limbs to my heart.
“Fine, ruin my hand, then. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Jasper, my hand for all the grievances you’ve suffered over the years should be enough, right?”
“What.”
“Actually, you don’t need to ruin it. It’s already ruined“”
Just then, the door was kicked open, and Imogen brought a group of people to protect me. I looked closely and saw it was my long–lost
brother.
He walked up to me, pulling me up.
“Cora, you left home twenty years ago for someone like this, thinking you’d be well off. Who knew?”
“Alright, pack up and come home with me!”
Jasper rushed over, shouting, “Who do you think you are, get out.”
Brother slapped Jasper across the face.
“Who do you think you are? Watching your own mom get bullied without a word. You say she wasn’t good to you? Do you know, if your mom had agreed to leave you behind and come home, she would have lived as a rich heiress.”
“Wouldn’t have had to suffer with you.”
Griffin recognized who it was and quickly approached, smiling ingratiatingly.
“You must be Mr. Fu Yuan from the Dragon City Fu family. I saw you at the Global Economic Forum. I’m Griffin from the Carter Corporation.”
Brother raised an eyebrow, not wanting to engage with him.
“Who injured your hand, him? Or him?”
Griffin’s face turned pale, and he had no choice but to apologize to me.
“Cora
Hiust wanted to scare you. Who knew my subord
couldn’t control themselves”
<
Griffin’s face turned pale, and he had no choice but to apologize to me.
“Cora, I… I just wanted to scare you. Who knew my subordinates couldn’t control themselves.”
Jasper was stunned.
It was supposed to be just a scare to force me home. Who knew they’d actually hurt me?
Brother signaled to the bodyguards nearby.
“I won’t make it hard for you. A good man takes responsibility. You ruined my sister’s hand, I’ll ruin yours.”
“Don’t do business in City A anymore. Consider it compensation for Cora over the years. Oh, and you, go bond with your real dad. Your mother–son bond with Cora is over.”
The room’s atmosphere was suffocating, and Brother’s words felt like the final judgment.
Jasper looked at me, trying to approach and explain his actions.
But was pulled back by the bodyguards.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I was wrong, I was impulsive and misled.”
I looked at him coldly.
“Mr. Carter Jr., don’t call me Mom. Our mother–son bond is over.”
Jasper panicked, pulling a similarly helpless Griffin to their knees in front of me.
“Cora, I’m wrong. I regretted the divorce long ago. I just wanted… just wanted to reconcile, but I… I have a man’s pride.”
“All these years, besides you, I had no other woman.”
“Mom, did you see? Mom, Dad and I are both apologizing. Can we, as a family, live well together?”
Griffin, seeing no reaction from me, wanted to step forward but was pulled down by Jasper.
“It’s all your fault, all your fault. Why did you come into my life? Mom and were fine, why?”
The two started to scuffle.
Blood trickled down from Griffin’s forehead, and he slapped Jasper across the face.
“Your mom is in this situation because of you. I might as well tell you, all these years, I haven’t paid a penny in child support.”
“I did her hand, too. You had the chance to save her, my good son, but you hesitated.”
“You really think you’re my only son? I’ll tell you, my most outstanding son is studying in the US, just wanted to see if a trashy person would forget their roots once they got rich.”
“To me, you were just a pawn in a game of human nature!”
Jasper’s face went pale, unable to catch his breath, and he fell straight to the ground.
Imogen came over, pulling me away, and Brother just patted my shoulder.
“Alright, let’s talk at home. You’ve been gone for so long, Mom and Dad are getting old and keep asking about you.”
I stayed home for a few days, and because of my past stubbornness, I paid a heavy price. Facing my aging parents, there was an indescribable feeling in my heart.
“For me, you were just a pawn in my game of life.”
Jasper’s face went ashen, and he fell to the ground, unable to breathe.
12:03 PM
<
Imogen stepped forward, pulling me aside, while my brother patted my shoulder reassuringly.
“Let’s discuss everything at home. You’ve been away for so many years, and our parents are getting old. They talk about you every day.”
I stayed home for several days. My previous recklessness had cost me dearly, and facing my aging parents stirred complex feelings within
- me.
Yet, they still encouraged me to be true to myself.
After packing up, I prepared to head to City Z to stay with Imogen.
As I was leaving, I saw Jasper waiting outside the gated community. I pretended not to notice him and was about to get into the car.
But he stopped me, gently taking my hand, reminiscent of when he was a young boy.
Jasper struggled to speak, his voice cracked and dry.
“Mom, I… I avenged you. I’ve taken everything from Griffin. He has nothing left now.”
He spoke through tears, like a child.
“Mom, I’ve been thinking a lot lately. I realize how wrong I was. You raised me with such difficulty, and I failed to appreciate it.”
“I was blinded by greed and ambition. I was foolish, truly foolish. Please forgive me!”
Jasper knelt on the ground, bowing his head to the floor, pleading for forgiveness.
“Mom, don’t abandon me. I have no one else.”
“As long as you don’t leave, I’ll do anything.”
I looked at him coldly.
“Son, what are you really regretting? Finding out your mom is wealthier than your dad?”
“Regretting the luxury villa you can’t live in?”
“No, even if you had nothing, you’re still my mom. We’ve depended on each other for so many years. You can’t just cast me aside.”
I patted Jasper’s head gently.
He seemed hopeful again.
“Mom, you’ll forgive me, won’t you?”
I grabbed his hair firmly, then took out all the photos from my pocket and set them on fire.
“I told you, the bond between us is over. I can’t deal with someone ungrateful like you.”
The photos quickly turned to ash. I tossed the silver jewelry in front of him.
“Go. Instead of wasting time here, find yourself a wealthy wife. Maybe you’ll live comfortably then.”
I shut the car door and drove away.
In the rearview mirror, I watched Jasper kneel on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, clutching the gift he gave me and searching the ashes for any trace of the photos.
Later, my brother told me Jasper lost his mind. He was sent to a psychiatric hospital, where he sat at the entrance every day, waiting for his mom to take him home.
As for Griffin, he was arrested for money laundering and other crimes, sentenced to life imprisonment, and all his assets were seized.
i channeled my emotional experiences into designing a fashion collection that took the industry by storm.
In the rearview mirror, I watched Jasper kneel on the ground, weeping uncontrollably, clutching the gift he gave me and searching the ashes for any trace of the photos.
Later, my brother told me Jasper lost his mind. He was sent to a psychiatric hospital, where he sat at the entrance every day, waiting for his mom to take hirn home.
As for Griffin, he was arrested for money laundering and other crimes, sentenced to life imprisonment, and all his assets were seized.
J
I channeled my emotional experiences into designing a fashion collection that took the industry by storm.
It swept through like a tidal wave, establishing me as an acclaimed Chinese designer.
Imogen and I seized the moment to launch our latest collection, which became highly sought after.
While studying in Milan, Ireceived the news of Jasper’s death.
Imogen held my hand, and I smiled at her, saying, “Maybe this is the best ending for everything.”
I returned to the country and bought him a cemetery plot, placing his favorite flowers in front of the tombstone, I reserved my own plot next to his.
After all, he was my own flesh and blood; how could I not feel pain?
I visited Griffin, and our conversation was pleasant. The next day, he chose to join his son in death.
The instigator could not live on in this world.
Watching the sunrise, I resolved to live for myself from this moment on.
