, Isabelle emerged from the hospital and paused at the entrance as she looked around. Quickly, I pressed on the horn to alert her of my presence.
“Anthony, I have to go now. Goodbye,” I said hurriedly.
Without waiting for his response, I hung up the call.
Upon hearing the horn, Isabelle glanced over in my direction. When she entered my car, I couldn’t help but notice her swollen and reddened eyes. It looked like she had just finished crying.
Although I was clueless about the issue between Rachel and Isabelle, it seemed like it was far more complicated than I initially anticipated.
“Let’s go find something to eat,” I suggested, “It’s already close to dinner time anyway.”
“Thank you!” Isabelle exclaimed gratefully as she rubbed her hand over her face.
I nodded and started the car.
Even if I did not question her about the issues, she revealed them through her solemn gaze. Isabelle must have kept these troubling thoughts to herself for a very long time.
Although I did not speak up, Isabelle revealed it to me in a self-deprecating manner.
“Back in the ’80s, the country had a program to increase the population’s birth rates. My mother was raised in the countryside as a farmer and did not have the luxury of receiving an education. Due to her lack of knowledge, she assumed that her worth as a woman would be fulfilled if she gave birth to a son. After she had me, she continued to get pregnant in hopes of bearing a son.”
Isabelle paused for a moment as she sighed hopelessly before continuing her story. “She gave birth to almost eight children. Although there were boys amongst her children, they seemed to suffer from a horrible curse. None of them could survive beyond their teenage years. A decade later, she gave birth to another girl- Rachel. Because of Rachel’s gender, my mother decided to abandon her. Fortunately,
Rachel was adopted by a kind couple who had suffered countless miscarriages. Their business grew to become very successful too. As a result, they decided to send her overseas for better education and future.”
“Isn’t that great?” I asked with a furrow of my brows. She was adopted into a wonderful family and raised in luxuries. Why would she harbor such a great hatred when she managed to escape her past misfortunes?
“Yes, she was very lucky. My mother continued to get pregnant as she still yearned for a son. After Rachel, she gave birth to another girl. Unfortunately, the girl wasn’t as lucky as Rachel. The moment she was born, my mother left her in the mountains. That year, there was a bitter and harsh winter. Thus, the poor child froze to death after seven days,” Isabelle smiled bitterly.
How cruel!
Her words sent a flutter of shivers down my spine as I scowled deeply. Her ignorant mother was terrible!
When she caught sight of my expression, Isabelle’s tone wavered with guilt. “I understand that her ignorance has brought harm to so many innocent children. After so many years of endurance, my mother finally gave birth to a son and raised him healthily. Her greatest wish was fulfilled after the sacrifice of other children.”
“It’s a pity to those innocent children,” I sighed deeply in grief.
“My mother has ruined many lives to give birth to a son. It was inevitable that her past deeds would cause her downfall. After she had my brother, her body turned weak and frail. My mother was shocked to her core when she discovered my father’s affairs. In order to separate their relationship, she ingested toxic chemicals. Although she managed to survive the poison, it left her body broken beyond repair.”
Having so many children in succession must have left a severe impact on her body.
“Last year, my brother was diagnosed with leukaemia. We were never a rich family, to begin with, my mother burned through most of our wealth and possessions in order to afford his medical fees. Yet, the doctor claimed that he would need the blood marrow of a relative to cure my brother’s sickness,” Isabelle continued.
Hearing her words, I could guess what would happen. “You must have guessed it as well,” Isabelle said with a faint smile, “My mother was old and had a weak body; she was unable to donate her bone marrow. My father was out of the picture as well. He had turned a blind eye on us for a long time.”
“You couldn’t donate because you were pregnant?” I guessed hesitantly. She must have begged Rachel as the last resort.
“At that time, I was facing some struggles in my job. Alongside that issue, I was also pregnant at an old age. Giving birth to my child was already a challenge. How could I donate my bone marrow? Thus, my mother set out to find Rachel’s adoptive parents. However, no one expected my mother to go to such extreme lengths. Rachel’s adoptive parents could not bear to harm Rachel and turned down my mother’s request. In the end, my mother barricaded them at their company and prepared to threaten them with her life. In an attempt to avoid my mother, Rachel’s father swerved away and collided with another vehicle. The impact caused his instant death,” Isabelle said sorrowfully.
I stopped the car as the traffic light turned red. “I finally understand why Rachel hates you so much!” I turned to her and spoke after a long pause of shock.
To me, giving birth to a child and not raising her properly was already a sin. Now that the child had grown up and started a new life with a partner and a new family, why would the biological mother still want to hurt her?
Isabelle took a deep breath and smiled wryly, “I know we did her wrong in so many ways, and I don’t blame her for hating us, but she’s still her biological mother.”
I could not believe what I heard. I used to think women like Cameron, Rylee, and Kristina, were evil, but Isabelle’s family sent chills down my spine.
I looked at her and smiled, “There are people whom I find pathetic and despicable. Do you know who they are?”
She looked at me but kept mum.
I started driving when the traffic light turned green. I looked at the road and said, “Rachel has been very kind to your family. I would have adopted a far crueller approach if I were in her shoes.”
Isabelle was taken aback as she did not expect I would say something like that.
I continued, “There are people who are born poor, but it has nothing to do with money. They’re just poor in spirit and don’t know what it means to be humans.
“Like you and your mom, who had committed the worst crime ever by ending her children’s lives. Yet, she never thought what she did was wrong.
“Rachel should count herself lucky to have escaped from such a terrible family and found herself parents who cherished her and took good care of her.”
“And what did you all do? You came into her life and destroyed her happiness. Her father was the man who rescued her from hell, yet your mother killed him,” I said, “And your mother seems to be very proud of what she has done. She thinks she’s doing this out of love for his son.
“It was as if she had forgotten Rachel, too, was her child.”
Isabelle lowered her head and cried. She said in between sobs, “We had no choice. My brother would die if she refused to donate her bone marrow. We’re a family. It’s her duty to rescue her brother!”
Her remark bemused me, and I instantly let out a cold snort. “Since when it was Rachel’s duty to rescue your brother? Has your mother even done her part in raising her?
“Have you all tried finding her in the past? No. You only appeared and blackmailed her emotionally just because you needed her help. If this is not selfish, I don’t know what else is.”
I parked my car by the road and tried to contain my anger. “You know what your mother did was wrong, yet you still side with her. How could you, Isabelle?”
Isabelle nodded in silence. She responded after a short pause, “But I didn’t know what else to do anymore.”
“Talk to Rachel nicely, if possible. If not, stay away from her and stop making her life miserable,” I advised.
“But my brother…” Isabelle’s eyes turned red, “He’ll die if he doesn’t undergo the operation!”
“But why put the pressure on Rachel? Isn’t there anyone else who’s related to your brother? Shouldn’t you be looking for your father in the first place?” I could not understand this family.
She lowered her eyes and sighed. “We’ve lost touch for years, and my mother was afraid that he might not be able to take it as he’s not young anymore.”
I looked at her and soon realized this issue was much more complicated than I thought.
I thought what they did to Rachel was cruel and despicable, but I bet Isabelle would think otherwise. To her, it was Rachel’s responsibility to save her brother since they were related by blood.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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