Chapter 817
Evelyn said, “No, sweetheart, it’s me who should be sorry. It’s all my fault you had to suffer so much all these years. I didn’t recognize you right away. You’ve gone through so much pain, my poor Lucas!”
Choking with tears, Evelyn hugged Lucas tightly and patted his shoulder over and over.
She said, “Good boy, from now on, I swear I’ll make it up to you. I only ask you for one thing. Please, don’t ever do something so foolish again. It’s not worth it. Your life is so precious!”
With tears in his eyes, Lucas gave a gentle nod. “I won’t do anything foolish again.”
At long last, mother and son were truly reunited.
The doctor came in and gave Lucas a check-up.
Evelyn quickly turned to Jonathan, who was standing nearby, and said, “Jonathan, Lucas waking up is all thanks to you. You’ve done so much for our family. We owe you so much.”
Seeing that Evelyn was about to bow to thank him, Jonathan quickly stopped her and said, “Evelyn, please, don’t do this. Teresa’s carrying my child. It’s only right that I help out. This is too much for me.”
He gently helped Evelyn sit down in a chair and then poured her a glass of water.
Evelyn nodded. “Hurry up and let Teresa know the good news, will you? She’ll be over the moon when she finds out her brother’s finally awake.”
Jonathan paused for a couple of seconds and then said, “Why don’t you tell her? I’ll be taking Lucas to the police station later to give his statement.”
“Alright,” Evelyn replied. She didn’t really dwell on why Jonathan wasn’t calling Teresa himself.
Lucas was out of danger now. Fortunately, they’d taken him to the hospital in time to have his stomach pumped, but the ordeal had left him completely drained. He was still very weak and would need plenty of rest and care to regain his strength.
Jonathan said, “Why don’t you take a day to rest first? We can go to the police station tomorrow.”
“No, let’s go now,” Lucas said firmly. “I want to see that woman. I have something to ask her.”
“Alright, then. I’ll arrange for a car,” Jonathan replied.
On the way to the police station, Lucas finally learned that Peggy’s crimes went way beyond just abandonment and abuse. She’d also been involved in fraud, all kinds of sleazy stuff, and all sorts of dirty business. Now she was just waiting to be sentenced.
“Here, take a look at this,” Jonathan said, handing Lucas a document.
“What’s this?” Lucas asked, looking puzzled.
Jonathan explained, “This is the real reason you couldn’t debut for ten years. Peggy paid people off to keep you from ever making your debut.
“She was scared that if you became a star, Evelyn would recognize you, so she made sure you never got your shot.”
A storm of emotions raged in Lucas’s eyes – anger, confusion, a sense of injustice, and a heart-wrenching pain that felt endless, all crashing over him and threatening to drown him completely.
He gripped the document so tightly his knuckles turned pale, but no matter how hard he held on, those golden ten years were gone forever.
They arrived at the police station. A guard called out, “Peggy Davis, you’ve got a visitor.”
Peggy was in the middle of eating. When she turned her head and saw that familiar figure, her fork slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor.
Her hair was wild and disheveled, and tears brimmed in her eyes as she stared at Lucas walking toward her. She clung to the iron bars with both hands and suddenly smiled. “Lucas, you’re awake! I was so scared!”
“You’re not my mom! I never had a mother like you!” Lucas shouted.
He thrust the document right in front of Peggy’s face and accused, “Tell me, what is this? What happened?
“I put up with all your beatings and yelling, but you knew how much I loved being on stage! Why did you have to take away my chance to chase my dreams?”