Chapter 1030
“Mom, for your sake, and because of the hereditary nature of this disease, my brother had to agree to all of Vanessa’s conditions. For the past ten years, he’s been in so much pain, so repressed, but he never told anyone. He carried it all alone” Serena said, wiping her tears.
Gina sat there, stunned, as if she couldn’t believe Vanessa would do such things to her son.
When she came to her senses, Gina felt an even deeper sense of guilt toward Eleanor. Her eyes red, she said, “Eleanor, I—I’ve been such an old fool!” Gina’s voice was filled with regret and self-reproach. “I used to think Vanessa was successful, from a good family, and a perfect match for lan. And I thought you— that by giving up your studies for your family, you weren’t good enough for him. I even looked down on you p>
Gina’s voice broke, and tears streamed down her face. Everything she said was true, things she had done in the past. Now, each and every one of those actions was a wound inflicted on Eleanor. She felt that even in death, she couldn’t make up for the guilt she felt.
She remembered how she had spoken to Eleanor with such coldness while praising Vanessa. The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached with shame.
“I’m sorry, Eleanor-I’m so, so sorry.” Gina beat her chest. “I don’t deserve to be your mother-in-law. I don’t deserve to be Evelyn’s grandmother. I should just die
Eleanor looked at her, a mixture of emotions swirling inside her. She handed her a tissue. “It’s all in the past p>
Eleanor’s voice was soft but held a sense of release. “Focus on your treatment. There’s no need to bring up anything else p>
In truth, Eleanor knew that Gina’s initial disapproval of her wasn’t just about her dropping out of school to get married; it was also tied to her resentment toward her father.
After all, lan had gone against Gina’s wishes and donated his late father’s body to her father for research. As a wife, that would undoubtedly be a painful experience.
There was no point in arguing about who was right or wrong now. From each person’s perspective, no one was truly at fault.
But for Eleanor, only by letting go of the past could she move forward into the future.
She hoped the Goodwin family could do the same.
“Mom, we’ve all wronged Ellie,” Serena said, biting her lip to hold back her tears.
Gina looked at her daughter, her heart aching for her too. She sighed.
Eleanor glanced at the time. “I should get back to my office p>
As soon as Eleanor left, Gina looked at her daughter. “Did you apologize to Eleanor p>
Serena nodded and then recounted what she had overheard between Vanessa and Eleanor in Eleanor’s office that day.
Gina was shocked again. She had thought Vanessa was merely manipulative, but she had never imagined the extent of her schemes. How much money and how many resources had she extracted from her son over the past ten years?
Her methods were so sophisticated they were almost impressive.
“Your brother has sacrificed so much for our family,” Gina said, closing her eyes. It was a painful thing to see the true face of someone you thought you knew.
Vanessa had always appeared
gentle and poised in front of her.
When they first met, she had assumed Vanessa was the daughter of some wealthy family. Not only was her taste in clothes impeccable and her demeanor graceful, but she also frequently brought gifts to win her over Gina, who didn’t socialize much abroad, began to feel as if she had gained a caring daughter.
When she was sick, Vanessa would bring flowers and gifts, keeping her company and chatting with her. Meanwhile, Eleanor, her daughter-in-law at the time, was in another country and never even showed her face.
Whenever her son came to visit, he would bring his granddaughter, and Gina never asked why Eleanor didn’t come. She assumed Eleanor didn’t want to, that she didn’t want to see her mother-in-law, believing Eleanor resented her.
She remembered that after Eleanor confessed her feelings for her son, she had met with Eleanor privately and tried to convince her not to marry him At that time, she had. presented herself as a wicked mother-in-law, genuinely believing Eleanor wasn’t good enough for her brilliant son.
As a mother, she selfishly hoped her son would marry a woman of equal social standing, someone who could support him in his career and provide connections, so he wouldn’t have to bear the burden of everything, both at home and at work, all by himself.
Vanessa’s appearance had gradually swayed Gina’s thinking. She found Vanessa elegant and sophisticated. Furthermore, her granddaughter, who was not yet two at the time, was with her, and without Eleanor around, she found difficult to care for her. Vanessa’s presence made things much easier.
Often, when her son was away, Vanessa would come over to help with her granddaughter. Gradually, the little girl grew attached to the beautiful and patient Vanessa.
Even when her son was home, her granddaughter would cry and ask to see Vanessa. To keep the child happy, Gina had invited Vanessa over for dinner many times.