Having heard those words, Nicole felt a sharp pang in her heart. Her mother, who was highly cultured and steeped in propriety, had devoted herself to supporting Zane just so he could make a name for himself in the industry.
She had even cleaned out her father’s company for his sake. But what did she get in return?
Her mother’s experience had taught her a lesson that one should never humble herself and go against her own principles for love.
“Nicole, say something.”
“What do you want to talk about, dad?”
“Nicole, I know you’re living a comfortable life now with Mr. Seet, but you can’t just forget about us. Sylphiette is your sister and her marriage was ruined because of the Lane family’s bankruptcy. Life has been terrible for us. Could you please tell Mr. Seet to have mercy on us and give us a chance to rise again?”
“Okay, but first, you have to answer my question.”
Sensing that there was hope, Zane quickly replied, “What is it, Nicole? Just fire away and I’ll answer without reserve.”
“How did my mom die?”
There was a brief silence from the other end of the line.
“Why are you asking that? Your mother died of an illness. You know that.”
“An illness?” Nicole sneered. “You think I’ll believe that? You and Sylvia had earnestly wished for mom and I to die, so you also got me a tomb when you bought one for mom; you’d even set up a tombstone for me, assuming I was dead when you didn’t even find my body! Dad, who on earth would do that as a father?”
“Wasn’t that a misunderstanding? After finding out that you were alive, I brought you home, didn’t I?”
“And you should know better how I was treated when you brought me home! Oh, don’t worry, Dad. I’ll definitely have a good chat with you on my mom’s death anniversary!”
At that, Nicole hung up the phone, her resentment growing deeper.
Remembering the time when she went to her mother’s grave and saw her picture next to her mother’s tombstone, she couldn’t believe that Zane and Sylvia were so eager for her to die.
She had destroyed the picture on the tombstone and gone to look for Zane in a fit of rage.
Seeing that she was still alive, Sylvia’s face darkened and she had been muttering about how it was a waste that she was still alive when the tombstone was all set up.
Zane didn’t stand up for her back then, but neither did he chase her away, as he needed to protect the company and his image.
From then on, she had been treated like a servant and bullied relentless by Sylvia.
She could endure these for the time being, but for once, she was determined to get to the bottom of the cause of her mother’s death. She was certain that Sylvia and Zane couldn’t get away with it.
Five days later, after sending the kids to the kindergarten, Nicole dropped by at the florist’s to buy her mother’s favorite flower and bought her favorite fruits before heading to the cemetery.
But little did she expect her car to suddenly break down halfway, making her heart sink into her boots.
She got out of the car, called a car mechanic, and stood waiting by the roadside for half an hour until she saw a familiar-looking car coming this way.
Isn’t that Evan’s Maybach?
As if she saw a glimmer of hope, she waved desperately at him, but he simply sped past her.
What the hell? Is he blind?
‘Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away’— what nonsense! He’s a jerk who doesn’t even help his neighbor! And we’re not even neighbors! We live under the same roof!
She was bellyaching when the mechanic arrived.
The car was soon repaired and after paying, she continued her journey toward the cemetery.
Upon arriving at the cemetery and parking the car, it suddenly began to drizzle.
Unconcerned, she carried the flowers and fruits and walked toward the inside, but after taking a few steps, she unexpectedly bumped into Evan head-on.
