Winifred had no idea what Gregory was thinking, but being with someone like him made her subconsciously feel very dangerous.
She apologized sincerely, even if she had to pretend to be understanding.
Lowering her gaze, Winifred reached out and hugged Gregory.
Gregory stood tall at about six feet, towering over Winifred by a head. She leaned against his chest, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Dad, how did my mom die…”
“Your mother had postpartum depression. I was working outside at that time, neglecting her feelings and didn’t realize she was sick. By the time I found out, she had already left me. I’m sorry, I’ve been hiding the truth from you all these years, telling you that your mother went abroad and remarried. I didn’t want you to feel guilty. So, I had to lie to you.” Gregory gently patted his daughter’s back, sighed, as if remembering something, his eyes full of worldly experience.
“I wish reality was just like a lie, as long as she’s alive, that’s all that matters.”
“Do you really want to remarry now?”
“I’m just too lonely…”
Winifred didn’t know if Gregory’s words were true or false because wanting to remarry because of loneliness seemed like just adding some flavor to life.
“However, I will be more considerate after this incident. I won’t let any woman come in as your stepmother without your consent. I won’t accept those who treat you badly or those you don’t like. Winifred, promise me not to hide things from me in the future. If you don’t like something, just say it directly. Dad will consider your feelings. This time, let’s forget about Aubrey…”
Winifred let go of Gregory. “I understand, Dad. I won’t act stubbornly in the future. Will you trust me?”
This matter was resolved, Gregory had already guessed that Aubrey’s injury and miscarriage off-campus were related to Winifred, but he had no concrete evidence. Now that Winifred took the initiative to admit her mistake and said some bad things about Aubrey, he decided to turn a blind eye. The matter was swept under the rug.
As for Aubrey at the hospital, her emotional state after last night’s miscarriage was not good. She insisted on confronting Winifred with Gregory. He agreed, but he didn’t expect this woman to be so audacious and say everything out in the open.
Leaving things unattended would definitely become a hidden danger, and hidden dangers needed to be dealt with.
Father and daughter made up under Winifred’s initiative to apologize. in front of Gregory, Winifred acted like a well-behaved girl, serving tea, massaging shoulders, discussing her studies, and even enjoying a meal together at noon.
Winifred had the habit of taking a nap after lunch. After eating, she rested for a while and then went upstairs, with Leland following behind her. In the room, Winifred took out a few strands of hair from her pocket and handed them to Leland.
Then, she plucked a few strands from her own head. “Take these to the hospital for verification.”
The meaning behind these two types of hair was self-evident. However, Leland was curious about how Winifred obtained Gregory’s hair, and she had the audacity to secretly pluck their hair to verify their DNA while pretending to be a devoted daughter in front of Gregory.
Seeing Leland furrowing his brow, Winifred thought he was worried about the matter being exposed, “Don’t worry, he doesn’t know. I plucked the hair while giving him a shoulder massage. He thought I was plucking white hair.”
“If it turns out that you’re not related…” Leland observed Winifred’s expression as he spoke, not knowing how to continue.
Winifred lowered her gaze, with a calm expression. “I don’t know what to do either. In my world, whether he cares about me or not, he is my only family. Harsh as it may sound, even if he’s the one who harmed my biological parents, I’ve never met them. In my eyes, they are more like strangers. Would you retaliate against someone who raised you for the sake of strangers? I don’t know what to do now, I’ve thought about it for a long time. Even if I were asked to act, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to do it. But standing still is not my style. The college application is coming up soon, maybe things can change.”
The worst result would be if she and Gregory were not biologically related. What Aubrey said had indeed had a significant impact on her, like having a canker sore in your mouth that you can’t help but touch.
It would take some time to get the DNA verification results. During the wait, Winifred didn’t forget to inquire about Aubrey’s news, which turned out just as she had expected.
Another person was sent to the psychiatric hospital.
With more than twenty days left until the college entrance examination, the third-year high school students were tirelessly practicing and doing mock exams. In this class, if anyone could be said to be the most relaxed, it would be Winifred. Not only did she have good grades, but her family condition was also not bad.
She could have been recommended for admission, but she gave up her spot to someone else. With her family background, even if she didn’t take the exam, she could probably use money to attend a good school. Her future seemed bright.
So while everyone else was studying, Winifred was either daydreaming or sleeping.
There was a physical education class on Monday afternoon. After training, the extra time was used for rest. It was right to alleviate the stress. The boys in the class invited Leland to play basketball.
Leland was good at everything, he was smart and could excel at anything he learned. Not only could he play basketball, but he could also play soccer, golf, ping-pong, and even billiards… These were all things that Winifred had asked him to learn. If she wanted to break into the upper class, these skills were essential. Besides sports, there were also artistic aspects that Leland was like a kite in her hands. To get him to fly higher, she had to be willing to let go of the string.
Being outstanding made him very popular. Every time he played basketball, everyone’s attention would be on him. Some bold girls even called his name, guarding the mineral water box outside the court, waiting to hand him a bottle of water when he came off the court.
Winifred sat on the sidelines, also watching Leland play basketball. Hearing the girls calling Leland’s name, Winifred frowned, feeling annoyed for some reason.
The Leland on the basketball court was very different from the Leland who followed her around. He seemed more radiant, like a pair of wings emerged from his back when he jumped.
Winifred had to admit that this side of Leland made her selfish, wanting to lock him up.
Just as she was thinking about it, something suddenly appeared in her line of sight, and there were exclamations around her. The basketball on the court had been thrown too hard and was heading towards her.
Before anyone could react, Leland moved in a flash, standing in front of Winifred and shielding her, holding her firmly under his body.