Chapter 484 It Wasnât His Fault Mrs. Cox was just as surprised to see her. âArenât you up early, sweetie? Having trouble sleeping?â
âI just got up. I am feeling a little thirsty.â
âWell, let me get you a glass of warm water. Wait here by the door,â said the kind woman, pouring a glass for her before setting her sight on the pouring rain outside. âDamn, itâs raining again.â She sighed.
âThe roads are going to be wet and slippery. Straight up a hazard to use.â
Deirdre took a sip. âYou should stay at home today, Mrs. Cox. You might get hurt if you go out despite the condition. Iâve got 90 bucks you could us-â
âOh no. Heck, no. You canât see well, itâs not easy for you to get a job, and you canât afford not to have.
money with you. You canât buy anything if you donât have money!â Mrs. Cox protested. âAll youâve been wearing these days are my old clothes. It doesnât matter if youâre the goddess of beauty herself. These rags are bringing your shine down, sweetie. No, you should go to the market with Hoyt and buy at least. two nice outfits for yourself.â
Deirdreâs eyes twinkled. âBut I like these clothes. Iâm not picky about my outfits. You should hold onto the money, too. Just think of it as funding for our meals.â
Mrs. Cox had no plan to accept it at all, but a new thought popped into her mind. âHey, wait a minute.
What happened to the coat you hung in your room? Itâs gone!â
âI sold it,â Deirdre said placidly.
âYou sold it!? Is that where that 90 bucks came from!?â Mrs. Cox gasped in disbelief. âI donât know how much itâs worth, but there is no way itâs worth only 90 bucks! Have you gone mad?â
Deirdre flashed her teeth. âIt was just secondhand junk. Besides, Iâm never wearing that thing ever again.â
Wearing it would always invite thoughts she did not want-thoughts she wished could just be banished to the depth of her brain. It made her think of the ward, the times she had spent with Kyran, the kiss in the amusement parkâ¦.
His scent was embedded in every inch of that coat. It was that same scent that caused her mind to go.
haywire.
Mrs. Cox understood immediately. âIt was a gift from your beau, wasnât it, sweetie?â
She did not let Deirdre answer. âWhat grave sin did he commit to earn his girlfriendâs hate? To the point that she doesnât want anything to do with something he gave her?â
Deirdre froze. If Kyran was Brendan all along-then yes! He had committed sins! He had killed her mother! He had sent her, an innocent woman, to prison! He had fabricated an entire identity from the ground up and duped her for his entertainment!
Were none of these counted as sins?
Her heart ached. She flashed Mrs. Cox a mirthless smile.
The woman could tell she was reluctant to dwell on it, so she held her hand. âHard to take it out of your chest, huh? Well, you donât have to. It was definitely his fault!â
Deirdre stiffened. Then, she laughed. âAre you sure?â
âH*ll yeah, I am!â Mrs. Cox declared firmly. âYou are sweet, kind, and a precious little doll! I bet you donât even have a temper, do you? That jerkwad must have done something mighty crappy to upset you like this!â
Deirdre was moved.
âAnd you know what? He was just a boyfriend! He was no husband yet! So leave that no-good trash to his miserable life and move on. Iâm glad heâs not hoarding a sweetheart like you to himself now! In fact⦠You could give Hoyt a try. Heâs a good soul, I tell you. Heâs just⦠unlucky.â
Deirdre caught the subtext and asked, âWhat happened to him?â
Mrs. Cox sighed. âHe had a childhood sweetheart he really liked. They were so close together when they were in school. They even talked about marriage and making a family together. Her father didnât approve of it, so he introduced the girl to some fat cat in his 50s as his mistress or whatever. Poor Hoyt was begging on his knees outside their house for an entire day, but that family just wouldnât open their door to let him in.
âYou know why he didnât stay any longer? Because he fell unconscious outside, and his family had to take him away! From then on, Hoyt never looked for love again. Sure, he says heâs over it and isnât looking anymore, but I know the truth. He looks down on himself. He thinks he doesnât deserve to be loved.â Deirdre had no idea. She frowned slightly. âBut none of it was his fault.â