Looking at Evelynâs panic and tears, Thalassa felt a heart-wrenching helplessness.
Why would Evelyn think that talking to Grandma Sybil or Grandpa Zephyr could change Lysanderâs decision not to marry her?
Thalassa swallowed, weakly saying to Evelyn, âMom, do you think Lysanderâs refusal to marry me is simply because he looks down on me?â
âWhat else could it be? Itâs because you donât have power or status or a good family background.
Thatâs why the Sinclairs look down on you. I thought that if I could convince the elders of the Sinclair family, at least I could fight for your chance to marry Lysander. You are my daughter; how could I bear to see you being bullied like this?â Evelynâs hand, gripping Thalassaâs, trembled slightly.
She didnât want to see Thalassa spend her life alone and miserable. She had given birth to four children, all fathered by Lysander.
If Lysander didnât marry her, no one else would.
Evelyn, who had been single all her life and struggled alone, knew all too well the bitterness of the situation.
She didnât want her daughter to suffer the same fate.
Thalassa held Evelynâs hand in return, her eyes wet with understanding. She knew she had caused her mother to worry.
In despair, she confessed, âMom, Iâve always kept this from you, afraid youâd blame yourself.
Lysanderâs refusal to marry me isnât because he looks down on me. Itâs because Bruce is my father.
You donât know that Lysanderâs parents died because of Bruce. He hates me to the bone. How could he possibly marry me?â
So, Evelynâs attempt to plead with Lysanderâs grandparents for her to marry him was doomed to fail.
She had always kept that from Evelyn, afraid that she would blame herself for Lysanderâs prejudice against her.
She hadnât expected this to happen.
âWhat?â Evelynâs tear-filled eyes widened in shock.
After a second of stunned silence, she burst into tears, gripping Thalassaâs hand tightly, her voice filled with regret, âThalassa, Iâm so sorry. Itâs all my fault!â
âMom, donât be upset. I never planned to marry Lysander. The fact that he lets me see the children is already the best outcome. Iâm content. So, donât do anything more for me. As long as you didnât push Grandma Sybil or say anything to provoke her, Iâll find a way to prove your innocence.â
Thalassa could feel Evelynâs grief and guilt. She held Evelynâs hand tightly, comforting her.
Evelyn shook her head, tears streaming down her face, âI was wrong, so terribly wrongâ¦â
At first, Evelynâs eyes were panicked, worried about being falsely accused.
But then, her tear-filled eyes were vacant. It was as if she had resigned herself to fate.
âMom, what did you do wrong?â Thalassa was about to ask for more details when a police officer entered, announcing that visiting hours were over. Then Evelyn was led away.
Thalassa had no choice but to leave.
Standing on the sidewalk, she looked around, lost.
Where should she have gone then? What should she have done?
On one hand, her mother was headed for jail, and on the other, the Sinclair family had just lost Grandma Sybil.
Both issues were related to her.
What was she supposed to do?
Finding the real cause of Grandma Sybilâs death and uncovering the truth was her most pressing task.
Once her thoughts cleared, Thalassa hailed a cab and headed for the Sinclairâs house.
At the checkpoint halfway up the hill, Thalassa was stopped by a guard who wouldnât let her in.
Desperate, Thalassa called Lysander, but the call went to voicemail.
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