NovelFastChapter 524
Annie found herself at a loss for words when asked about her relationship with Henry.
What were they, exactly? Without a marriage certificate, they weren't officially boyfriend and girlfriend anymore.
Their relationship was kept in the shadows.
Annie squirmed in discomfort, but Kate, sensing her unease, said, "You don't have to say anything. Ever since
Henry got out of the hospital, | hadn't seen him smile. But lately, whenever | dropped by the office, he's seemed
so much happier and more talkative. | knew it had to do with you."
Annie didn't know how to respond and just listened as Kate continued.
"Henry's always been shy, talking to him is like pulling teeth. His peers never seemed to be on the same
wavelength as him, and he struggled to make genuine friends. By twenty, he acted with the poise and gravity of
a man twice his age. | tried setting him up with countless women, but none of them clicked - until you came
along..."
Kate locked eyes with Annie and said, "I used to think he was passionless, but after he met you, everything
changed. He started to show his emotions: joy, anger, sorrow. The image of him in that chapel, hurting himself...
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtI'll never forget it. You're the person he would protect with his life."
Annie understood what Kate was implying - no mother wants her son to be reckless for someone else.
Annie pulled the car over by the riverside, fell silent for a moment, then looked earnestly at Kate and said, "Aunt
Kate, | love him, | can't help it, but | promise you, | won't step foot in the Salstrom household again. If he falls in
love with someone else, wants to marry someone else, | won't stand in the way. I'll bow out gracefully."
Kate shook her head, "A woman who can earn a man's undying care is envied by many. As a mother, I'm proud of
my son's loyalty. As for Granny Anita's interference, maybe it was fate. Lately, I've been thinking, if Granny Anita
hadn't meddled withand Feiman, he wouldn't have had an affair, and we wouldn't be where we are today."
"Aunt Kate..." Annie sensed Kate's bitterness towards Granny Anita.
Kate looked weary as she spoke, "Since timmemorial, it's been women who make it hard for other women. |
don't want history to repeat itself. | just want my son to be happy."
Stunned, Annie asked, "Aunt Kate, you mean you approve ofand Henry being together?"
Kate replied, "Whether we approve or not won't change Henry's decision. He's my son, and how could | make
things hard for him? Annie, love freely. As a woman, that's living a life without regrets."
Kate was a romantic at heart and had her own regrets. She once believed Feiman would be devoted to her, but
reality had proven otherwise.
"Thank you, Aunt Kate," Annie said, gripping Kate's hand. "Can't you and Uncle... reconcile?"
Even though she was no longer part of the Salstrom clan, Annie still knew a bit about Kate and Feiman's recent
situation.
Kate shook her head, her voice laden with emotion, "Annie, external wounds can heal, but when there's a rift
between two hearts, it's irrevocable. | spent over thirty years as Feiman's wife, trying to forget, but when | saw
him arranging Joseph's wedding, knowing he had more than just a drunken night with Tina, learning of Tina's
suicide from depression... there was no turning back."
Kate couldn't accept that another woman had taken her life over Feiman.
Holding Annie's hand tightly, Kate said, "Talking to you has lightened my heart. Tomorrow morning, I'll be off to
England for a while, to clear my head. I'm leaving Henry in your care."
Annie asked, "Do Flynn and Henry know?"
"Boys can be so careless, they never get personal. My biggest regret is not having a daughter." Kate chuckled
sadly, "Annie, call'Mom' just once more." Annie murmured softly, "...Mom."
"There," Kate smiled, slipping a diamond bracelet off her wrist and onto Annie's, "This is a Salstrom family
heirloom, meant for the daughter-in-law. Keep it."
This was Kate's way of acknowledging Annie as part of the family.
Annie accepted it, knowing Kate's greatest concern was her sons' happiness.
It was apparent that Kate had been hesitant to leave, but after meeting with Annie, she'd made up her mind to
go to England.
Because Kate no longer had to worry about Henry's happiness.
After parting ways with Kate, Annie still called Henry to tell him about his mother's plans to visit England.
Henry pondered for a moment on the phone before saying, "Mom leaving might not be a bad thing. It's good for
her to get out and about. You can't cling to one tree for life." Annie was silent, thinking, "What kind of son wants
his parents to split up?"
"On matters of the heart, like drinking water, only the person knows whether it's cold or warm. Outsiders
shouldn't interfere."
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