Chapter 539 It Is True
“Samuel, you are-”
Natalie could feel Samuel’s anger through the tight grip with which her wrist was being held.
“You don’t have to cast your dignity aside just to please him.” Samuel gazed at Natalie with tenderness. “I’m sorry for my late arrival. You must have suffered a lot.”
Samuel took the blame upon himself for not being there sooner to have prevented his grandfather from abusing her.
Natalie tried to pull her wrist out of his grip to no avail.
“It isn’t like that, Samuel!” Natalie looked up to meet his eyes.
“Don’t defend him, Natalie.”
Samuel’s gaze remained cold as he vividly recalled Kenneth whipping Natalie with a cane. It was from that moment that he had lost hope in his grandfather.
Natalie was amused and exasperated at Samuel’s stubbornness.
“I’m not defending your grandfather!”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true!”
Samuel gazed sullenly at Natalie, who did not know how else to convince him.
The children leaped to their feet at once.
“Daddy, you’ve misunderstood Great-grandpa!”
“He’s much nicer to Mommy today!”
“He did not force Mommy to kneel before him!”
“There was no quarreling today. All of us had a good time!”
Samuel was well aware that the children would much rather suffer in silence themselves than see their mother in pain. It was also improbable that they would lie for their great-grandfather. It was only from that revelation did Samuel became aware of the possibility of being mistaken.
“Natalie, what were you…” Samuel let her wrist fall limply from his grip as his voice trailed off questioningly.
Natalie opened her palm to show Samuel a fistful of pieces. “I was on my knees to pick up the pieces,” she explained. “The board fell over earlier and sent the pieces scattering to the floor. As Grandpa and Jeffords are elderly, I didn’t want them to exert themselves.”
Samuel took a closer look and saw the pieces in their hands just like what she described.
Kenneth stood up from his wicker armchair and sighed heavily. “Am I really such an unreasonable monster, Samuel?”
“Aren’t you?” Samuel replied tartly. “Wasn’t it you who have had her whipped?”
Samuel held grudges, especially when it came to Natalie.
If Kenneth was not his grandfather, Samuel might have done everything in his power to sabotage the old man.
It was only familial ties that had held Samuel’s hand in retaliating against his grandfather.
Natalie was taken aback at Samuel’s retort. She did not remember being subjected to abuse to that extent.
Even the pain of the incident had been forgotten as the memory became lost in the haze of time had it not been for Samuel’s reminder.
Samuel had held on to the grudge long enough to remember every single detail, which was why he was nervous about what his grandfather had in store for Natalie and the children.
She knew better than anybody else how busy I am! Why does she still make me worry about her? She knows that I’ll always be there for her despite my busy schedule.
Kenneth choked at his grandson’s question. Though it had been undeniably him who had laid a hand on the girl, he still felt guilty all the same even if Samuel had not brought it up.
Though it was well within Jefford’s duty to pick up the pieces, Natalie lent a hand by rallying her children to pick up the pieces from the ground together. Even Yara is incapable of such kindness.
Unlike Yara, Kenneth did not detect even a trace of malice or ambition in Natalie’s words and gestures.
“It was me.” After conceding defeat and admitting that he had misjudged Natalie, Kenneth found it difficult to put aside his ego any further. “Are you going to take it out on your grandfather, Samuel?”
