Chapter 294: Sadie’s True Identity

The swirling emotions that had consumed me for days vanished during the feast. My tangled thoughts cleared, leaving only Carter in my eyes, heart, and mind. I felt profoundly grateful for this new beginning, for finding my true love. Being in his arms, close and intimate, was the greatest happiness. From this moment on, no matter what, I would never be alone again.

Late that night, he kissed my forehead gently, holding me close as I finished showering. We fell into a deep sleep. I drifted peacefully into slumber, while others, undoubtedly, found themselves restless and alone.

The next day, the workaholic Bill surprisingly stayed home from the office. At my mother's house, I found the servants absent. Instead, Bill's tall figure stood in the kitchen, wearing an apron and clumsily attempting to fry eggs. Water splashed into the hot oil, causing it to splatter, and I saw that Bill had burned himself; blisters marred his rolled-up sleeve. A nearby plate held several ruined eggs.

“Let me do it,” I sighed, turning off the heat. I removed the burnt eggs, scraped them from the pan, drained the oil, and cleaned it. Then I gave him some advice: “Don’t add water to the pan when you add oil, or it’ll splatter. Once the oil is heated, lower the heat to prevent burning. Like this.” Quickly, I made one perfect egg.

Bill, his face a mixture of defeat and frustration, looked at me. “Do you think I’m useless? That I can’t even do something so simple?” After everything that had happened the previous night, he seemed different. His usual confident aura was replaced by one of helplessness, deflated and melancholic.

“Actually, it’s not hard,” I said. “You’ve never cooked before, but you’re so smart, you run a big company. How could you not manage a simple egg? Go ahead, give it a try.” I knew he was trying to fulfill his role as a husband, to do something for my mother in these past few days. So I remained silent, patiently guiding him.

This man, who had been waited on hand and foot all his life, was now trying to learn how to care for others in his later years. It was his way of making amends for past regrets. As I left the kitchen, I glanced back at him, struggling with the fumes of the oil. People always seem to realize their mistakes only after losing something.

If, in their early days together, he had chosen humility over dominance, my mother would have been moved by him. But life’s path can only be understood by walking it.

I watched him carry the painstakingly prepared breakfast upstairs. I sat down with a book, waiting. After a while, Bill returned. He knew why I was there and went straight to the point. “I’ve agreed to your request. Now, tell me, what’s really going on with this food?”

He had seen the medical report, showing drugs but not poison. This left him confused about Sadie’s intentions. He never imagined his daughter could harm him. After all, who would suspect their own child of such a thing?

I explained, “It’s a banned drug used to treat brain disorders. The side effects are so severe that it’s been banned. Long-term use by a healthy person can cause nerve damage, hallucinations, confusion, and even muscle stiffness.”

This time, he didn’t immediately dismiss me and side with Sadie. He silently reached for a cigarette, but after glancing at me, quickly put it back.

“You came prepared. Don’t keep me in suspense.”

I spoke bluntly. “Sadie is trying to harm you, but strictly speaking, it’s Monica. She fears your return to the family, afraid the child my mother is carrying will be a threat to her. Do you remember that child at the wedding banquet? They paid to have the child deliberately bump into my mother’s stomach to cause a miscarriage.”

Bill didn’t seem surprised. It was as if he had already suspected something. Of course, he’s not a fool, just a jerk. He probably started investigating last night. In the past, he always indulged Sadie with money, but with Monica, he was generous but uninvolved. If he truly cared for Monica, she would have fallen for him long ago instead of remaining with her ex-boyfriend. Bill, despite his wealth, never offered her emotional support. Monica, in turn, constantly flattered him, providing the emotional validation he lacked. A few kind words from someone like Zack could easily sway women, who are inherently more emotional. Monica would have been utterly enthralled if Bill had spoken those same words. Because he didn’t love her, he didn’t pay much attention, overlooking her affairs with other men. Bill had someone investigate. Even if they couldn’t gather the most crucial information, they would surely find some clues overnight. He didn’t question what I said; he was silent and weary.

“Sadie was coerced by her?”

“That girl has a mischievous side, but I don’t think she could have done this alone. Of course, I can’t say for sure.” Bill, feeling his nicotine craving, picked up the cigarette he’d just put down, holding it in his mouth but not lighting it.

“Go on. What else did you find?” His expression was dejected, as though, after agreeing to divorce my mother, he no longer cared about anything else.

I studied his face, hesitating before deciding whether to tell him the truth.

“I’m not a child. You don’t have to hesitate. I can handle it.”

“What if I told you… that Sadie isn’t your biological daughter?” I didn’t soften the blow; I went straight to the point. He probably had suspicions but never considered this possibility. His cigarette dropped as he looked up, stunned. “What did you say?”

I produced the paternity test results. “Sadie is not your daughter with Monica. This is the paternity test report. If you don’t believe it, you can have it retested.”

Bill took the report with trembling hands. Perhaps he had suspected Monica’s infidelity, but he had never questioned Sadie’s identity. Sadie had always been sweet and dependent on him, and Bill had indulged her. In this complex web of relationships, his love for Sadie was the only genuine thing. He had even condemned his own biological daughter on several occasions for Sadie’s sake. Now, to learn that Sadie wasn’t his child was a far greater blow than anything he had feared.

Bill stared at the report, likely rereading each word. He refused to believe it, couldn’t accept the truth. I saw his fingers clench, veins bulging as he struggled to control his emotions.

Then…

Bang! A loud crash echoed as his hand slammed down on the tempered glass coffee table.