Chapter 453

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Jennifer spotted the woman who had collapsed before Donald did . From her angle , she was pretty sure it was Chery !
Jennifer knew Cheryl was in Lonisburg , but she didn’t want to get out of the car . She was too scared to do so .
“ Jennifer , did you see that ? Is that Cheryl ? ” Donald asked .
“ No , you’re mistaken ,” Jennifer replied quickly .
Donald said , “ But she looks like her . I’m going to check- ”
Seeing Donald about to pull over , Jennifer suddenly grabbed his hand . “ My stomach hurts so much . Please , just drive ! Take me to the hospital . Hurry ! ”
“ Okay , hang in there . I’ll look for a hospital nearby , ” Donald said , worry written all over his face .
“ Just keep driving . I think there’s a hospital ahead , ” Jennifer urged .
Seeing Jennifer’s frown and her voice shaky , Donald didn’t dare waste a second . He hit the gas and sped right past the girl collapsed on the ground , surrounded by a crowd .
Cheryl lay on the ground , her face pale , lips drained of color , her vision fading to black . She thought , ‘ Am I dying ? ”
In a daze , she felt a cold hand patting ! on the face .
She couldn’t make out the person’s face , but the presence felt so familiar . Like someone drowning , she clung desperately to that hand . “ Help . Please help me . ”
The next moment , everything went dark .
Jennifer spotted a restroom and asked Donald to pull over for a minute . When she came back out , she acted calm and told him she was fine now .
Donald still looked worried . “ Maybe we should go to the hospital for a checkup . We can visit Ms. Nelson next time . ”
Jennifer shook her head . “ I’m okay . I just ate something that didn’t sit right , but I feel much better after using the restroom . ”
Donald let out a sigh of relief . “ Are you sure ? You scared the shit out of me just now . ”
“ Yeah , I’m fine , ” Jennifer said as she got back into Donald’s car .
While Jennifer was in the restroom , she secretly texted Cheryl to ask if she was alright , but Cheryl didn’t reply .
Jennifer was sure the woman who fainted was Cheryl . She kept checking her phone , waiting for a reply , but there was still no message
notification .
Donald glanced over at her . “ What’s up ? You seem distracted . ”
Jennifer paused and said , “ I just texted Cheryl . She said she was fine and didn’t faint , so I guess you must have mistaken that woman for her . ”
Only then did Donald feel relieved . “ I was just about to call her myself , but since you already checked , that’s a relief . ”
“ Yeah , ” Jennifer replied .
After a long journey , they finally arrived at the small town where Jennifer had grown up . The road was muddy and Donald couldn’t drive in , so he and
Jennifer had to walk the rest of the way .
Donald lugged all their bags , while Jennifer walked along slowly behind him .
A kid at the school gate shouted , “ Ms. Nelson , come out . Someone is here for you . ”
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Donald glanced around at the old buildings and a group of scruffy girls in faded clothes , feeling sad . He figured these were probably kids from au families who didn’t have anyone to take care of them .
A strong , clear voice rang out . “ Who is it ? ”
An elderly lady with gray hair , leaning on a cane , came out of the office .
Genevieve were glasses , her face full of wrinkles , but her eyes were bright . The years had left their showed signs of age , it could be seen that she must have been stunning in her youth .
mark on her , and though her once beautiful features
“ Hi , Ms. Nelson . It’s me , Jennifer , ” Jennifer said softly , reaching out to shake Genevieve’s hand .
Genevieve stared at Jennifer for a few seconds , then broke into a delighted smile . “ It’s you , Jennifer ! My dear , you look so pretty . I almost didn’t
recognize you . ”
Jennifer hugged Genevieve . “ I’m so sorry I haven’t come to see you in so long . Last time I met up with Rebecca , we promised we’d come back together when we had time , but I’ve just been so busy .”
As Jennifer spoke , she introduced Donald to Genevieve . “ This is my husband , Donald Lynn . ”
Donald set down the bags and shook Genevieve’s hand . “ Ms. Nelson , Jennifer told me a lot about you .
“ Thank you so much for saving her when she was little . If it weren’t for you , I wouldn’t h you enough . ”
have met someone as wonderful as her . I don’t know how to thank
Genevieve looked Donald up and down , taking in his tall frame and handsome face , and smiled . “ You seem like a good man . Where are you from ? ”
“ He’s from Nareigh . ” Jennifer said , “ I work in Nareigh now too , at the best hospital in the city . I’m an attending physician now . ”
Genevieve nodded approvingly . “ Good . I always knew you would make something of yourself . I’m proud of you . ”
Jennifer said proudly , “ I would never let you down . I’ve always put my studies and career first all these years , and I only started thinking about marriage once my career was stable . ”
Genevieve nodded . “ That’s right . As a woman , you can’t let love cloud your judgment , and you should never give up your career for a man .
“ Before getting married , you need to have your career . Even after marriage , you should always prioritize yourself . Don’t end up with nothing to your
name . ”
Donald quickly replied , “ Don’t worry , Ms. Nelson . Jennifer is the love of my life , and I’ll take care of her and treat her well forever . ”
Genevieve opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something more , but in the end , she just smiled gently and remained silent .
“ Ms. Nelson , we actually came to invite you to our wedding . We’d love for you
be our witness , ” Jennifer said .
Jennifer told Genevieve that she had found Teresa and that her family had always wanted to thank her for everything .
Genevieve replied , “ I appreciate your kindness, but I won’t be attending your wedding . The kids here need me . If I left , the school would be in complete
chaos . ”
Donald said , “ Ms. Nelson , the kids here all seem well – behaved . How about I find a few teachers to help you out ? Jennifer and I can book you a hotel in Naweigh . ”
“ Yeah , Ms. Nelson , just come to our wedding . We’d love to see you there , ” Jennifer added .
Genevieve was firm . “ Thank you for the invitation , and I wish you both a lifetime of happiness . I really can’t leave here . You know what , I’m in a good mood , so let me draw an oil painting for you as a gift . ”
There were paint brushes in the office . Genevieve found a piece of paper and began to paint . By the time she was done , the painting had become more
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than just an image ; it was a blessing , a wish for the newlyweds .
She said , “ May your days be as tranquil as this scenery and your love as enduring as the blossoms in spring ”
Donald and Jennifer took the oil painting and said , “ Thank you , Ms. Nelson . This means a lot to us . We love it . ”
Genevieve held Jennife
s hand , then Donald’s , and said with a smile , “ I hope you both honor your marriage and always stay loyal to each other . ”
Donald noticed a trace of sadness in Genevieve’s eyes , though he couldn’t quite figure out why .