Chapter 495 Something That Troubles Alicia
Her words rendered me speechless. For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. It was weird to hear someone say that. Upon noticing how quiet I was, the housekeeper ended the conversation and went to help Alicia in the kitchen.
Only Michael and I were left in the living hall. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, looking into my eyes. “Why is Mrs. Campbell so nice to me? Do you think she has an ulterior motive?”
I lifted my head to look at him quizzically. I had never had a hard time reading someone’s mind like this before.
“We all do certain things for certain reasons. I’m sure she has her reason too.”
After he took a glance at the kitchen, a hard glint flashed across Michael’s eyes.
I continued asking, “Then, what’s her motive? I’ve only gotten to know her recently, yet all of a sudden, she treated me as if I was a VIP. What does she want from me?”
Michael had always been good at reading people’s minds, and I was desperate to hear what he had to say.
I liked hospitable and affectionate people like Alicia. She treated me as if I was her own daughter even though I knew it was impossible.
“I’m sure she must have her reason for approaching you, but I’m not sure if you want to know the truth. I believe she wouldn’t do anything to harm you.”
Michael glanced at me. There was still something else on his mind, but he chose not to say it. Instead, he picked up the cup and took a sip of the tea.
I frowned and gave him a confused look. I felt he knew something but kept acting like he didn’t know anything.
“Are you hiding something from me? Tell me if you know it unless you enjoy seeing me confused.”
Someone as careful as Michael must have sent someone to investigate Alicia. I bet he must have found out something about her but refused to tell me.
“Let Mrs. Campbell do what she wants. You just need to enjoy her hospitality, and don’t overthink.”
Clearly, Michael didn’t want to tell me anything. He looked away right after ending that sentence.
I gave him a sullen glare. He knew something but still wanted to keep me in the dark. This is too much!
Soon, Alicia brought out all the dishes and placed them on the dining table. She then walked to me. “Come, Anna. Dinner’s ready.”
She held my hands and walked me to the dining table. I turned around to look at Michael, but he only had a deadpan expression on his face.
Throughout the dinner, Alicia kept advising me to eat more. Even when I was about to try the grilled fish, she reminded me to be careful with the fishbones.
“I hope you like the grilled fish I prepared. Tell me if it doesn’t suit your taste. I’ll cook it better the next time,” Alicia said with the corners of her lips quirked up.
Tears started welling up in my eyes, but I didn’t know why.
Never in my life had someone treated me this well, not even my mom. Alicia had indeed made me feel at home.
I sniffed and tried to hold my tears. It would be so embarrassing if I were to shed a tear over some grilled fish.
No matter how I tried to hide my emotions, Alicia seemed to have spotted the change in my expression.
“What’s wrong? Does it taste bad? I should talk to a chef to brush up on my culinary skills. I supposed I had lost touch with cooking since I haven’t done it in years. Sorry about it.”
Alicia felt bad and looked lost.
“No, no, no. It’s delicious. I felt touched because no one has ever been so kind to me.”
At first, I was a little suspicious of Alicia’s motive, but now, I had completely let my guard down.
The worry on her face had vanished. She wanted to say something but hesitated for a moment.
After a short pause, she asked, “Anna, can you tell me more about your childhood?”
I could tell she was eager to hear my story.
Though I was a little surprised by the question, I answered her out of courtesy. “I grew up in a village. My parents paid more attention to the boys and didn’t really care about me. They have never done what you did for me just now.”
The way Alicia cared for me might be a usual act of kindness, but to me, that was something extraordinary since I had never enjoyed such attention before.
“It looks like your parents didn’t treat you well. Have you not told me this, I would think that you have had a great childhood.”
I could sense a pang of guilt in Alicia’s voice. There were even tears in her eyes.
Though I didn’t have a pleasant childhood, it wasn’t actually that bad. I didn’t know what to do upon seeing her reaction.
“It’s all right, Mrs. Campbell. I’m used to it now.”
As a child, I used to hope that my mom would treat me better, but as I grew up, I realized that was impossible. I eventually gave up hoping and learned to move on.
Upon hearing that, Alicia started crying. She quickly wiped away her tears with her hand to conceal her emotions.
Why did she cry?
I was taken aback, and at the same time, her dramatic reaction made me feel a little awkward. I felt I shouldn’t have talked about such a topic over dinner.
I opened my mouth and asked in a gentle voice, “Are you okay, Mrs. Campbell? I didn’t mean to upset you with my story.”
“I’m fine. I’m sorry to hear about your childhood experience. I had a daughter, but for some reason, she was taken away from me, and I miss her very much. I wonder if she had a childhood like yours too.”
I could see a complicated reaction in her facial expression when Alicia uttered those words.
For a second, words were caught in my throat, and I didn’t know how to console her.
A wealthy and influential family would not simply divulge to others, but she was willing to share her family problem with me. Hence, I was quite surprised that she actually did that.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Campbell. Perhaps, a well-to-do family has adopted her, and she’s living a great life now.” I tried my best to comfort her.
“But unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. I felt guilty, and I want to make it up to her. In fact, I’ve found my daughter and would like to tell her the truth. But I don’t have the courage to do so. What should I do?”
