She felt that no matter what, Nelson would come back tonight.
Grandfather waved his hand, “Callie, accompany me for a cup of tea in the yard.”
Callie quickly followed.
The ground was littered with firecracker papers, the aftermath of festivities now appearing particularly desolate.
Grandfather sat on the grand chair, and Callie, worried he might be cold, covered his legs with a thick woolen blanket. He poured some tea and placed it in front of her. “Today, you met Nelson’s mother?”
Lucia’s face flashed in Callie’s mind. “Hmm… she doesn’t seem easy to get along with.”
Grandfather smiled and took a sip of tea. “The last time I saw her was when Nelson was seven years old.”
Callie was stunned. “Hasn’t she come back all these years?”
Grandfather shook his head. “She hates us, the Oconnor family, and she hates the son she bore for the Oconnor family. After Nelson’s father passed away, the Oconnor Group was in turmoil. If it weren’t for her stepping in to stabilize things, Nelson wouldn’t have got where he is today. So, I turned a blind eye to all her choices.”
Callie cautiously asked, “Why does she hate so much…”
Nelson’s father, Callum, was the youngest son of the Oconnor family’s second branch. He was groomed from a young age and achieved great success, making others envious.
That year, he married the eldest daughter of the Larson family. It wasn’t just a marriage of convenience; he had feelings for Lucia Larson. But she already had someone she loved. Callum, being obsessive, drove her lover out of Ylosea to achieve his goal. From then on, their marriage became a prison.
Even their child wasn’t a product of love.
Every time Lucia saw her son, she felt disgusted.
The shocking past made Callie’s pulse quicken.
“This matter was our fault, the Oconnor family’s fault. We ruined a good woman,” Grandfather sighed. “She had good living conditions but wasn’t happy. Year after year, her mental state deteriorated. Initially, no one paid attention until Callum suddenly passed away, and her condition worsened.”
“She could have left, but for their son’s sake, she had to stay and endure the torment. Over time, she started to act out, showing no mercy even to her own son.”
Grandfather recounted calmly, but Callie could sense the agony behind his words.
“I knew the Oconnor family couldn’t keep her. I took Nelson in and let her go. Nelson might have seen her a few times as he grew up; I don’t know what happened exactly, but I never saw her again.”
So that’s how it was. Callie nodded, half-understanding. She had many questions but only asked, “Grandfather, was Nelson unhappy as a child?”
Grandfather looked at her with a comforting smile. “Not only unhappy but also in great pain. Fortunately, during those years, there was a girl who grew up with him, so he wasn’t entirely miserable.”
A girl… Callie remembered. “Is it that girl… Maeve?”
The girl Nelson couldn’t forget.
“Yes, without her, there wouldn’t be the Nelson we have today.”
No wonder Nelson was so obsessed with her; there was such a deep bond. That girl saved him…
Seeing her lost in thought, Grandfather’s wrinkled hand patted hers. “I believe that in the future, without you, there wouldn’t be Nelson.”