Chapter 266 Take Care Of You
“Mom, I’m fine,” Jared replied as he plastered a smile.
Dinner was a silent and awkward affair. Throughout the entire meal, no one dared to break the silence.
Afraid that his parents would sense that something was amiss, Jared quickly scarfed down his food and excused himself from the table.
Once Jared left, Hannah and Gary exchanged a knowing glance. Unable to help themselves, the duo heaved out a heavy sigh.
“Sooner or later, we’ll have to tell him the truth,” Gary said in a low voice.
“All these years, I have always seen Jared as my own son. In fact, I already forgot about the fact that we adopted him. Why did Benedict have to say such nonsense…” Hannah’s eyes reddened with sorrow. “Judging from Jared’s bad mood, he must have found out the truth. We can’t hide it from him anymore.”
“Jared is not a child anymore. He has the right to know about it as well. We can’t be too selfish.” Gary took a seat next to Hannah and pulled her into his embrace.
“But I’m afraid that Jared might abandon us when he realizes the truth. What if he plans to search for his birth parents? I can’t live without him…”
After so many years of being Jared’s mother, she could not bear the thought of losing him.
“The decision to look for his birth parents is a choice for Jared to make. Even if Jared leaves, I will spend the rest of my life with you.” In order to comfort Hannah, Gary blurted out a string of heartfelt words.
In the midst of her sobs, Hannah leaned her head against Gary’s shoulder as tears continued to roll down her cheeks.
After some time, Hannah brushed her tears away and rose to her feet. “Could you ask Jared to come out of his room?” she asked.
Gary nodded his head in response. He quickly made his way to Jared’s bedroom and rapped his knuckles against the door.
“Jared, please come out. Your mom and I have something to tell you.” Without another word, Gary took his leave.
When Jared caught wind of Gary’s words, his heart skipped a beat. He already had an inkling of what his parents were planning to inform him.
Deep down, Jared felt extremely conflicted. Although he didn’t want to admit that they weren’t his birth parents, he was still dying to know about his birth parents.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Jared finally mustered the courage to emerge from his room.
When Jared reached the living room, Gary and Hannah were already waiting for him on the couch. The atmosphere in the air felt uncomfortably stifling. Upon closer inspection, Jared realized that there was an elaborate wooden box on the table in front of Hannah. It was barely as big as a palm.
“Dad, Mom…” Jared called out.
“Sit down.” Gary waved his hand to beckon at Jared. Gary took two long drags of his cigarette before he said hesitantly, “Jared, you aren’t a child anymore. There is something that we’ve been meaning to tell you.”
All of a sudden, Gary snapped his mouth shut. Instead, he glanced at Hannah, who averted her eyes. She didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news.
As they were both reluctant to spill the truth, a blanket of silence descended over the living room.
“Dad, Mom, no matter what, the both of you are still my parents. I will never abandon you. I’ll take care of you when you’re old, and I’ll bless you with as many grandchildren as you want.”
Suddenly, Jared knelt in front of Hannah and Gary.
The sight of her son on his knees caused Hannah to burst into tears again. In haste, she helped him to his feet and hugged him. “You will always be my son!”
“Mom, please don’t cry. Even if we aren’t related by flesh and blood, you have always been my mom. Throughout all these years, you were the one who raised me to become the man I am now. I still remember how you carried me in the rain to visit the clinic when I was five,” Jared softly said as he wiped Hannah’s tears away.
Hearing that, Hannah finally managed to let go of her worries. “Jared, I must admit that I’m not your birth mother. Since an illness plagued my body, I became infertile and couldn’t bear any children of my own. One winter day, your dad found you by the roadside when you were an infant. I can still recall how you were shivering in the frigid cold.”
