Ch. 451..460
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 451
“You’re pregnant?” Mr. Norton exclaimed nervously upon hearing the news.
“Yes.” Vivian nodded her head, crying. “Grandpa, please help me convince Finnick to let me keep this child.”
“How many weeks?” Mr. Norton asked the question that he was most concerned about and ignored Vivian’s request.
Upon hearing Mr. Norton’s response, Vivian realized that something was off. It was weird that Mr. Norton and Finnick both responded to the news with the same question.
However, she shrugged it off and replied, “According to the doctor, I’m four weeks pregnant.”
Four weeks! Mr. Norton’s face turned pale upon hearing her reply. It was a month ago that Vivian got kidnapped. Could it be that the child was from that incident?
No wonder Finnick wanted her to abort the child. Out of all times, why did it have to be from that period of time? What an ill-fated coincidence.
Vivian noticed how Mr. Norton had a perplexed expression on his face, and how Finnick had the same expression the day before.
At that, she started to get anxious, worried that Mr. Norton would have the same stance as Finnick.
“Vivian, I think… it would be best for you to abort this child.” Mr. Norton seemed to be in a dilemma about the words he has said. “Listen to Finnick and abort this child.”
“Why?” Vivian raised her voice as she broke down and asked. “Why are you both so persistent in the abortion? But this baby is mine and Finnick’s!”
Vivian’s words triggered Mr. Norton’s memory regarding what Finnick had told him – that due to the earlier incident, Vivian’s subconscious had selectively chosen to erase that memory.
“Vivian, please just listen to Finnick.” Mr. Norton had no clue on how to explain the whole situation to Vivian as well.
She staggered a few steps back and sat on the edge of the sofa. Vivian did not expect that even Mr. Norton would not help her. What should I do now?
Seeing the devastated state that Vivian was in, Mr. Norton sat beside her and consoled her, “Vivian, Finnick has his reasons for holding his stand – reasons that he might not be able to tell you about. But you need to trust in him. He is just trying to protect you.”
“Grandpa, could you please tell me why?” Vivian pleaded while looking at Mr. Norton with her eyes filled with sadness.
As a matter of fact, Vivian had realized that the reason for their opposition was much deeper than it seemed. After all, both Finnick and Mr. Norton had given the same response.
If the reason behind Finnick’s opposition was due to Evelyn, then what about Grandpa’s? Why did Grandpa support the abortion of the child?
Upon seeing how Mr. Norton kept his silence and avoided eye contact, Vivian confirmed her suspicion that she was definitely unaware of a deeper reason.
“Grandpa, please tell me the reason. It must be serious for both of you to have the same stance on this. I have the right to know, or I’ll never allow anyone to hurt my child!”
Mr. Norton hesitated with Vivian’s words.
It was indeed cruel of us to hide the truth from her. Furthermore, she would never agree to it otherwise.
Mr. Norton started with a question after hesitating. “Vivian, do you recall a month ago that you got kidnapped?”
“I remember.” Vivian nodded but could not understand how that incident was related to the abortion.
“Do you remember all of it? Are you sure you didn’t miss out on anything?”
“No, I remember that incident very clearly.” Did I really forget something?
“Then do you recall that you were… sexually assaulted?”
“What?” Vivian exclaimed in disbelief.
Following Vivian’s response, it appeared to Mr. Norton that she had indeed forgotten all about it.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 452
“Yes, you were… sexually assaulted that day.” Mr. Norton hesitated but revealed the harsh truth anyway. “There were four beggars that day, so we suspect that the child may not be Finnick’s.”
After he revealed the whole truth, he looked at Vivian with his eyes full of guilt. It was all because of Mark, that b*stard.
“Grandpa, what do you mean?” Vivian was in a daze. “I wasn’t sexually assaulted.”
“Vivian, you might have forgotten it. Just listen to Finnick and me. Abort the child before you regret it in the future.”
“How could I forget something like that?” Vivian could not comprehend Mr. Norton’s words. Her head was in a chaotic mess at that moment.
“The doctor said that your subconscious might have selectively chosen to forget that incident as a response to cope with that traumatic experience.”
What the heck is he talking about? Frustration welled up within Vivian when he said that. However, she closed her eyes and took two deep breaths to calm her thoughts.
“Grandpa, I remembered what happened very clearly. There were indeed four guys who were about to… you know… but that was when Benedict appeared in time to save me. Fortunately for him, I wasn’t sexually assaulted. After that, Benedict sent me to the hospital. Then, when I woke up, I saw Finnick, and that was it.”
“Vivian, you might’ve been traumatized by that and had forgotten about it, so your brain made up such a memory to help you cope with the impact of that incident.” It was apparent that Mr. Norton did not believe in Vivian’s words.
“I didn’t!” Vivian felt helpless as she did not know how to clear the misunderstanding. “Grandpa, please believe me. I knew what happened – the four guys didn’t rape me.”
“But the doctor claimed that your body had signs of being sexually assaulted after a full examination.” Mr. Norton was confused by Vivian’s words. What actually happened?
“Why would the doctor say that?” Vivian questioned while she furrowed her brows as she could not understand.
Why would the doctor lie about such a thing?
At that, Mr. Norton let out a deep sigh and explained earnestly, “Vivian, there’s no reason for the doctor to lie. You may have forgotten about it, so please listen to me and abort the child.”
“Grandpa, I swear I did not forget anything. Please believe me.” The more Vivian tried to explain, the more confusing it got.
No wonder Finnick avoided getting intimate with me recently. Did he think that I was raped by those four beggars as well?
That must be the case! He must have been the one who told grandpa about it.
But he wasn’t even there! So why was he so certain that I got raped? Also, why did the doctor tell him that?
As Vivian recalled the incident once again, she was reminded of someone who might be the cause of all the confusion… Evelyn!
She recalled that Finnick told her that it was Evelyn and Benedict who had saved her. Afraid that Finnick would not believe her words, she kept it to herself that Evelyn was, in fact, the one who had kidnapped her.
Evelyn must have bribed the doctor to give Finnick a false statement. Her motive was clearly to break our relationship.
At that moment, Vivian was filled with hatred towards Evelyn. After the unexpected appearance of Benedict, Evelyn actually took the chance to plant a thorn in Finnick’s heart. A thorn so deep that it would tear the relationship between Finnick and Vivian apart.
At that moment, Vivian had decided not to let Finnick misunderstand the situation any further. With that thought in mind, Vivian rushed out of Mr. Norton’s study.
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I must explain clearly to Finnick and clarify that I’m pregnant with his child. No matter what, I can’t let him have any misunderstanding about this matter.
Samuel was baffled when he noticed that Vivian seemed to be lost in thought. A while ago, she pleaded for him to trust her, emphasizing that she was telling the truth. Before he could ask her further about what had actually happened at that time, she turned and dashed toward the door.
“Vivian!” Samuel called out to her, yet she did not hear him at all. In a twinkling of an eye, she had descended the staircase and reached the ground floor.
Once Vivian was out of the house, she stopped a taxi hastily by the roadside and hopped into it. She urged the taxi driver to speed off after mentioning the address of Finnor Group.
Along the way, indecipherable uneasiness crept into Vivian gradually. How should I explain to Finnick about this matter? Will he choose to trust me? Will he share the same thought as grandpa that I’ve forgotten about what had happened at that time?
When Vivian reached Finnor Group, she headed straight for Finnick’s office without greeting the receptionist at the front desk.
The receptionist did not stop her, knowing that she was Finnick’s wife. However, she wondered why Vivian headed toward Finnick’s office in such a hurry. She had obviously cried a while ago. Her eyes were red and there was still the residue of tears on her face. Has she quarrelled with the president?
She looked at the phone in front of her hesitantly and was in a dilemma whether she should give the president a call about it.
Anyway, I better don’t get involved with the boss’ family matters! To play safe, I’d better pretend that I didn’t see anything.
The moment Vivian reached Finnick’s office, there was no sign of him. Finnick’s secretary told her that he was having a meeting in the meeting room, and requested her to wait for a while.
“Could you please inform your president that I need to see him now?” Vivian insisted to see Finnick at once.
The secretary was stunned as Vivian sounded unusually demanding. It never crossed her mind that such a stern look would appear on Vivian’s face, as she was always giving off a vibe of gentleness and demureness. She presumed that Vivian must have an urgent matter.
“Alright, Mrs. Norton. Please hold on. I’ll inform him now,” the secretary said courteously to Vivian.
In the meeting room, Finnick was in the midst of listening to the head of department’s daily update. At the sight of his secretary who was approaching him, a small frown creased his forehead. He really disliked being interrupted in the middle of a meeting.
His secretary lowered her voice and informed him, “Mr. Norton, Mrs. Norton is currently waiting for you in your office. She needs to see you at once on an urgent matter.”
Instantly, Finnick gestured to the department head to stop and announced, “We’ll continue again in the afternoon. The meeting is adjourned.”
Right after his announcement, he stood up and strode out of the meeting room. All the heads of departments were dumbfounded and exchanged looks in bewilderment.
They were stunned when Finnick’s secretary called them for a meeting all of a sudden early in the morning. The moment Finnick stepped into the meeting room with a grim look, they sensed something amiss. They could only be as tactful as possible and kept their fingers crossed so none of them would infuriate their boss who was like a sleeping volcano that might erupt at any time.
Everyone expected that this meeting would take hours as Finnick requested all the heads of departments to present their reports one by one. Unexpectedly, he dismissed them out of a sudden again. They were obviously the minor characters for Finnick to unleash his wrath. They wondered if they should be thankful since the meeting was postponed.
Meanwhile, Finnick had just stepped into his office and closed the door before he turned to look at Vivian. At that very moment, she had made a dart toward him. Grabbing hold of his hands, she looked at him anxiously. “Finnick, I’m expecting our child. I’m telling the truth. You must trust me!”
Finnick’s expression changed upon hearing her words, yet he still patiently led her to the sofa and took a seat.
“Vivian, there’re things that I’m unable to explain to you. Can you just listen to me? Let me accompany you to the hospital to abort this baby.”
“I paid grandpa a visit just now and have a better understanding of the reason from him. Finnick, please trust me. I was not raped so this is really your baby!” Vivian tried her best to explain.
Finnick’s face fell as he tightened his grips instinctively. After remaining silent for quite a while, he said gently, “Vivian, listen to me. You’ve forgotten about the incident at that time…”
“I didn’t forget. I remember everything!” Vivian became agitated and cut him off. My instinct is right! Finnick too thought that I have totally forgotten about what had happened at that time!
“Finnick, I was not raped by the four men. Benedict emerged at the eleventh hour and saved me!”
“Vivian, there’s something wrong with your memory. At that time…”
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“There’s nothing wrong with my memory! I can remember everything! I’m pretty sure that I was not raped by the four men!” Vivian could not understand why both Mr. Norton and Finnick did not believe her. They insisted that her memory had somehow mixed up.
“Alright, alright. You were not raped by them.” Finnick tried to appease her by following what she said.
He recalled how the doctor advised him not to trigger Vivian’s memory on the previous incident. If not, she would be provoked and might end up having an emotional breakdown because of that.
“You’re willing to trust me now?” Vivian’s face lit up. Looks like Finnick still trusts me!
“Vivian, it doesn’t matter. My love for you will not change,” Finnick tried to sound as gentle as possible as he consoled her.
“Please listen to me. Let’s abort the baby. We can have our own child again in the future. I promise that I’ll shower our child with all my love. We’ll have a happy and complete family. I’ll…” Finnick tried to coax her again.
“You still don’t believe me!” Vivian pushed Finnick away and burst out crying, “Why don’t you trust my words? I was really not raped by anyone at that time. Benedict was there just in time to save me!”
Finnick’s heart ached at the sight of Vivian’s tears and sorrowful eyes. A sense of weariness crept into his heart. He wanted to trust Vivian’s words too. Nobody could understand how much he wished that Vivian had never encountered the terrible incident.
Yet, the video from Mark as well as what both the doctor and Evelyn told him was concrete evidence of the misfortune that had befallen Vivian.
“Vivian, I’m willing to trust you. You must also trust me that I’ll never leave you no matter what happened,” Finnick emphasized and tried to embrace Vivian in order to calm her down. He still felt that Vivian was worried about being abandoned by him, so she insisted that she was not raped by the men.
Rage surged within Vivian, accompanied by a sense of helplessness. Finnick says that he trusts me, yet he still thinks that I was raped by the men!
Does he really trust Evelyn so much? It seems he never doubts every single word of hers.
Tears flowed out of Vivian’s red-rimmed eyes again. Pushing Finnick away, she wailed, “You’re not being honest with me. If you really don’t mind, why haven’t you touched me in the past few days?”
Finnick was sure that his presumption was right upon hearing her words. Vivian was worried that he would abandon her just because of what she had gone through.
The sight of her tears caused his heart to feel a twitch again. He tried to wipe off her tears as he explained gently, “Vivian, don’t blame yourself for anything. Don’t think so much too. I’ll never leave you because of this incident. I didn’t touch you all this while because I… I…”
Finnick did not how to explain further to Vivian. He was actually having a phobia after the previous incident. Every time he looked at her, he could not resist blaming himself for not being able to protect her well, causing her to end up in such a miserable state.
“Why are you suddenly lost for words? You really mind that, after all?” Vivian was in despair when Finnick started to stammer. It seemed Evelyn’s plot had turned into a success.
“These are all Evelyn’s schemes. She deliberately misleads you so you’ll end up having a misunderstanding with me! Why don’t you trust me? You’d rather trust her and let her scheme turn into a success?” Vivian choked up as more tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Was there any relation between Evelyn and the incident?” Finnick could not understand why Vivian mentioned Evelyn suddenly.
Vivian asked him, “Let me ask you. Was Evelyn the one who told you that I was raped?”
Considering that Vivian might have misunderstood that Evelyn had intentionally tried to strain their relationship, so he tried to speak up for Evelyn, “Vivian, Evelyn did not have any bad intention. She actually sympathized with you for what you have gone through, so she told me about what she saw when they came to your rescue. Don’t get me wrong, it’s never her intention to tell me that. She was actually in tears when she described the scene to me.”
“She’s lying to you! She was just playing mind games and intended to initiate a conflict between us so our relationship will be strained.” There was growing anxiety within Vivian. How can Finnick believe Evelyn’s words?
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“Vivian! You must bear in mind that Evelyn had saved you that time together with Benedict. Instead of being grateful to her for saving you, you are criticizing her and doubting her intention now. How can you be so ungrateful?” There was profound sternness in Finnick’s tone as his face turned grim.
I truly understand how Vivian is feeling now. But she shouldn’t have wronged anyone. What more Evelyn was the one who rescued her!
Vivian raised her voice and started to tremble in anxiety. “She’s lying! She’s just putting on a show in front of you! Do you know that she was the one who sent those people to abduct me? It was also her idea to get the four beggars to assault me. She even threatened me that she would share those unsightly pictures of me being assaulted on social media. She’s really a vicious woman!”
“Enough of all these!” Finnick roared at her in exasperation. “Vivian William, Evelyn was not the only person who told me that you were assaulted by the men. The doctor had performed a check-up for you that time and the result revealed that as well. How can you blame her for everything?”
“Evelyn must have bribed the doctor in order to convince you that I have been raped.” Vivian was becoming more agitated. “Finnick, please trust me! I’m telling the truth. I was abducted because of Evelyn. She’s a deceitful and ruthless woman. Don’t be blinded by her pretentious look!”
Finnick’s heart sank and his eyes were filled with great disappointment. He was speechless and could not believe that the unreasonable woman right in front of him was his beloved wife. I really can’t believe she’s my dear Vivian who is always gentle, demure and kind-heartened! It was as if she had turned into a totally different person!
Considering Vivian the trauma she had gone through recently, Finnick tried to suppress the growing impatience and frustration within himself. He kept telling himself that Vivian was behaving weirdly because of the great blow on her. What she needed the most at the moment was his consolation. Thus, he had to control his temper by all means and should not raise his voice at her or it might trigger a breakdown.
He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “Vivian, Evelyn and I are just friends now. Everything between us was over. Don’t worry, I’ll never leave you because of her. Can you try to cheer up and stop thinking negatively of her?”
“So you feel that I’m thinking negatively of her?” Vivian gaped in disappointment. It was really out of her expectation that Finnick not only did not trust her words, but also suspected that she was framing Evelyn.
“It’s impossible that Evelyn was the culprit behind everything.” Finnick started to get impatient again. “I’ve known her since she was a child. I know her well and I trust her. She can’t be the type of person who has a crooked mind.”
“Since you really trust her, does it mean to say that I’m the one lying to you? You’re really protective of her! You’d rather trust her, and refuse to believe any of my words!” Vivian wailed in grief.
“It doesn’t mean that I don’t believe your words. I just feel that you’re blinded by jealousy at the moment and tend to lose control. Vivian, can you try to be rational?” Finnick could not help blurting out the words in frustration. In his eyes, Vivian was being unusually adamant at the moment, and he was having a hard time communicating with her.
Vivian stopped saying anything to defend herself. She just remained silent and gazed at Finnick with her sorrowful eyes which were welled up with tears. Tears trickled down her cheeks as her heart was filled with indecipherable complex emotions. Depression, despair, helplessness and anxiety were crushing her like a series of never-ending waves, suffocating her.
I’m blinded by great jealousy? Vivian could not help snickering within herself. He is my husband, the person whom I’m closest to in this world. So that’s what he’s been thinking of me all this while?
Vivian’s heart felt cold in an instant. She finally turned and left Finnick’s office in despair. Since he is on Evelyn’s side and refuses to believe me, there is no point in me wasting any more time arguing with him.
Finnick’s heart skip a beat when Vivian left his office. He was about to stop her from leaving but was overpowered by his pride. Standing as motionless as a statue, he gazed at Vivian till her figure was out of his view.
He needed some time before the growing anger within himself had worn him down too. Moreover, Vivian’s words had infuriated him. How can she accuse Evelyn without any concrete evidence? Why is she so adamant and refuses to take my words?
Apart from the indescribable rage, Finnick was feeling depressed at the same time. Vivian claims that I don’t trust her. But does she realize that she herself doesn’t trust me as well? If she trusts me, she won’t keep suspecting that there is something going on between me and Evelyn.
Vivian was wandering aimlessly on the street after she stepped out of Finnor Group. Now I know the truth as to why Finnick doesn’t want me to keep this baby. He really thinks that I’m not pregnant with his child!
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After a while, Vivian slowed down and sat on a long bench. Lost in her thought, she was overcome by waves of helplessness.
Since Finnick doesn’t believe what I said, I’m sure he will force me to abort the baby by all means. He would never accept the fact that the baby is his own flesh and blood!What can I do to protect this baby?
At the same time, Vivian could not help but ask herself questions. It looks like Finnick insists that I should abort the baby because he suspects that it’s not his child.
If so, why does he refuse to accept my explanation? He is not aware of the possibility that I could be really pregnant with his child?
It seems Finnick only trusts Evelyn, so he is never suspicious of her! He emphasized that he knows Evelyn well just now. He obviously still has feelings for her.
Thinking of this, the tears in Vivian’s eyes started to well up again. Nonetheless, she managed to take a deep breath and held back her tears this round.
Shaking her head hard, she forced herself not to have any wild thoughts again.
Placing both her palms on her stomach, she swore to herself. I must protect myself and my baby. It doesn’t matter that the father doesn’t want the baby or even divorces me. I will protect my baby well at all costs. Nobody can stop me from bringing my baby to this world! I’ll try my best to raise my baby and shower him with loads of love!
Vivian told herself to think positively and stay motivated. Vivian William, don’t you worry! There will surely be a way out for you! Don’t give up easily! If it’s fated that I will be a single mother one day, I must stay strong and have the courage of a lion. I mustn’t cry so easily again. I must pull myself together now for I have to work hard and lead a happy life. If not, how can I take good care of my child?
Vivian managed to cool herself down again. She wiped off her tears and headed toward the hospital to pay Rachel a visit.
I wonder how her condition is now. I must grab the chance to ask her about her biological daughter’s whereabouts. I’m really worried that her condition might deteriorate at any time.
However, there was no sign of Rachel when she reached her ward. She sat on the bed and waited for her, thinking that she might have gone to the washroom.
Vivian waited for quite a long time before the door of the ward was opened again. To her surprise, a nurse walked in hastily instead of Rachel.
She asked Vivian nervously, “Are you Rachel William’s daughter?”
“Yeah, I’m her daughter. Is there anything?” Vivian stood up and asked instantly.
The nurse replied helplessly, “We’ve been looking for your mother. We don’t know where she is now.”
“Huh?” Vivian’s expression changed. “You don’t know where she is now? What actually happened?”
“When we were making our usual rounds this morning, we discovered that your mother was not in her room. Since then, everyone has been looking for her, but to no avail. We’re about to give u a call to inform you about it. Can you try to call her now to see if she is anywhere near the hospital?”
Vivian gave Rachel a call at once.
Mom, please answer the phone. Don’t scare me. Where are you now? Vivian started to mumble restlessly when her mother still did not answer the call.
Where can she go? She’s not familiar with this area at all. Vivian tried hard to think of the places that her mother would go, yet she did not have any clue.
All of a sudden, something came into Vivian’s mind. Ah! I can trace her current location via the GPS of her phone!
Vivian immediately clicked on her phone to search for Rachel’s current location. She was dumbfounded the moment she saw the location displayed on the phone.
Rachel was somewhere near the Morrison residence at the moment!
Vivian had been there previously with Finnick in order to hide themselves from the reporters on Evelyn’s death anniversary. Therefore, she could still recall the exact location of the residence.
Why did Mom go there?
Without wasting time, Vivian dashed out of the hospital and took a taxi to the Morrison residence.
The moment she reached the Morrison residence, she saw Rachel at the main gate. She was having a conversation with Evelyn. However, Evelyn was obviously feeling displeased as there was a grim look on her face. She was treating Rachel with utter indifference.
“Ms. Rachel, I guess there’s no need for you to enter the house. I don’t have much time. Can you go straight to the point?” Evelyn said impatiently without having any eye contact with Rachel. Crossing her arms, she knitted her brows and pretended that she was not aware of her affectionate gaze.
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My goodness! Who does she think she is? I was just putting on a show previously to get close to her to give Vivian a blow. Yet, she dares to come here and look for me! She must have thought that I was being sincere with her then!
“Evelyn, how are things going on with you lately?” Rachel still asked Evelyn with great concern despite the profound coldness in her tone.
“Quite good.” Evelyn twitched her lips and replied coldly.
Rachel replied smilingly, “I’m glad to hear that you’re fine.”
Evelyn did not say anything, yet she glanced at her quizzically.
Looking intently at Evelyn, Rachel’s smile widened as she complimented her, “Evelyn, you’re a sweet girl since young. When you were still a little girl, you looked exactly like a delicate doll that caught everyone’s attention. You’ve now grown up into a gorgeous young lady. It is really a great blessing for the person who will win your heart and spend the rest of his lifetime with you.”
Rachel’s eyes were glistening with tears. Looks like I won’t live long till my Evelyn gets married then. I can only grab every single moment now that I can be with her.
Almost everyone, especially ladies enjoyed being flattered on their beauty. Evelyn’s face softened a bit upon hearing Rachel’s compliments.
Nonetheless, her face darkened again when Vivian’s face flashed across her mind. She looked at Rachel with disdain in her eyes. Hmph! If it’s not because of your daughter, I would have already been married to Finnick!
She didn’t feel like seeing anyone related to Vivian anymore and was about to ask Rachel to leave. Out of a sudden, there was a gust of strong wind. The dried leaves on the ground were blown toward Evelyn.
Some of the leaves landed on her blouse, leaving some stains of mud on it. Coincidentally, she was wearing a white blouse today. As a result, the stains were really obvious against the pure white blouse.
Evelyn brushed the leaves away from her blouse in frustration. Her frown deepened into a scowl as she grumbled, “What kind of strange wind this is! My favorite blouse is stained!”
Rachel raised her hand instantly, thinking of helping Evelyn to get rid of the stain on her blouse. However, she turned away swiftly to duck her hand.
At the sight of Rachel’s rough palms and dry skin, there were disdain and dismay in her eyes.
“What are you doing! This blouse is made of pure silk. It’s a limited edition of my favorite brand. Your palms are too rough and they will surely leave ugly scratches on it!”
Rachel immediately withdrew her hands and apologized to her in embarrassment, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that this blouse is so expensive. I was just trying to get rid of the dust from it.”
“Don’t bother about that. I can just send it to the dry cleaner. They will know how to handle it with care.” Evelyn could not help muttering silently in her heart as she asked impatiently, “Actually, why are you here? Do you want to see me for anything?”
“Actually nothing. I just miss you as it has been quite a long time since I last met you. That’s why I feel like paying you a visit and have a chat with you,” Rachel replied gently and gazed lovingly at her.
Rachel just replied casually, “Oh! If there’s nothing else, can you leave now? I’m running out of time as I need to go out later.”
A sense of disappointment flashed across Rachel’s face. However, she still forced a smile and said, “Just go ahead with your plan. Don’t let me hold you back.”
“Alright, I will go in first.” Evelyn turned and walked toward the house.
“Evelyn, please give me a moment!” Rachel was initially thinking of holding Evelyn’s hand. Nevertheless, she changed her mind as she thought of something and moved hurriedly in front of Evelyn to stop her.
Rolling her eyes, Evelyn asked in great displeasure, “Anything else?”
“Evelyn, actually I just feel like asking if you can take some time to drop by my house for a meal. I’ll prepare your favorite dish for you.” Rachel said warily and looked at Evelyn with her begging eyes.
“I’m quite occupied lately so I can’t make the time,” Rachel replied coldly and continued to walk toward her house.
Rachel stopped her and persuaded her again, “Evelyn, I really hope that you can allocate time to drop by my house. I still remember that you used to like my omelette so much. You haven’t tasted it for quite a long time, right? Let me prepare it for you once again.”
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“Alright, alright, I know,” Evelyn replied in a cursory manner. “I will drop by when I’m . Can you go now?”
When she heard Evelyn agree, Rachel let out a satisfied smile before stepping aside. “I’ll leave at once. I won’t take up anymore of your time.”
Without looking at Rachel, Evelyn stormed into the house and muttered softly, “She’s so annoying. Who does she think she is?”
After watching Evelyn enter the house, Rachel left the Morrison residence reluctantly.
Meanwhile, Vivian who had seen everything didn’t call out to Rachel. Instead, she watched her silhouette leave with mixed emotions.
The sight of Rachel speaking to Evelyn in an obsequious manner upset Vivian. Furthermore, she was confused by Rachel’s actions.
Rachel seemed to be extremely concerned with Evelyn.
Vivian remembered how Rachel ignored her own health just to attend Evelyn’s death anniversary. In fact, she even slapped Vivian twice over Evelyn.
Before this, she never gave it much thought as she assumed her mom was closer to Evelyn because she had taken care of her since she was young.
However, now that she found out she wasn’t Rachel’s biological daughter, all this no longer made sense to her. The way her mom showed concern for Evelyn had exceeded that of an employer and nanny.
Unless… Vivian was shocked by the idea that flashed across her mind. It’s highly unlikely. However, nothing doesn’t make sense at all.
“What are you doing?” While Vivian was deep in her own thoughts, a voice suddenly rang out behind, jolting her.
Turning around, she realized it was Benedict.
Patting her own chest, she heaved a sigh of relief. “You gave me a fright.”
Curious, Benedict looked in the same direction Vivian was looking just now but didn’t see anything. Turning his attention back to Vivian’s expression, he found it to be adorable. Smiling, he repeated his question, “What are you doing here?”
When she realized Rachel was already gone, Vivian’s mind was put at ease. Or else, she wouldn’t even know how to explain the matter to Benedict.
“I’m here to see you.” Vivian found a random excuse.
Benedict was puzzled by her response, “You are looking for me? What is it about?”
“Nothing in particular. I just happened to pass by.” Vivian anxiously beefed up a story. “I wanted to see if you were home so I can go in for a chat with you.”
“Is that so?” When he noticed Vivian averting his gaze and shifting her eyes around, he doubted the authenticity of her words.
However, he didn’t give it much thought as he believed that there was no malice intended.
For some inexplicable reason, he felt that there was some familial connection between them. Every time he saw her, he would tousle her head and try to cheer her up. Whenever he elicited a smile from her, he would also feel equally joyous.
Nevertheless, Benedict was cognizant that the feelings were not romantic at all. Instead, he felt as if she was like… family. He had the urge to protect her from harm and wished for her to always be happy. Naturally, he enjoyed watching her smile all the time. Also, he never felt any sense of possessiveness that usually came from romantic feelings.
“Mmm-hmm, of course,” Vivian replied at once. “I didn’t expect to bump into you here as I was wondering if I should go in and look for you. Do you have some time now?”
“Sure, I do.” Benedict nodded.
“Why don’t we go to a café for some coffee?” Vivian wanted to use the opportunity to ask about Rachel and Evelyn, and what she did at the Morrison residence. Benedict would likely know about it.
“Alright,” Benedict readily agreed. “Which one do you want to go to?”
“Anyone is fine. You decide.” Vivian seldom went to cafés, hence she was hardly familiar with them.
Nodding in agreement, Benedict headed to where he parked his car while Vivian followed behind him. After Vivian got into the car, Benedict brought her to a café that he frequented.
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 459
Having each ordered a coffee, they chatted about the latest developments in their lives.
“How is Ms. Rachel’s health?” Just when Vivian didn’t know how to broach the topic about Rachel and Evelyn, Benedict brought it up first.
“My mom is in good shape.” After giving it some thought, Vivian decided not to tell Benedict about Rachel’s leukemia. “It’s just that she has recently complained about not having seen your sister in a long time.”
“Is that so?” Benedict chuckled. “She always has a soft spot for Evelyn since a long time ago. When I have the time, I’ll take Evelyn to the hospital to visit Ms. Rachel.”
“Thank you.” Vivian raised her head and smiled.
Stirring her coffee gently, she pretended to casually ask, “I really feel my mom adores your sister. When she was working at the Morrison residence, was she always especially nice to Evelyn?”
“Mmm-hmm,” Benedict nodded. “Ms. Rachel had always loved and taken great care of Evelyn since she was little. In fact, the reason your mom worked as a nanny in my house was because of Evelyn.”
“How so?” Vivian asked with an anxious expression.
When he noticed the concerned look on Vivian’s face, Benedict couldn’t help but get suspicious. But he assumed that she was just being curious and continued to explain, “When Evelyn was born, she was kidnapped from the maternity ward. At that time, my family was in a panic as we were not able to find her.”
He continued, “Later on, Ms. Rachel brought Evelyn back and my parents were extremely grateful. They wanted to reward her with a large sum of money but she refused. There was nothing my family could do to convince here otherwise.”
He added, “A few years later, she suddenly came to our house when we were looking to hire a nanny. My family recognized her and wanted to give her the reward money again now that she had fallen on hard times. However, she still refused it saying that she had rescued Evelyn by accident. If we really wanted to thank her, we should just hire her as the nanny.”
Benedict continued, “My family had no choice but to agree. Given that she seemed to be tied to Evelyn by fate, they decided to let Ms. Rachel care for her. In other words, you can say that Evelyn was raised by Ms. Rachel.” When he finished, Benedict raised his coffee mug and took a sip.
Having heard the story, Vivian was confused as to how did Rachel manage to save Evelyn.
“Did my mom ever mention how has she saved your sister?” Vivian asked curiously.
“Hmm.” Pondering in silence, Benedict tried to recall what happened then. However, nothing came to mind.
“I’m not really sure as I was too young back then. That’s why I barely can remember what happened. In fact, my parents told me everything I know. They said that Ms. Rachel is Evelyn’s savior and we owe her a debt of gratitude. That’s why we must respect her and treat her as a family elder instead of a servant.”
“I see.” Vivian nodded thoughtfully before asking, “In that case, did your family investigate who abducted your sister?”
“Of course, we did. It was just that the investigations yielded nothing. They weren’t able to find out anything about the kidnapper.” Benedict frowned. “Later on, we didn’t pursue the matter any further as Evelyn had returned safe and sound. And that was all there was to it.”
Benedict’s words caused Vivian’s suspicions to intensify. How did Rachel coincidentally save Evelyn then? It would be unlikely for a woman like her to face the kidnappers alone and save the child. This doesn’t make any sense at all.
Furthermore, given how powerful the Morrison family is, how could they not find the kidnappers then? Unless, the kidnapping didn’t occur at all.
The more she thought about it the more shocked Vivian was. She was surprised that Benedict’s explanation didn’t lay her doubts to rest. Instead, they seemed to have confirmed her suspicions.
Taking a sip of coffee, Vivian tried to suppress the shock she felt before casually asking, “Benedict, is Evelyn’s birthday around the corner?”
Never Late, Never Away Chapter 460
Benedict shook his head and smiled at Vivian. “Evelyn’s birthday is on the twelve of September, so it’s still far off. When we throw her a birthday party then, you will definitely be invited.”
“Thank you.” Vivian forced a smile at Benedict. However, she felt that something was wrong. Why is Evelyn’s birthday so close to mine?
Unless… An idea faintly emerged in Vivian’s head. She refused to believe her guess earlier. But now, her thoughts were driving her crazy.
No, it can’t be. In her mind, Vivian was trying to convince herself that Rachel wouldn’t do something like that.
As Vivian stared blankly at her coffee mug, her eyes were filled with disbelief. She mumbled softly to herself, “It can’t be. It can’t be…”
Puzzled by her reaction, Benedict asked, “Are you alright? What can’t be?”
“Huh?” Benedict’s words jolted Vivian back to her senses. “No, it’s nothing.”
Raising her head to look at him, Vivian’s eyes were filled with mixed emotions. Is the reason I feel an inexplicable sense of familiarity with Benedict because… She didn’t dare think any further as she tried to maintain her presence of mind.
“I just remembered I have something important to deal with. I’m sorry to have invited you out but end up leaving early instead,” Vivian remarked in an apologetic manner.
Benedict smiled as he didn’t mind. “It’s alright. Coincidentally, I have been busy recently and did not have the opportunity to relax. Hence, I have just given myself the day off today.”
“Mmm-hmm.” Vivian was grateful for how considerate he was. “In that case, I’ll take my leave first.”
“Do you need me to give you a lift?”
“No, no.” Vivian declined his kind offer immediately. “The place I’m going to is close by. So it’s fine.”
“Alright.” Benedict didn’t insist. He understood that sometimes good intentions might end up bringing trouble to others.
After saying goodbye to Benedict, Vivian headed for the library in the city center.
Vivian was sure that the kidnapping incident that happened to the Morrison family would definitely have been reported in the papers. And the library was the best place to look for it so that she could find out the truth.
When she arrived at the library, she informed the librarian that she was looking for newspapers from more than twenty years ago.
The librarian who was advanced in age gave Vivian a curious look. “It’s not going to be easy. It has already been so long and no one has actually kept proper records of them. What do you want them for?”
“Our magazine is writing an exposé on a particular theme. Therefore, I need to check the old newspapers as part of my research.” Vivian cooked up an excuse.
The librarian nodded in acknowledgment and had no further questions. She led Vivian to an underground storage room. “There you go. All the old newspapers are stored here and they are labeled by years. Please be my guest.”
“Thank you.” Vivian replied with a smile.
“No problem. Just be mindful not to mess them up. It’s a pain to reorganize them again,” the librarian nagged once more before leaving.
Staring at the piles of newspapers in front of her, Vivian had a headache as she didn’t even know where to begin.
After searching for the whole afternoon, she finally found the article regarding the kidnapping. Smiling, Vivian quickly laid out the paper on the floor and read its contents carefully.
The report stated that Evelyn was kidnapped from the maternity ward right after she was born. The Morrison family didn’t even get to see her face. After the kidnappers received the ransom, they didn’t return her to the Morrison family. Instead, they dumped the baby and fled. After that, Evelyn was found by a good Samaritan who returned her to the hospital.
From what Benedict told her, Vivian gathered that the good Samaritan must be Rachel.
However, the more she read the more she felt something was amiss. Since the Morrison family had not seen Evelyn as a newborn, how did they know the baby Rachel returned to them was theirs? Weren’t they worried about getting the wrong baby?