Chapter 1658

Ben suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Mrs. Lucas quietly closed the door behind her and turned to face him. Seeing the turmoil in his expression, she let out a soft sigh. “Don’t hold a grudge against your father anymore. He may have a sharp tongue, but that’s just his way. All those years you insisted on becoming a lawyer, he may have scolded you, but deep down, he was proud of you.”
Ben said nothing.
To grow up believing that his father didn’t care for him, only to discover one day that his father’s feelings were more complicated and layered. It wasn’t something anyone could accept easily.
Without a word, Ben left the estate, skipping dinner. Jamie didn’t push him for an explanation, and when Charlie started asking questions, she gently hushed him.
It wasn’t until they were back home, lying together in bed, that she finally voiced the question that had been on her mind since they left the estate. “Are you upset?”
Ben was silent for a long time before finally speaking. “I’m not sure if I’m upset. I’m not sure if I’m happy either.”
“I understand,” Jamie said, tightening her embrace around him.
She did understand. When she learned that Winnie was still alive, she had felt the same. It was a mix of joy and pain. Joy that her sister was alive, but pain that Winnie hadn’t sought her out.
“At least now you know,” Jamie said softly, “you’re loved by your parents. Maybe they don’t always say what they mean, but as the saying goes, parents always think long-term for their children. I think your father is the same.” “Maybe,” Ben murmured, wrapping his arms around her tightly in return.
*
Mr. Lucas’s condition wasn’t serious, just a temporary fainting spell caused by high blood pressure. After a few days of rest, he was almost back to his usual self.
When Jamie brought Charlie to visit, Mr. Lucas was in high spirits, even joking around with his grandson. The house was filled with their laughter, a warmth that hadn’t been there in a long time.
Even Ben’s relationship with his father began to thaw. Where they once sat in strained silence, now they managed to exchange a few words. It wasn’t much, but it was progress.
Watching them reconcile brought Jamie a deep sense of relief. Yet, seeing the mended bonds also reminded her of Winnie.
*
Linda, now recovering well, was able
to recognize both her and Charlie again. She even began recalling fragments of the past. But with her returning memory came a longing for Winnie.
“Jamie,” Linda would ask, “where’s Winnie? Why haven’t I seen your sister? Did she get lost?”
Every time, Jamie felt a pang in her chest. Forcing a calm smile, she would reassure her, “No,
just busy right now, b
by in a few days.”
*
But those “few days” stretched on. Without any clear word from Winnie, Jamie had no choice but to keep making excuses, soothing Linda’s worries again and again.
One day, as Jamie was once again trying to comfort Linda, the doorbell rang.
She asked Linda to wait and went to answer the door. When she opened it, her breath caught, and her voice trembled. “Winnie?”
Before Jamie could say another
word, Linda rushed past her, grabbing Winnie’s hands as tears streamed down her face. “Winnie! You’re back. You’re finally back.”
Winnie held Linda’s aging hands tightly, her voice hoarse as she replied, “Mom.”
Linda’s face lit up with joy. “Yes, it’s me,” she said, her voice trembling.
For a moment, they looked just like any ordinary mother and daughter reunited after a long time.
Watching the heartfelt scene, Jamie turned away, quietly wiping her tears.
Later, Winnie and Linda sat down to talk. Linda, overjoyed, gestured animatedly as she spoke, her sentences disorganized but full of excitement.
Winnie, though unable to fully understand, responded patiently to everything, and the two of them got along surprisingly well.
For the next few days, the house was filled with warmth and happiness.
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