Avery’s eyes flickered as her mind raced. Jaden was right. It was normal for children not to like certain things but end up wanting them due to the influence of their surroundings. However, the fact that something so strange happened right before Zilvia’s incident made Avery feel that things weren’t that simple. She asked, "Did Zilvia ever talk about her dreams or goals? Or did she mention anything she wanted to do or places she wanted to go?"
Jaden paused for a moment before saying, "Although she didn’t say it explicitly, during the school survey, she mentioned that her goal was to pursue boundless ideals and a bright future."
Avery paused mid-scoop of her dessert, looking up in surprise. Noticing her reaction, Jaden smiled. "What’s wrong?"
Avery replied, "That was mine too. When I was in kindergarten, I gave a speech on that theme and won first place."
Jaden, equally surprised, studied her for a few seconds before chuckling. "If you had gone missing when you were five, I might have suspected you were Zilvia."
Avery tapped her head lightly and said, "Although Zilvia and I have many similarities, we probably have more differences."
Jaden looked at her deeply but didn’t continue discussing the resemblance between them. "After just one year in kindergarten, Zilvia said it was boring and that the kids were too childish. She wanted to start primary school. The family planned to let her take the entrance exam for the middle school at Rosemont City School after another six months."
Avery was taken aback once again. She had attended both middle and high school at Rosemont City School. If Zilvia hadn’t had that unfortunate accident, they would likely have met there.
Jaden then seemed to recall something. "By the way, all of Zilvia’s things are still at home, kept in a few boxes under the bed in the old house at Viento Court. No one has dared to touch them all these years. If you want, you can go and take a look."
Avery nodded and said, "Alright, I’ll go over in the next couple of days." She paused briefly before broaching a topic she had long planned to ask, "What kind of person is Catherine?"
Jaden hadn’t expected this question, and after a moment of contemplation, he replied, "When Mom was pregnant with you guys, she was older and had to take care of many children, so the family decided to hire a nanny to take care of her. Catherine volunteered for the job as soon as she found out. Since she had experience with childbirth, the family accepted her. She has a high emotional intelligence and took great care of Mom. She also got along well with the whole family. We’ve always considered her one of us."
Jaden paused for a few seconds before continuing, "However, her reputation back in Mom’s hometown and Maria’s hometown was terrible. Personally, I don’t like her much." He gazed at Avery. "Do you think I’m being biased against Catherine?"
Avery smiled. "As long as what you’re saying is the truth, it’s not biased."
Jaden nodded. "In our family, I’m the only one who doesn’t like her, and Maria is scared of her. To avoid being subjective, it’s better if you ask and I answer."
"Alright." Avery’s eyes sharpened. "Why don’t you like Catherine?"
Jaden pondered for a moment and said, "I can’t pinpoint anything specific. It’s just that she always feels a bit hypocritical to me. I can’t tell if she’s being sincere or just putting on an act."
Avery nodded thoughtfully. "Did she get paid for working as a nanny in our family?"
"Yes," Jaden said. "She lived in our house, sharing a room with Zilvia, and the family paid her about half the going rate. It wasn’t that the family didn’t want to pay her market price. She refused to take it, saying that her sister was her most important family member, and she couldn’t accept wages from family, or it would feel too impersonal. She only accepted half so she could send money home and support her daughter."
Avery asked, "Did she only have Maria as a daughter?"
Jaden replied, "That’s what she said. I’ve never seen her have contact with any other children."
Avery picked up on a clue and asked quickly, "She’s only two years younger than Mom, right? Why did she have a child so late? And you mentioned she’s emotionally intelligent. Why does she have such a bad reputation in her hometown and with her in-laws? What was her appearance, personality, education, popularity, and talent like?"
This time, Jaden was silent for a long time. Avery observed his expression. He seemed to be recalling and carefully considering how to respond. After a few minutes, Jaden finally said, "People from Mom’s hometown said she had trouble conceiving because of too many abortions and excessive medication."
Avery was genuinely surprised now. Catherine’s background was far from simple. With every question Avery asked and every detail Jaden shared, Avery started to form a clearer picture of Catherine.
The Stevens family had three children, with the eldest being a boy. Both Claire and Catherine were beautiful and famous in the mountains. Girls from the mountains typically only went to elementary school; learning to write and do basic math was considered enough. When Claire graduated from elementary school, her family didn’t want her to continue studying, but she convinced them, saying, "Girls need more education to marry well. If I marry well, I can help the family. Otherwise, you’ll have to support me."
Her family was persuaded and allowed her to attend middle school in town. As a result, Catherine got the chance to attend middle school.
There were rumors that during her time in middle school, Catherine dated the son of the richest man in town and often stayed at his house. He provided everything for her, including food, clothing, and tuition fees. By that time, Claire had already moved to the county to attend high school and couldn’t keep an eye on Catherine, who ended up not even going home for New Year, focused solely on getting married. Her grades plummeted, and she failed to get into high school.
After graduating from middle school, Catherine continued to live at the boy’s house for a year or two, reportedly having had several abortions for him. Later, his family arranged a more educated woman for him and wanted to kick Catherine out. She caused a scene, demanded money from him, and eventually left for the city to work.
For several years, Catherine had little contact with her family, and no one knew how she was doing. She was hard to reach. After two or three years, Catherine started sending money and photos back home occasionally. In the photos, she was stylishly dressed, with modern high-rises in the background. Later, she sent a sum of money and more photos, claiming she had married. In the photos, her husband looked old enough to be her father, but he was dressed like a wealthy man.
Initially, Catherine’s family was happy for her, but a couple of years later, she returned to the mountains, saying her health had been worn out by work, and she needed to recuperate there. Rumors began to swirl that her husband had been imprisoned for a crime, and creditors were chasing after her, leaving her with no choice but to hide at home. At that point, she was nearly thirty, with no husband and no children. The locals treated her like an outcast, and the Stevens family was so embarrassed they pressured her to marry or leave.
Around that time, a man from a nearby village, reportedly well-off, sent a matchmaker to propose, offering a generous dowry by local standards to marry Catherine. After inspecting the man’s family and finding it acceptable, Catherine agreed to the marriage.
However, Catherine’s relationship with her in-laws soured quickly. They complained that she was lazy, pampered, and disobedient. More importantly, she struggled to conceive, and her in-laws started to regret the marriage. After trying various methods, she finally gave birth to a daughter, but her in-laws were deeply disappointed and treated both her and her daughter poorly.
When Maria was nearly two years old, Catherine went to town to buy a birthday gift for her and never returned. In reality, she had come to Rosemont City and sought out her pregnant sister, Claire, offering to be her nanny. That was how she ended up living with the Carter family.