At this moment, Aubrey was no different from a madman. Dealing with such a person, Winifred felt that talking to her was a waste of breath. She opened the door and walked out of the ward, letting the three nurses go in and take care of Aubrey.
Arriving at the elevator lobby, Leland pressed the button, and the doors opened. At that moment, only she and Leland were inside the elevator. It was then that Winifred’s expression completely darkened.
She spoke, “Instead of wasting time targeting those women who get pregnant, why not just have my father end the family line and prevent future troubles, don’t you think, Leland?”
Speaking in a low voice as if to herself, Winifred’s words caught Leland off guard. If she hadn’t suddenly questioned him, he wouldn’t have reacted.
Winifred thought this method was indeed effective. If a man’s virility was destroyed, no matter how many mistresses he kept, they wouldn’t get pregnant or bear children.
She pondered in the elevator, “Leland, do you know of any drugs that can ruin a man’s lower half?”
Certainly, there must be such drugs, but they were likely illegal and could only be obtained through illicit means.
“As men age, they become less capable.” Just the day before, Leland would never have imagined discussing matters related to a man’s lower half.
“I see him as still capable. Despite his age, he can still mingle with women in their twenties. If we let Aubrey slide, there will be more like Aubrey Reat, Aubrey Lee… dealing with them one by one will be troublesome. Therefore, we need to address the man’s issues from the source,” Winifred said.
Leland agreed with Winifred’s words. Ensuring Gregory managed his lower half properly would prevent women from getting pregnant and posing a threat to Winifred.
As the elevator descended, Winifred leaned wearily against the wall. She lowered her head, and Leland could sense the subtle changes in her emotions.
Today had indeed shaken him with Aubrey’s words. Raising a daughter as if she were a lover – was that even possible?
Leland observed Winifred’s expressions multiple times, finding everything normal with no emotions leaked. It wasn’t until they left the ward and entered the elevator that a distinct feeling of nausea appeared on Winifred’s face. Her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
“Ding…” the elevator arrived, and Winifred rushed out, bending over near the trash can at the hospital entrance, dry heaving. Nothing came out, only a sour taste in her mouth, and her throat hurt badly.
As a stress response, tears welled up in Winifred’s eyes. Whenever she closed her eyes, tears streamed down her face. She had been holding back for too long. Since Aubrey mentioned Gregory and her relationship, she had felt nauseous. She wasn’t as calm as she appeared.
Upon opening her eyes again, Winifred saw a bottle of water in front of her. Leland handed it to her. “Rinse your mouth. It’ll make you feel better.”
Watching Winifred take the bottle, breathe heavily, rinse her mouth, and drink a few sips after the taste dissipated, the cold liquid felt soothing on her throat, suppressing the urge to gag.
Winifred’s complexion was pale, but the morning was not warm. She was sweating, and it was the first time Leland had seen Winifred’s vulnerable side. After all, she was just a 17-year-old girl, not yet an adult, experiencing the prime of her youth.
Suddenly, Winifred dry heaved, clearly due to Aubrey’s words at the hospital. Leland spoke up, “Do you really believe Aubrey’s words?”
Aubrey was emotionally unstable and might have been saying those things just to disgust Winifred and sow discord. It shouldn’t be taken completely seriously.
Wiping her mouth, Winifred said, “I don’t know if what she said is true, but one thing is correct – my father and I don’t have a father-daughter relationship.”
A bitter smile appeared on Winifred’s lips, looking fatigued. “I’m tired. Let’s go back.”
Leland called the driver. After waiting at the hospital entrance for a while, they saw the driver approaching.
Winifred sat in the back seat, and Leland took the front passenger seat, instructing the driver to find a breakfast spot.
“The young lady hasn’t had breakfast yet. Let’s go to a breakfast place.”
Winifred, sitting in the back, was slightly surprised. She subconsciously held onto the bottle in her hand. How did Leland know she hadn’t eaten breakfast? Clearly, he noticed when she was dry heaving earlier.
The driver, familiar with Chiwood City from years of driving, knew a good breakfast place. Less than twenty minutes later, they arrived.
Winifred didn’t interrupt Leland’s conversation during the drive. Everything was arranged by him. Inside the restaurant, the waiter brought the menu. Winifred’s meals were usually arranged by her family, and she rarely ate out. The meals at home were cooked by either a top-tier chef or Leland. Even when eating out, they frequented high-end restaurants. When she didn’t return home for lunch during school, servants delivered food to her. The food served at banquets was also high-quality, with no compromise in taste.
Winifred had grown up surrounded by privileges, enjoying the best of everything since birth.
With very particular tastes, Winifred’s preferences had taken Leland many years to understand.
This breakfast place was decent too, with clean decor. However, for Winifred, it felt a bit cheap.
The driver had mentioned that the food here was good, and the owner had been running the place for twenty years, turning a small shop into a large establishment.
As long as the food tasted good, Leland agreed based on Winifred’s lack of objection.
Watching Winifred staring at the menu without moving, the waiter waiting by, Leland reached out and ordered porridge and a few light dishes according to Winifred’s taste.
The waiter swiftly brought the breakfast, and Winifred tried the porridge, finding it surprisingly delicious. The light dishes were also enjoyable.
At times, Winifred felt that Leland understood her better than she did herself.
Leland ordered a basket of buns and ate swiftly. He had only managed a sandwich for breakfast and wasn’t quite full.
Halfway through eating, Winifred set her utensils down. Propping her chin in her hands, she watched Leland eagerly devouring the buns.
“Leland, do you think I’ll face retribution for being responsible for so many deaths?”
Leland paused, swallowing the bun in his mouth before asking, “Whose deaths are you responsible for?”
Winifred didn’t hold back, placing her clenched hand on the table. With each life she spoke of, she extended a finger: “My intuition tells me my mother really died as Aubrey said. She chose suicide after giving birth to me, and I was the final straw. Additionally, the unborn child in Aubrey’s womb, though just a fetus, is a life. Aubrey and that crazy woman may also die because of me. If that man truly is the main culprit, maybe he will meet his end by my hand…”
Winifred had extended four fingers, and finally, she slowly extended her pinky: “The life of your mother, too, is my doing.”