Evelyn showed up alone. Only Fiona was in the room, so Evelyn shook hands with Fiona and greeted her.
When Jennifer and Donald got married, Fiona didn’t return, and Evelyn never met her. This was the first time the two of them officially met.
Fiona asked, “How come Teresa didn’t come?”
Evelyn just veiled her response and replied that Teresa was busy taking care of the kids and didn’t have time to come.
“Alright then, have a seat. Forashan went to order some food,” Fiona said.
Evelyn sat down and looked at Fiona. She said, “Fiona, I really want to thank you for raising Hannah all these years. Thank you for everything you’ve done for her and for your guidance. I've heard about what you’ve done—you’re truly a noble person. Let me raise a glass to you.” With that, she poured herself a drink.
Fiona smiled and waved her hand. She replied, “I don’t deserve that. There’s just a special connection between me and Jennifer. But I never expected Jennifer to go down the wrong path."
“She really shouldn’t have. As a doctor, she knew the law, but she broke it.”
Evelyn couldn’t help but defend Jennifer. “Hannah only did it for her sister. She made a mistake by forging the report, and she’s already paid the price for it. She really didn’t deserve to end up in jail. If Jonathan’s mom hadn’t pressed charges against her, things wouldn’t have gotten this messy.”
Fiona shook her head and said, “I still think that if you break the law, you have to face the consequences—no exceptions. If everyone just let emotions and relationships get in the way, society would fall apart. Why would we even need laws then? Don’t you agree?”
Evelyn pressed her lips together and sighed. Then she said, “You’re right. I warned Hannah so many times to come clean with Jonathan earlier, but she’s so strong-willed, she wouldn’t listen to me at all. There was nothing I could do. I love her too much, and besides, I’m not even her real mom.”
Fiona was taken aback. “You’re…”
Evelyn shook her head with a bitter smile. Then she said, “Actually, by blood, she’s my cousin’s daughter. There’s some bad blood between me and my cousin, but I’ve always believed that kids shouldn’t have to pay for the grudges between adults. They’re innocent in all this. In my heart, I’ve always treated Hannah as my daughter.”
Fiona nodded and said, “So that’s how it is. But you said yourself that adults‘ grudges shouldn’t drag kids into it. Just look at Teresa and Jonathan now—aren’t the issues between you and Irene making an innocent kid suffer?”
Evelyn waved her hand and said, “No, I don’t have any beef with your daughter. I’m just a straight shooter, so don’t take it the wrong way. Your daughter, Irene, is a tough one, not someone you can mess with. Back when Teresa married Jonathan, I bought her a car worth millions. Jonathan didn’t have much to his name, but Teresa never looked down on him—she was happy to marry him, and I didn’t interfere. Later, I remarried myself and stopped keeping such a close eye on Teresa. When the two of them got divorced, I was honestly baffled. Teresa just told me she and Jonathan weren’t compatible, so they split. I didn't dwell on it. Back then, I had no idea Irene was always making things hard for Teresa, giving her a hard time, and making her feel wronged. The more I think about it, the angrier I get.”
Evelyn paused and took another drink. Then she continued, “You know how it is—parents all want to protect their kids. Teresa put up with so much from Irene, and as her mom, I should have stood up for her, right?"