People with high IQs, exceptional abilities, and grand ideals often focus on their own paths, making it hard for them to be influenced by societal norms and emotions. Avery was a perfect example of this. However, hearing what Arthur had to say this time, she was shocked. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but nothing came out. All she could do was listen in silence.
"What’s even more infuriating is that she chose to disappear just as the wedding was starting, with hundreds of guests watching. She didn’t even bother to show up—just sent someone to say she wasn’t going to go through with it. Can you imagine how Jaden felt at that moment?" Arthur squatted in a corner, cradling his head in his hands, crying loudly as if he were the one being stood up by the bride at the wedding.
Arthur continued, "We treated her like family, wholeheartedly, yet she didn’t even have the decency to give us the most basic respect and dignity. How much pain and self-blame do you think Jaden felt at that time?"
Avery squatted down next to him and gently patted his shoulder to comfort him. After crying for several minutes, Arthur looked up, wiped his tears, and fixed a determined gaze on her. "Avery, Linda isn’t a good person. You must stay far away from her. If she bothers you, just call me. I’ll give her a piece of my mind. And absolutely do not let her see Jaden."
"Okay, I won’t let her hurt Jaden," Avery replied earnestly. "She told me a lot about her past with Jaden." She summarized what Linda had said to her in two minutes, then added, "I don’t believe her. I want to hear what our family has to say."
Arthur sniffled, wiping his face with his gloved hand. "Not everything she said is a lie, but she’s too cunning, only sharing what benefits her and painting herself in a better light. I have to reveal her true nature to you so you can understand just how deep her scheming goes."
From Arthur, Avery learned just how remarkable Jaden was and how difficult his life had been over the years. The year Zilvia went missing, Jaden was 15 and just six months away from his entrance exams. At that time, he was attending the middle school division of Rosemont City School, ranking first in his class every year. But out of concern for his grandparents, he resolutely transferred to a county school to live with them. Though the whole family opposed his decision, Jaden remained steadfast and even took the initiative to handle the transfer himself.
After the entrance exams, he scored first in the county and was among the top ten in the city, practically free to choose any high school in the city. However, he opted to attend high school in the county, with only one requirement: the school had to allow him to live off-campus and skip evening classes, which he assured them he would manage with excellent grades in all subjects. The school agreed and even waived his tuition fees.
Anyone who had experienced the intensity and grind of high school knew how demanding it was. But he made it happen. He got the highest score on the college entrance exam, first in science in the county, and within the top 30 in the province, making admission to Rosemont City University a given. To avoid putting more strain on his family, Jaden decided to attend a national agricultural university that offered free tuition, plenty of scholarship options, allowed for frequent absences, and was close to his grandparents.
Throughout high school and university, Jaden supported himself with scholarships and a bit of money earned from gardening and raising chickens, never asking his family for a single penny. As Arthur recounted this, he quickly added, "The family also cared a lot about Jaden, buying him a motorbike, a computer, and a phone, and occasionally getting him clothes or sending him treats, worried that he was living too harshly. During holidays, we would also go to the countryside to help out, allowing Jaden to hang out with his friends."
"So Jaden was quite young at that time, yet so busy. How could he possibly start a relationship as soon as he got to college? Besides, Jaden has always been the campus heartthrob and a top student, with girls who liked him lining up around the playground. Compared to that, Linda didn’t stand out at all. Why would he be attracted to her?"
Avery nodded. "Yes, I thought of that too. I’ve always been skeptical of her words."
"Linda has made significant efforts to impress Jaden and win over our family," Arthur said honestly, without entirely dismissing Linda just because he disliked her. "To win Jaden’s heart, she seemed to have followed him secretly for a long time, befriending his classmates and learning about him thoroughly. Then she would help him out quietly, like getting him excused from class, bringing him meals, taking notes, and so on. She also devised many ways to get close to Jaden. Wherever he went, she was usually around."
"Later on, she created coincidences, going to the countryside with Jaden and volunteering to help with housework, taking care of our grandparents, working tirelessly and attentively. Our grandparents liked her very much. Jaden, seeing Linda treat his grandparents so well, couldn’t possibly dislike her. However, Jaden isn’t the type to fall in love just because he feels moved." At this point, Arthur said very seriously, "He made his feelings clear to Linda and explicitly rejected her confession. For all her help, he reciprocated with appropriate gratitude and rewards, never taking advantage of her."
Yet Linda was very persistent, refusing to give up. After graduating from university, she turned down the job her family found for her, insisting on following Jaden to the countryside. When Jaden rejected her, she said she would work for him, and he should pay her. She really moved to the countryside, renting a place from a villager and going to the Carter family daily to farm, cook for the elderly, clean, and even take care of their bodily needs. Everyone praised her as a good girl. Even so, Jaden maintained a platonic friendship with her.
The turning point came one winter after graduation. It was particularly cold that day when Jaden went to the city to buy something, and his grandfather suddenly had a stroke. Linda was the first to notice something was wrong, promptly took the right action, and called for an ambulance. Thanks to the timely rescue, Jaden’s grandfather avoided the worst and ended up with only mild paralysis, making walking difficult. This incident changed Jaden’s feelings for Linda from being touched to being enamored. The relationship developed naturally from there, and they confirmed their romantic involvement.
"In those years, she really helped our family a lot," Arthur said. "Otherwise, with Jaden having to care for his grandparents while managing the farm, he wouldn’t have been able to handle it all, and I wouldn’t have been able to help my parents run a barbecue stall."
Upon hearing this, Avery thought to herself that, objectively speaking, Linda’s perseverance over the years indicated she truly loved Jaden, and this time she probably wouldn’t easily let go of him. Additionally, Linda was cunning, tenacious, and hardworking. It wouldn’t be easy to make her disappear entirely.