Lucy smiled warmly, "Auntie and Uncle, don’t just stand there, come sit over here."
The four of them almost simultaneously sat down by the sofa, and Uncle Yu spoke up, "Lucy, you’ve helped our James so much, both your aunt and I are very grateful to you."
"Uncle, don’t say such distant words. Since I was little, I’ve received a lot of support from your family, especially regarding my college tuition. A big portion of it came from James using his own tuition for me. James and I grew up together, not real siblings, but closer than any siblings. Anything I do for him is only right."
Aunt Yu’s eyes reddened slightly, "Ever since childhood, James protected you. Whenever there was something delicious at home, he would bring it to you. Auntie still remembers, once during New Year’s, I made jujube buns, and soon after they came out of the pot, I noticed all the dates on the buns were gone. Later, I found out it was James who took them. He pulled each date off and brought them to you because he said you love eating them."
Lucy laughed, "I remember that incident."
"Whenever your grandfather wanted to hit you with a stick, James would counter with a stick against your grandfather, making your grandparents furious. They came several times to your uncle’s place demanding he discipline James well. Seeing how well you’re doing now, Auntie feels genuinely happy for you. You never had good days as a child. Now, things are finally better."
"Once, my grandfather sought out my uncle, and James even got a beating from him."
Uncle Yu awkwardly said, "It’s all neighbors from the same village, and your grandfather came knocking. It wouldn’t do to not discipline this kid a bit."
As Stellan was getting her hair done, she whispered to Grace beside her, "Such country bumpkins. Don’t they know to lower their voices in public? Afraid others can’t hear them, huh? I never thought Lucy had such a horrible past. Are her parents dead or what? They don’t even care about the child."
"Shh." Grace gestured for her to stop, "It would be awkward if someone heard."
Stellan pursed her lips and said nothing more.
Just as the hair was almost done, Autumn Fletcher suddenly arrived.
She clearly came looking for Stellan.
"Stellan, what’s going on? I tried calling you but couldn’t get through, nor Grace; her phone’s off. Hearing from the housemaid that you came to get your hair done, I had no choice but to come here myself."
Stellan asked, "Mom, is there an emergency?"
Autumn Fletcher whispered, "A reporter from a Northriver magazine wants to interview you and give you a full-page feature. They’re waiting at home now."
Stellan knew right away that her father had spent money on her again, eager to restore her reputation quickly.
"You could have had the bodyguard call me, why come personally?"
"I have to tell you first what you can and cannot say, right? How much longer for your hair?"
"Almost done," Stellan said, "a few minutes." Follow current novels on Nove1Fire.net
"Alright, I’ll wait in the car outside."
Just as Autumn Fletcher was about to leave, a voice stopped her, "Isn’t this Autumn Fletcher?"
Squinting to see who spoke, Autumn recognized Aunt Yu immediately, but she had no intention of speaking and headed straight outside.
Seeing her trying to leave, Aunt Yu leisurely added, "Autumn Fletcher, after abandoning your husband and child to be with Benjamin Quinn, you’re indifferent to your other daughter? What, pretending not to recognize an old acquaintance?"
Autumn Fletcher was forced to speak and couldn’t help but curse, "Damn it! Who abandoned their husband and child?!!!"
Stellan stood up from the chair, gestured for the stylist to stop, and walked over angrily, "I say, lady, you can’t just make things up!"
"I didn’t make anything up, after all, her other biological daughter is standing right here," Aunt Yu said with a smile, "Autumn Fletcher, since you left Riventide’s Suburban Township Ainsworth Village, you haven’t returned once, don’t even know your own biological daughter’s name. As a mother, you are truly a failure."
Autumn Fletcher felt struck like a bolt from the blue, quickly realizing, and looked at Lucy with a complex expression, "You think you can scam me? How laughable!"
Lucy had anticipated her reaction and was prepared, "Why put on an act? Isn’t this you?"
She threw the marriage certificate file of Autumn Fletcher and Oliver Eaton onto her face.
Seeing this, Autumn was momentarily speechless.
Stellan seized the file from her hands, looked it over, and scoffed, "Lucy, my mom was married before, but don’t mistake it. She’s not your biological mom."
Autumn Fletcher originally wanted to stop her, but what was said couldn’t be taken back. Besides, her feelings at this moment were indescribable because she never imagined Lucy was the girl from Ainsworth Village.
This outcome was hard for her to digest.
Moreover, considering Lucy’s current situation, acknowledging her as her biological mother publicly would further tarnish the Quinn family’s reputation; denying it was better.
She had no choice but to say, "Stellan is right. Lucy, while I did marry Oliver Eaton, you weren’t born by me. If you were my biological child, under no circumstances would I ignore you. After all, you’re supposed to be my flesh and blood, right?" Autumn feared she would make a big deal out of this. "How about we go for a DNA test later, what do you think?"
This suggestion took Lucy by surprise.
"You didn’t give birth to me, then who did?"
Autumn smiled slightly, "You were merely the child your father and I picked up. When I went to the hospital to give birth, unfortunately, the baby didn’t survive. On the way back, we happened across you abandoned and brought you home. Though over the years I’ve ignored you, had it not been for me, you might have died already. To prove I’m not your biological mother, we must do a test."
The baby didn’t survive?
Lucy’s mind raced, and she calmed herself, smiling, "Whether you’re my biological mother doesn’t affect me, but it’s better to get clear results. Since Mrs. Fletcher has time, let’s take a trip to the hospital."
Autumn Fletcher told her daughter, "You and Grace head back first, I’ll go to the hospital with her."
Stellan nodded and then left with Grace’s arm.
Outside the salon, she huffed, "I can’t believe Lucy is that country bastard."
Grace quickly asked, "What country bastard? How come you never told me?"
"I thought it wasn’t worth mentioning. She’s just the child my mom and her ex-husband Oliver Eaton picked up. When my mom was giving birth, unfortunately, the baby was lost. Seeing a child abandoned, she brought her home, just doing a good deed."