Karen could see that Summer was serious. “I’m glad you don’t. Where have you been all these years? How are you doing?”
Summer did not feel like talking to her, but Karen was not having it, apparently. It seemed like she wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk with her daughter.
Summer carefully studied her.
Karen may not have treated her well since she was a child, but she definitely inherited her looks.
Karen was a beautiful woman—at least she was, three years ago, when she was still a well-kept, middle-aged woman.
However, she looked much older now. Crow’s feet were visible around the corner of her eyes, her back was a little stooped, and she was not as physically fit as before.
MU Summer quietly studied her. “I’m fine. You?”
It made Karen think that Summer was still concerned about her.
She was overjoyed, and a smile formed on her face before she shook her head. “Glad to know you’re all right. I’m fine too.”
Fine?
That meant she was not fine.
Judging from Karen’s attire and state of mind, it was not impossible to guess her condition.
Her life in the past three years had not been as good as it was in the past, for sure.
Summer could roughly gauge what was on Karen’s mind.
Every time Karen was not doing well, she would think of Summer and come to see her.
“Please excuse me, Mrs. Jarrett. I have to do some shopping, so I don’t have time to catch up on old times with you.” Summer turned around and continued shopping without giving Karen the chance to say anything.
Karen did not leave but followed her from a distance. Whenever Summer looked back, Karen would smile timidly at her. Karen was different than how she was a few years ago.
Summer was a slightly touched, but the feeling soon went away because she thought of Vicky.
Vicky hated her, yet Karen loved Vicky.
She had given Karen countless chances, but each and every time, Karen had forsaken her.
She suspected that Vicky must have instigated Karen to approach her.
Karen had done that countless times, colluding with Vicky to harm her. She was not unfamiliar with their tactics.
Summer’s heart sank the more she thought of it.
She quickly bought what she wanted, paid, and left the hypermarket.
When Summer went down to the basement parking lot, she saw Karen again.
“Summer.” Karen was just standing beside her car, calling out her name.
“Did Vicky send you?” Summer looked at her with no expression on her face.
Karen was startled for a second before she quickly denied it. “No, this has nothing to do with Vicky. I saw the news and found out that you were back in Hoover City. I’m here to do some shopping. This is entirely a coincidence.”
Summer did not believe her because Karen had disappointed her too many times.
She put her hand on the car door. “It doesn’t matter even if it’s Vicky who sent you. I just want to make things clear: we are done, and I have nothing to do with the Jarrett Family anymore.”
Following that, she opened the car door to get in.
Right then, Karen stopped her with a look of disbelief. “How could you be so cruel, Summer? If I told you that Vicky has been torturing me for the past three years, wouldn’t you feel guilty?”
Summer was astounded. She never thought that Vicky would vent her hatred toward her on Karen.
After all, there was no love lost between Karen and her, and Vicky knew that.
So, even if Vicky tormented Karen, it was not going to affect Summer, which Vicky should also know.
The only explanation was that Vicky had gone round the bend after Adams’s death. She wanted to exact revenge on anyone who was related to Summer.
“Self-pity?” Summer sneered. “She’s the daughter you loved the most. Don’t you regret the fact that she’s treated you like that?”
She emphasized the word “daughter”.
Karen’s expression changed. “You weren’t like this before, Summer. You understood me. You know why I treated Vicky so well. It’s not like you don’t know. Besides—”
“That’s enough.” Summer cut her off.
Even at a time like this, Karen still called her “Vicky”. It showed that she still cared about Vicky.
Summer was tired of hearing Karen using the same reasons and excuses.
“All you’ve ever done is ask me if I feel guilty. Have you ever cared to find me for the past three years? You’ve never treated me as your daughter. What makes you think I’ll feel guilty? I can’t wait to clap my hands and celebrate already. You don’t understand me, Mrs. Jarrett!”
Summer shook off Karen’s hand, got into the car, and sped off.
Karen stood on the spot, watching with indignation as Summer disappeared from her sight.
…
When Summer went out to do her shopping, she was already not in the best mood. After she met Karen, her emotions went from bad to worse.
She could not pretend as if nothing had happened. Her stomach still churned at the sight of Karen.
When Leonardo came over for dinner, he immediately noticed that something was not right based on Summer’s expression.
He hung his jacket on the coat rack and walked to the dining table.
Summer saw him and looked past him. Realizing that he came alone, Summer was puzzled. “Where’s Rosie?”
Leonardo sat down at the dining table, his eyes sweeping over the table. “At home.”
Thinking of her encounter with Karen today, she did not want to say more. Rosie would be better off staying with Leonardo than her.
She asked no more questions as she turned and walked into the kitchen to fetch the soup.
While she was heading back out, Leonardo was coming into the kitchen.
“What are you doing?” Summer asked.
“Fetching the bowls.”
Summer was wide-eyed. Did she hear him correctly? Leonardo said he wanted to fetch the bowls? The last time Leonardo was there, he did it because of Rosie. Now what?
Summer served the soup on the table, and Leonardo came out of the kitchen with two sets of tableware. He placed a set in front of him and another in front of Summer.
He then cocked an eyebrow at Summer. “Shouldn’t you say thank you?”
“Thank you,” Summer said on autopilot.
Leonardo acknowledged with an “Mhm”, then sat down and dug in.
Summer sensed that something was off.
After a while, she realized that what Leonardo did earlier seemed similar to the way she would coax Rosie.