Chapter 29
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After lunch, Kathleen sat quietly in the garden.
The weather was beautiful and warm, making it more like early spring than winter.
She relaxed, breathing in the delicate fragrance of blooming flowers nearby. Petals would occasionally land on her hair. Moments like these brought her
peace.
Inside, Shawn stood by the window, silently observing her. She seemed enveloped in a faint melancholy. In his memory, Kathleen rarely appeared this quiet and thoughtful.
“I wonder if she’ll visit her family tomorrow,” Judy pondered aloud, joining her son by the window and handing him a cup of drink.
Shawn took it and thanked her. After a moment, he asked, “How much money did we give her family back then?”
She sipped from her cup. “We offered her father some business contracts.”
“Did he sell his daughter?” he asked bluntly.
“No, not exactly. I heard she volunteered,” Judy explained. “I’m not sure whether she did it just for money, but when we handed it over, she took it without hesitation.”
“What if she never gives you grandchildren?” Shawn asked.
Judy smiled bitterly. “Then, I suppose it’s the Vance family’s luck.”
“How would you deal with her then?” Shawn asked his mother, studying her expression closely.
“She’s spent some time with you, at least,” came her calm response. “I genuinely like her. Even if she doesn’t have your child, if she wants to remain associated with our family afterward, that’s fine by me.”
Shawn frowned slightly. “Even if she married into our family for the money?”
Judy looked directly at him. “Has she spent your money?”
“No,” he admitted.
“I heard you wrote an agreement, and she signed it without any complaint.”
Shawn didn’t deny it.
Judy continued, “I’ve met countless people in my life, and I trust my judgment. She’s not the type to be driven purely by money.”
“You seem very fond of her,” Shawn commented with mild sarcasm. “Why not just adopt her as a daughter?”
She shot him a pointed look. “What’s wrong with having her as a daughter–in–law?”
“I don’t like her,” he insisted.
“You don’t like her, yet you still defended her?” Judy raised an eyebrow.
Shawn pressed his lips together. “I did so because she’s officially my wife.”
“Suit yourself.” Judy chuckled. “Either way, the more I see of her, the more I like her.”
He remained silent.
Kathleen was completely unaware of the mother–and–son conversation.
She got up at around 2:00 pm and went inside to grab her coat. “Judy, I need to step out for a bit,” she informed Judy, who was flipping through a fashion magazine.
“When will you be back?” Judy didn’t ask where Kathleen was going. She only wanted to know when Kathleen would return.
Kathleen glanced at her watch. “No later than 5:00 pm.”
“Alright,” Judy nodded. “If you’d rather go alone, pick any car from the garage for your convenience.”
Kathleen felt genuinely touched by Judy’s thoughtful offer. Although Judy could come across as firm at times, she was also incredibly considerate.
“Thank you,” Kathleen replied.
Without hesitation, she chose a Mini Cooper from the garage and drove out. She bought a bouquet of white roses and headed to the cemetery.
The cemetery was busier today. It was less lonely and desolate than usual due to visitors paying their respects.
Kathleen approached her mother’s grave. Seeing it clean and without any flowers meant no one had visited recently.
Placing the roses down, she gently wiped her mother’s picture. Her mother had always been beautiful, stunning even at first glance.
People often assumed beautiful women wouldn’t face betrayal because their husbands already had such a perfect wife. However, Kathleen knew better. Even the prettiest wife couldn’t prevent a man from seeking new thrills.
Chapter 29
Kathleen stayed at the cemetery until after 4:00 pm before making her move.
Just as she arrived at the Vance residence, her phone rang. It was Peter calling her–the first time since she married Shawn.
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