United States, New York.
Early morning, Rebecca Quentin came downstairs from the second floor.
Mrs. Geoffrey, seeming to have just emerged from the kitchen with a plate of food in hand, called out affectionately, "Becca, you’re awake!"
"Yes, Auntie," Rebecca approached Mrs. Geoffrey.
After Mrs. Geoffrey set the food down, she affectionately linked her arm through Rebecca’s and smiled kindly. "Seeing your appetite hasn’t been good these past few days, I made you a Chinese breakfast myself today."
Rebecca followed Mrs. Geoffrey to the dining room and said, somewhat embarrassed, "Auntie, you really shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble. I’m not picky about food."
Mrs. Geoffrey led Rebecca to sit at the table, her eyes filled with affection for her. "Don’t be so polite; we’ll all be family from now on. Come, taste my cooking."
Taking a spoonful, Rebecca tasted the lily porridge Mrs. Geoffrey had made, nodded, and sincerely praised, "Auntie, your cooking is wonderful. This porridge tastes amazing. It’s light and sweet, and it really whets the appetite."
Mrs. Geoffrey was very pleased and sat down opposite Rebecca with an affectionate smile. "Just tell me what you like to eat, and I’ll cook it for you. The housemaids only know how to prepare Western-style meals. No wonder you haven’t had any appetite since you arrived."
Rebecca smiled faintly.
Mrs. Geoffrey looked at Rebecca without blinking, her graceful expression filled with tenderness. "Becca, even though you’re my daughter-in-law, I promise I will treat you as my own daughter."
The term "daughter-in-law" made Rebecca’s body tense, and the smile on her face inevitably became strained. Rebecca quickly broadened her smile and casually asked, "Auntie, if you love girls so much, why didn’t you and Uncle have a daughter when you were younger?"
Rebecca had only asked the question casually, but she didn’t expect Mrs. Geoffrey to be taken aback by it, the friendly smile on her face gradually fading.
Noticing Mrs. Geoffrey’s changing expression, Rebecca was startled and quickly apologized, "I’m sorry, Auntie, did I say something wrong?"
Mrs. Geoffrey, sitting at the table, heaved a soft sigh. Her voice was gentle as she said, "It’s not your fault. Mentioning my deceased husband just reminded me of some unhappy things."
Anxious, Rebecca got up and walked to Mrs. Geoffrey’s side to apologize again. "I’m sorry..."
Mrs. Geoffrey held Rebecca’s hand and gently patted it. "Silly girl, don’t mind it. It’s my own issue..."
Rebecca sat back down, asking softly, "Auntie, if I may be so bold, I’ve actually known Howard for many years, but I’ve never heard him mention his father. I often wonder, what kind of family environment did Howard grow up in?"
Mrs. Geoffrey composed herself and smiled with a sense of acceptance. "Actually, so many years have passed, and I’ve largely come to terms with the past. It’s just that no one has mentioned him to me for a long time, and it caught me off guard for a moment. But since you’ve asked, I’ll tell you about my family. It will also help you understand Howard’s childhood."
Rebecca listened carefully.
Mrs. Geoffrey gazed into the distance, seemingly lost in memories, and began to speak slowly. "Actually, when I was young, I had a very blissful family. My husband doted on me, my son was well-behaved, and with our comfortable financial situation, I always felt I was living at the pinnacle of happiness. Until..."
Mrs. Geoffrey paused, a layer of sadness clouding her eyes before she continued, "Until I discovered my husband had a mistress. That day, I felt like my entire world was collapsing, so I asked him for a divorce. If life could give me another chance, I think... even if he had fallen in love with another woman, I would have chosen to give my two children a complete family, so their childhoods wouldn’t be filled with such shadows. But, well, that’s all hindsight now."
"Two children?" Rebecca was slightly stunned. "Auntie, are you saying that Howard has..."
"Yes, Howard actually has an older brother. But after I divorced their father, the elder one went with him."
Rebecca was completely shocked, her eyes wide.
Mrs. Geoffrey’s voice gradually became tinged with self-reproach and guilt, her words choked with emotion. "I was truly a useless mother... At that time, both children wanted to come with me, but my ex-husband wouldn’t allow me to take both.
"He even threatened me. He said if I couldn’t convince one child to go with him, he would use legal means to ensure I wouldn’t get custody of either of them. You know, after losing my husband, I had nothing. He, on the other hand, had money and influence; there was no way I could win a lawsuit against him.
"So, in the end, between my two children, I chose Howard... It wasn’t that I favored one over the other. It was just that Howard was younger, and I was more worried about him, I couldn’t bear to leave him. Even though I knew... I knew doing so would deeply wound my eldest son’s heart..."