Chapter 470
Chapter 470
Hiram’s words caught everyone off guard, causing a sudden shift in the atmosphere.
At that moment, Ryan and Faith were vying to hold Serena, seemingly showing her more affection. But I knew, it was merely their sense of regret.
“Hiram, what nonsense are you talking about?” Karina swiftly bent down, gripping Hiram’s shoulders with a stern tone, “Your grandparents love you the most, and you’re their only biological grandson, how could they prefer another child? Ryan, Faith, don’t you agree?”
She looked at Ryan and Faith for confirmation.
The others exchanged glances, all curious but too timid to speak up.
Ryan and Faith glanced at Serena, then at Hiram. In front of everyone, they couldn’t admit to preferring another child, not to mention they genuinely loved Hiram. After all, he was their great-grandson, no reason not to spoil him.
“Absolutely, Hiram, your grandparents adore you the most!” Faith reluctantly handed Serena back to me, with Ryan also refraining from continuing to hold her.
Faith threw me an apologetic look, then hurriedly joined Ryan in comforting Hiram.
Hiram pouted, letting Ryan and Faith coddle him. It was clear how much they loved him. Who else could throw a tantrum in front of Ryan and Faith? Only Hiram had the privilege of being patiently soothed by them.
Serena, with her innocent, bright eyes, seemed oblivious to what was happening. Her tiny hand gripped my collar as she whimpered, her pouted lips indicating she was probably hungry.
While everyone was focused on Hiram, I moved Serena to the side and prepared a bottle of formula for her.
Suddenly, Mitch quietly approached me, a complex expression on his face. I was not fond of him, so I ignored him, continuing to feed Serena.
“She’s very well-behaved.” Mitch suddenly said, his eyes filled with sorrow as they focused on Serena.
“Uh-huh.” I responded, uninterested in prolonging the conversation.
“My three kids are all well-behaved, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen them. I wonder if they’re behaving.” Mitch’s voice was heavy with sadness.
I scoffed, “Don’t worry. Stella will take good care of them. Just focus on yourself.”
Mitch caught the frostiness in my tone, “Do you think my mistakes were worth a divorce?”
The fact that he even asked this question told me he still hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation. Stella was right to be firm. If she had softened and continued the marriage, the problems would only intensify.
“Since you still don’t understand your faults, stop regretting and stop bothering Stella.” After feeding Serena, I picked her up, moving away from. Mitch.
However, he persisted, thick-skinned as ever. He asked me to send Stella a video so he could see the children.
It turned out Stella had been ignoring Mitch’s calls and video chats, and he hadn’t seen the children for days.
I had to admit, Stella was formidable in this regard.
Since she didn’t want to allow Mitch to see the children, I wouldn’t help either.
“No, Mitch, if you really loved your children, you should have loved their mother. You failed to do that. Don’t bother me.” I rolled my eyes, carrying Serena to the backyard, where a beautiful outdoor swimming pool was surrounded by a green lawn dotted with flowers.
I hadn’t come to attend Hiram’s birthday party; I came to see Faith. So, I had no interest in mingling with others.
“Serena, look at these flowers!” I held up Serena, pointing at the colorful blossoms.
Serena, with her innocent clear eyes, sucked on her fingers while observing the flowers. Her cute, chubby face was irresistibly kissable, and I did just that.
To show my maternal love, I even playfully sucked on Serena’s chubby cheeks, chuckling softly.
“My little one is so cute. Thanks to my genes.” With no one around/praising myself.
Experts say it’s crucial to talk to your baby, even at a young age. It stimulates their nerve development.
Suddenly, I heard a cough behind me, “Ahem.”
Turning around, I saw Neil looking at me with a bemused expression. I felt a tinge of embarrassment, but quickly composed myself. What’s wrong with talking to my own child?
Neil came out to talk to me. Wasn’t he worried Karina might misunderstand?
Thinking of Karina’s jealous nature, I instinctively took a step back from Neil.
Neil didn’t seem pleased with my subconscious action.
“I wanted to discuss my mother’s condition with you.” Neil sat down on a nearby chair, gesturing for me to do the same.
I sat down with Serena in my arms. I was having a hard time believing Faith was suffering from depression, because she behaved normally earlier, just like the Faith I knew before.
However, Neil presented a psychological evaluation report, confirming Faith’s mild depression. It wasn’t severe, but if left untreated. Because it could worsen.
Neil had talked to Faith a lot, and it appeared our divorce and the child were the roots of her depression.
Especially the child.
“She told me she often dreams of a little girl calling her ‘Grandma’. She believes that little girl is the child we lost. She even went to the local church to light a candle and pray. She’s been through quite a lot,” Neil shared about his mother’s ordeal, his face etched with worry.
A pang of sympathy hit me. That poor child. Just like Faith, I had also dreamed of her. She called me ‘Mom’. Since we had Serena and Brandon, those dreams slowly faded.
“So, you want me to talk to her?” I asked.
“Yeah, I don’t want her to continue like this. We have to move forward, don’t we?” Neil’s gaze was fixed on me, steady like a calm lake.
I was already moving forward, but Faith was still stuck in the pain of losing her granddaughter, unable to move on.
