Chapter 1683

Chapter 1683 It Is Tough Being a Parent

I did not manage to go far before a sense of intuition made me turn my head. The sight that greeted me was one that had my chest clench tightly. Summer was on her knees in front of the tombstone, her thin frame shaking as she sobbed uncontrollably and helplessly.

It was painful to see her like this, and I could feel my own tears threatening to fall. Unable to bear the sight a second longer, I turned and walked away with haste.

Once I was in the car, Ashton instructed Joseph to stay behind with Summer. “Make sure she’s okay,” he told him. “She’s your boss now from today onwards.”

Joseph looked surprised for a second before inclining his head respectfully. “Of course. Not to worry, Mr. Ashton. Ms. Summer is safe with me.”

Ashton nodded, giving his subordinate a grateful pat on the back. The gesture conveyed all that he had to say to the man.

Without further ado, Ashton got into the driver’s seat and ignited the engine, driving us away.

I leaned my head against the window, staring listlessly at the rapidly receding view. A part of me wondered how long it would be until my next visit to Macy’s grave.

If Macy were here, she’d probably be disappointed in me. I closed my eyes wearily. She lost her life because of me, yet I’ve failed her. I didn’t take good enough care of her only daughter. Even after all this while, Summer doesn’t feel a sense of belonging to the family.

I knew that Summer must have wished to go back to the way things were before she found out that Jared was her biological father. Regardless, she could not help but put her walls up and distance herself from us. Knowing my daughter, doing so must have hurt her more than it did us. My heart ached at the thought.

Ashton had been peering at me time and again from the rearview mirror. I ignored him, still somewhat annoyed by the heavy-handed approach he had taken earlier when it came to Summer.

“Are you mad at me?” He broke the silence a while later.

I was not about to continue giving him the cold shoulder now that he gave me an opening. “Why didn’t you tell me if you knew Summer might have found out about her identity?” I blurted out in not exactly the friendliest tone. “You could’ve discussed it with me. Maybe there could’ve been a better way to do this.”

He could be brisk and unyielding all he wants in his business dealings, but he shouldn’t have used that attitude on Summer. She’s family, for crying out loud.

Ashton frowned. Wordlessly, he steered the car to stop at the side of the road before turning to look at me.

“Letty,” he sighed, “I wasn’t thinking much then beyond trying to protect your feelings.”

I frowned in confusion. “I don’t understand. You know that I always place the children as my priority. If you were trying to protect my feelings, then you should be nicer to Summer all the more. What you said to her was way too harsh.”

He fell silent, and I could tell that there was a hint of guilt that flashed across his eyes. “You’re right,” he said at last. “I overreacted and should have handled that better. I’ll find a way to make it up to her.”

It’s tough being a parent, but at least he’s trying. I relaxed slightly and let the matter drop. “What should we do if Summer really decides to leave with Jared?”

“She won’t,” Ashton confidently said as he started the car once more and resumed driving us back home.

“And why is that?” I asked dubiously. After that whole tense exchange he had with Summer earlier, I was less certain in his ability to make her want to stay with us.

My husband spared a glance at me from the rearview mirror. “Don’t worry,” he said with a trace of a smile in his voice. “Just leave everything to me. I’ll handle this.”

I raised a skeptical brow. Strangely, that did not assure me in the least. If anything, it only made me worry more. I offered a silent prayer to the heavens, hoping against hope that this man would not make things worse.

Ever since then, Summer had stopped coming back to the Fuller residence, though to my knowledge, she was still doing a perfectly good job running the club in what I had guessed as an attempt to use work as a distraction.