“…”
After their dinner, the two of them left the restaurant.
“Where would you like to go? Let me take you there,” Matthew offered.
Dolores pondered for a moment before answering, “Home.”
She still had unfinished tasks at the store, and there were other responsibilities she had as well. Moreover, she had taken this job in Country A.
She had an appointment with a customer who wanted to discuss the design and materials for her custom-made wedding dress.
She would soon begin the production process based on the customer’s preferred design.
Upon hearing her desire to go home, Matthew glanced at her with a hint of irony and remarked, “Your son doesn’t even have a father. Can you really call it a home?”
Dolores wanted to refute him, to tell him that her son simply didn’t have a father at the moment. However, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself.
If she were to argue with him, she didn’t know what more he would say. She simply shot him a glance before bending down and getting into the car.
A faint smile played on Matthew’s face.
Inside the car, silence filled the air, and an awkward tension hung between them as neither spoke.
Dolores leaned against the car window and pretended to be asleep.
However, her act was far from perfect, and Matthew saw through her disguise almost instantly. Nevertheless, he chose not to expose her.
After about twenty minutes, Dolores pretended to wake up from her short nap, knowing that they were nearing her community. The car was entering the residential area.
Rubbing her eyes, she opened the car door and stepped out, saying, “Thank you.”
She was grateful to him for driving her back.
Matthew had a casual posture, his hand resting on the steering wheel. “Your gratitude doesn’t sound sincere at all.”
Dolores paused, her hand frozen in the act of closing the car door. “What do you mean?”
“If you truly want to thank me, shouldn’t you invite me upstairs for a cup of tea?” There was a mischievous smirk on his lips. He was teasing her.
Dolores had become his target now.
Dolores slammed the car door shut and replied coldly, “I believe I showed my gratitude by treating you to a meal.”
Samuel was very wary of Matthew, and if Jessica were to see him, she would be upset as well.
She would be crazy to allow him into her house.
Simona bit her fingers, her watery eyes blinking as she looked in Dolores’ direction from the road. “Is that Mommy?”
Samuel was racking his brain for ways to retrieve the tablet, watch, and phone from Dolores when he heard his sister’s question. He stared at her. “Where did you see Mommy?”
Simona pointed toward the entrance of their neighborhood.
Samuel turned to see what she was referring to, and he immediately spotted Dolores standing by the road, engaged in conversation with someone. That person’s profile…
Why did he look so familiar?
Almost instantly, she recognized the man talking to Dolores. Wasn’t he her unfaithful lover?
Why was Mommy still with him?
Samuel’s expression turned unfriendly as he stared at them.
Simona tugged at his hand and asked, “Brother, what’s wrong?”
Samuel snorted coldly. “Simona, did you see the man in the car?”
Simona obediently nodded. “I saw him.”
“He… He’s our father.” Samuel clenched his fists.
Since he was Mommy’s ex-husband, that meant he was also their father.
Simona blinked, realizing she had never had the chance to use this word in her life before. She had only heard her friends use it, unlike herself.
When she suddenly learned from her brother that she had a father, she became overwhelmingly excited. She almost started running. “Dad…”
Samuel swiftly grabbed her hand, pulling her back and covering her mouth. “Shh!”
Simona squirmed a little. “But I want to see Dad.”
She wasn’t as calculating as Samuel. She simply wanted to see what her father looked like since it was big news to her.
“He is not our father,” Samuel asserted firmly.
Huh?
Simona became confused. Her brother was changing his opinion now. Which one was true?
She could only stare at her brother with wide eyes, waiting for an answer.
“He used to be our father, but he abandoned Mommy and us. So we can’t call him our father anymore.”
Simona didn’t fully grasp the meaning. Her eyelashes fluttered as she mechanically said, “But is he our father? I want a daddy.”
Samuel hugged his sister and said, “I will find us a good father. I will find a good man for Mommy.”
Simona remained silent, not fully understanding what her brother meant.
She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the man’s side profile, wondering if he was truly her father.
What did he look like?
“Bro, have you ever seen Daddy before?” Simona asked her brother, hoping for a glimpse.
Samuel nodded. “Yes.”
“Is he handsome?” Simona continued, her curiosity urging her to see for herself.
Samuel hesitated, but Matthew was indeed an attractive man. It frustrated Samuel because he couldn’t deny it.
Where would he find someone more handsome than himself?
“Yes, he is handsome,” he admitted.
Simona’s heart swelled with anticipation upon hearing his words.
“I’ve brought it,” Jessica said as she approached them with a foldable umbrella. They were planning to visit the aquarium today, and before leaving the house, Jessica had the sudden thought of bringing an umbrella, anticipating rain in the afternoon.
That’s why she went back upstairs to retrieve it.
“Grandma!” Simona felt a tinge of injustice because she had never seen her father, while her brother had.
Just when the perfect opportunity to catch a glimpse of him arose, her brother prevented her from satisfying her curiosity.
He was so frustrating.
“What’s wrong?” Jessica scooped Simona into her arms.
“Brother…” Simona began to speak, but Samuel interrupted, calling out, “Mommy.”
He had cut her off.
Dolores approached them and asked, noticing the backpack on Jessica’s back, “Are you guys going somewhere?”
“I’m planning to take them to the aquarium. It’s not good for them to stay cooped up at home all day,” Jessica replied.
Dolores embraced her daughter and inquired, “How are you planning to get there? Taking the train?”
Taking care of two children while riding the train was not convenient at all.
“We’re taking a taxi. It’s more convenient than the train, especially with switching stations,” Jessica explained.
Dolores walked to the side of the road and said, “I can’t join you this time. I have work to do. But when I have more free time, I’ll look into getting a car suitable for us. That way, it’ll be easier for you to go out.”
“You focus on your work. I’ll take good care of them,” Jessica assured as she reached to take Simona back into her arms.
But Simona didn’t want to be hugged by Jessica, and for some reason, she clung tightly to Dolores, refusing to let go. She timidly spoke, “Mommy.”
“Yes, what’s wrong?” Dolores looked at her daughter and gently caressed her hair. “Do you want me to take you out to have some fun?”
Simona shook her head and continued, “No, Samuel said…”
“Simona, didn’t you say you wanted to watch the dolphin show? If we don’t go now, we’ll miss it. I promise to buy you a dolphin plush toy with my savings, okay? Do you still want it?” Samuel intentionally interrupted her, stopping her from continuing.
He didn’t want Dolores to know that he actually knew who their father was.
The reason their mother had kept it a secret was that she wasn’t ready to let them know yet.
Simona looked at her brother, her innocent eyes searching for truth. “Are you really going to buy it for me?”
Simona was still very naive, and Samuel’s words quickly diverted her attention.
“Of course,” Samuel affirmed with confidence.
“Then, I want a lollipop too,” Simona said, a smile creeping onto her face.
Samuel looked at Dolores and said, “You’ll have to ask Mommy if you can have one.”
Upon hearing that, Simona pouted because she remembered how her mother always warned her about the downsides of eating sweets. She didn’t usually allow her to have them.
Simona felt wronged once again.
Dolores kissed her daughter’s cheek and replied, “Today, you can have one.”
Immediately, Simona’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Yes,” Dolores firmly answered.
“Mummy, can I have one too?” Samuel looked up at her.
“Of course,” Dolores leaned over and gave her son a slight hug.
The two children were obedient upon learning that they could enjoy some sweets today. Jessica led them to the aquarium while Dolores headed back home to work.
Maria stormed angrily into the house.
Sampson was no longer working at the hospital. Instead, he was learning from Warner how to manage the family business.
Without the stability of their family’s business, it would likely crumble in their generation.
Sampson and his brother didn’t have much business acumen. Sampson was merely a psychologist, while Warner had some experience in the business field. He was somewhat capable, but it still wasn’t enough to restore the Herbert family to its former glory.
They could only strive to maintain the family business.
Seeing her sister with teary, reddened eyes, Sampson put down the documents his brother had given him and stood up from the sofa. “What’s bothering you?”