“I knew it. There must be a reason why you went astray when you were young…” Nana couldn’t help but sigh.
Of course, Jerry and Tracy weren’t inherently bad people, and they did have empathy. Learning about William’s impoverished and heartbreaking childhood changed their perception of him.
“We have been too harsh and misunderstood you.”
Tracy felt relieved and not only apologized to William but also persuaded her husband not to judge him with a biased perspective anymore.
After being convinced, Jerry realized his past prejudices against William and voluntarily declared that he would no longer interfere with their relationship.
However, even so, Nana had already had a daughter with Carl, and she knew they couldn’t go back to the past. She didn’t want to hinder William’s future.
Even though her parents allowed her to freely choose her life partner, Nana insisted on maintaining a friendship with William only.
William agreed verbally but felt a strong desire in his heart.
He knew that his feelings for Nana would never change in this lifetime, and he only wanted to protect her in his own way.
Meanwhile, Carl had no idea about the events of the past two days.
To fulfill his promise to Jerry and Tracy, he focused most of his energy on work.
With the help of Hailey’s contacts in the industry, Carl signed a contract and prepared to work as an assistant director for the production of a short film.
Unexpectedly, just as things were settled, he started receiving a bombardment of calls from Mrs. Waters.
Looking at the dozens of missed calls on his phone, Carl felt annoyed and restless.
He called back the number, but before he could ask anything, he heard his mother shouting on the other end of the phone.
“What do you mean, Carl? Don’t you want to acknowledge me as your mother? If I die in front of you, would you be indifferent?”
Used to Mrs. Waters’ domineering attitude, Carl responded calmly.
“Mom, please stop making a scene. I just signed a contract with the production team and I’m preparing to go out of town to shoot a web series. It will probably take about a month…”
Carl only wanted to inform his mother of his work arrangements and then distance himself from the toxic environment at home.
However, before he could finish, Mrs. Waters noticed her son’s indifferent attitude and angrily interrupted him.
“You still have the mind to go out of town to shoot some web series? Your mother is being beaten up by the Lawson family, three of them against me, and you plan to ignore it?”
Hearing about the conflict between the Lawson family and his mother, Carl was shocked.
Helpless, he had no choice but to put aside his work and go home to see what was happening.
Coincidentally, Grace was also being discharged from the hospital that day and was brought back to the villa by Mrs. Waters to recuperate.
In the living room, the nanny had gone out to buy groceries, leaving Grace and Mrs. Waters waiting for Carl as they chatted.
“It’s all my fault for not arranging things properly. Even though I had someone teach the Lawson family a lesson, Nana and her parents came out unscathed.”
Grace apologized while helping Mrs. Waters apply medication, her words filled with regret.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Waters’ face stiffened, and she furrowed her brows as she asked, “What happened? Did Nana run away?”
“No, it’s not that. On the night her parents were hit by a motorcycle, Nana’s ex-boyfriend happened to appear. Not only did he save them, but he also took the whole family to the hospital.”
Understanding the cause and effect, Mrs. Waters felt a surge of anger inside.
Mrs. Waters gritted her teeth, her expression filled with resentment. “That despicable woman took advantage of the situation!”
As they were talking, Carl arrived home with his hands full of various supplements, looking dusty and exhausted.
He walked into the living room and immediately noticed the two women sitting on the sofa.
Grace, who had just been discharged from the hospital, looked fragile and delicate, while Mrs. Waters had bruises and swelling on her face.
“Mom, the injuries on your face…”
After all, she was his mother, and Carl stared blankly for a few seconds, his emotions difficult to calm.
However, he knew very well in his heart that the reason why Mrs. Waters was so badly hurt was definitely not simple.
At least based on his understanding of Nana, Jerry, and Tracy, he knew they would not easily lay a hand on Mrs. Waters.
Before he could even ask the question, Mrs. Waters finally managed to bring her son back, immediately resorting to her old tricks and crying while complaining.
“Carl, you have to stand up for your mother! Look at what the Lawson family has done to me. They are nothing but a bunch of bandits!”
Seeing her mother full of grievances, Carl looked at her with a sideways glance and asked calmly, “How did you end up fighting with them? What exactly happened?”
Seizing the opportunity to smear Nana’s reputation, Mrs. Waters naturally exaggerated the situation and turned black into white.
She held her swollen face and bitterly complained, “The day before yesterday, I went to the Lawson family to see my granddaughter. I intended to talk to Nana about your affairs, but as soon as she saw me, she attacked me directly. Then her parents came to help, how could I fight against three of them alone?”
Grace sat quietly on the side, handing tissues to Mrs. Waters to wipe her tears, neither saying too much nor interrupting.
Upon hearing his mother’s words, Carl’s first reaction was that it couldn’t be true.
He knew Nana’s personality very well, and Jerry and Tracy were not unreasonable people.
If his mother had simply come to visit her granddaughter, how could things have ended up like this?
But knowing that even if he pressed for answers, Mrs. Waters wouldn’t easily tell the truth, Carl just wanted to minimize the situation.
“Alright, Mom, calm down first. These are the supplements I bought for you.”
Carl smiled faintly and placed four or five boxes of supplements in front of his mother.
Unfortunately, what Mrs. Waters wanted was his attitude. She asked with anger, “Are you trying to shut me up with these supplements? Is that all you’re going to do about this?”
In order to avoid arguing with his mother, Carl had an unusually good temper today.
“Of course not. I will make time to go and talk to Nana to find out the truth. I will definitely give you an explanation then.”
Carl gently reassured his mother and then informed her once again about his upcoming trip to film in another city.
After staying at home for a while, Carl decided to say goodbye to Nana and also find out what happened to his mother being attacked before he left.
Only by hearing both sides’ accounts could he judge the overall course of events.
Driving to the Lawson family, he knocked on the door in the hallway, but there was no response for a long time.
“Where have they gone…”
Carl looked blankly at the closed door and took out his phone to call Nana.
However, after calling several times, Nana did not answer.
Their last meeting was not pleasant, and coupled with the recent conflict between Mrs. Waters and the Lawson family, Carl hesitated and decided not to disturb Nana for the time being.
Although he missed his daughter very much, he suppressed his emotions and left a letter in the gap of the door before leaving the city the next day.
On the other hand, Jerry and Tracy accepted William, and they maintained close contact for the next month.
During the time when the couple was in the hospital, William was busy every day, not only helping Nana take care of the child, but also taking care of her parents with all his heart.
As time went by, Jerry and Tracy’s impression of William became better and better, and their previous prejudices and dislikes disappeared.
Privately, they had even tried to test Nana’s attitude, hoping to reconcile the two.
Nana did not give a positive answer and insisted on maintaining a friendship with him.
That day, in order to avoid her parents’ nagging, Nana entrusted her daughter to them and planned to go out alone to buy baby supplies.
Leaving the hospital, she walked alone on a shady path in the afternoon, but not long after, her phone rang.
Seeing Carl’s call, Nana’s calm heart was stirred.
It had been a month since they last contacted each other.
“Are you doing well recently? Are you getting used to filming in another city?”
The call connected, and Nana politely and restrainedly asked.
She had already read the letter Carl left behind back then.
Although she felt reluctant and disappointed, Nana didn’t want to show a trace of it in front of Carl.
Having not heard Nana’s voice for a long time, Carl sounded excited on the phone.
“I’m doing fine. I’m gradually adapting to eating and living here. I just really miss you before falling asleep every night.”
Carl gently confided his feelings, taking advantage of Nana’s silence, he made a promise to her.
“After finishing this movie, there will be an income coming in, and I will give it all to you as Janelle’s child support.”
He was well aware that Nana was keeping her distance from him at the moment, so he spoke with restraint, no longer persisting like he did before.