Chapter 412
Chapter 412
“Right, I know. But she felt she couldn’t stay on anymore, so she quit. There was nothing I could do about it,” I replied nonchalantly.
Russel was giving me a vibe that was increasingly unsettling.
I hadn’t forgotten his past collaboration with Bonnie. I was all still fresh in my memory. Despite my constant refusals, he was persistently good to me, never giving up. So, I kept my concerns to myself, never bringing them up again.
“Let’s forget it. It’s better that she quit, so you won’t worry about me, Russel seemed to have caught on to my skepticism. He flashed me a comforting smile, and we dropped the subject.
When I arrived home, Serena and Brandon had stopped crying, but they were resistant to sleep. They were used to sleeping beside me and didn’t fancy sleeping with my parents.
I took them to my room to rest while Russel went off to sleep in the room next door.
I was wide awake, my mind filled with doubts about Russel and Karina. My gut was telling me that their relationship was not as straightforward as it appeared on the surface.
Neil’s attitude towards Karina was also unexpected.
News of tonight’s incident had spread by the next day, but the buzz wasn’t significant. Neil must have used his public relations team to control the situation. That was a move he was known for when it came to protecting those he cared about.
Ryan and Faith were especially affected by the news.
“Neil has a thing for complex women,” my mother sighed after seeing the news, “Bonnie is still in jail, and now here’s Karina, who seems just as complicated.”
Of course, Karina was far more formidable than Bonnie.
I held Brandon close, rocking him gently as I admired his adorable face. His only flaw was that he looked like Neil. Serena, on the other hand, took after me. It was as if they had decided it among themselves.
“Let it be,” I responded nonchalantly, unconcerned about Neil’s reasons for protecting Karina.
“Of course, let him be. But Rena, what are you and Russel planning?” My mother asked, “Don’t you think you owe him an explanation?”
I looked at her, clueless, before asking, “What do you mean?”
My parents exchanged glances before my father spoke, “If he’s committed to being with you, why not consider giving him a chance and get married?”
That caught me off guard. Why would my parents suddenly bring up marriage?
The mere thought of it felt absurd. I couldn’t possibly impose such a burden on Russel.
“Dad, Mom, please don’t bring this up again,” I swiftly put an end to their musings.
“It’s not us who brought this up. It’s Russel,” my mother sighed, “You think giving him a chance is a burden, but have you considered that by continually refusing, you’re also holding him back?”
My father added, “And there’s another thing you might not have considered. If Neil wanted to check your marital status and the kids’ registration, he could easily do it. If he finds out that you two haven’t gotten married yet, he’ll definitely have suspicions.”
They both tried to convince me to take the legal step and officially be with Russel.
Despite the logic in my father’s words, I disagreed. Even if Neil found out, so what? I would have insisted that I was with Russel, just not ready to get married. What could he have done about it?
In the midst of our debate, my mother’s phone rang. After a glance at the caller ID, she looked uneasy but picked up the call.
She took the call in the yard. My father and I exchanged glances, sensing something was amiss.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, my mother returned with red-rimmed eyes, barely holding back her tears.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked worriedly.
“We need to go to your Uncle Lucas’ house,” she choked out, wiping away a tear, “Something’s happened.”
There was limited contact between us and my two uncles due to some old disagreements. After my parents’ accident, I had sought their help but was rejected. After that, we had cut ties almost completely.
I couldn’t understand why Lucas suddenly contacted my mother until she revealed the reason.
Lucas’ family had been in a severe car accident. Only my aunt was still in the emergency room, but there was little hope of her waking up.
The news left me in a state of shock. I didn’t feel schadenfreude or sorrow, just astonishment, struggling to process the situation.
My father seemed similarly affected.
“My brother moved overseas some time ago, so I have to handle everything,” my mother said, her eyes red and teary, “You should come with me.”
“Of course, I should go,” my father replied, somberly nodding his head. In the face of death, he couldn’t bear to dwell on past grievances.
I was equally upset. I wasn’t very clear on the grudges of the previous generation, but I remembered my uncles were decent to me when I was young and only drifted apart later.
I asked my mother, “What about me?”
“You should stay. Norah alone can’t handle the kids,” my mother said, wiping her tears and trying to keep her composure, “Your father and I can take care of things. But with just you and Norah at home, can you manage?”
Ordinarily, I would have gone, but with two young children to look after, it wasn’t feasible.
hesitated, and my father added, “There’s nothing you can do for the dead. The main thing is to handle the aftermath. Your mother and I can handle it. It’s not good for young children to be in such places.”
Though his words sounded superstitious, it was true that Serena and Brandon were too young to be exposed to such situations.
“Listen to your father. Stay home with the kids,” my mother sighed deeply before heading back to her room to pack.
I didn’t say anything more. I watched as my parents packed their things and saw them off as they left.
Once they were gone, the house felt emptier. It was just Norah and I with the kids. Norah usually took the kids for a walk in the evening, but due to my low spirits, I didn’t join them today.
It must have been about seven o’clock in the evening when the doorbell rang. I thought it was Norah, who had probably forgotten her keys again, so I went straight to open the door.
To my surprise, it was Ryan and Faith standing on the doorstep, and they brought Hiram along with them.
“Irene, we hope you don’t mind us dropping by unannounced?” Faith asked, sounding a bit apologetic.
