Chapter 857

A pained look flashed across Petra's face. I saw it but remained unstirred. I said indifferently, "We

weren’t well off at the time, and Mother wouldn't use the money that Tyler’s father banked in to us

on me. That’s why I refused to go to kindergarten after just attending it for a few days when I saw

Mother staring dazedly at the bankbook at night."

After a pause, I continued, "Mother refused to, of course, but she couldn't talk me out of it. That

lasted until I was in elementary school. As I had not attended preschool, I was so much dumber

than other kids my age. I didn’t want to go to school, so Mother told me that only by studying well

and getting into a prestigious university would I be able to find my biological parents again. From

then on, I studied hard because I was determined to find my parents. Only by finding them would

people stop calling me a wild child who nobody wanted."

These memories were painful, and I would be in a very bad mood every time I thought of them.

I was only saying them to Petra now because I wanted her to know that some wounds could never

be mended.

I walked to the kitchen table and put the food

containers into an insulation bag. "Mother gave me all her love, so I never felt like a child who

lacked love. The only reason why I wanted to find my biological parents was because I didn't want

others to call me a wild child who nobody wanted. Not knowing my origin made me seem like a

joke. The night of my university application, Cecilia and I were in the yard holding our phones,

analyzing which universities we could apply for with the scores we had. I wanted to go t o Whaldorf

City at first, but later, Grandma told me to g o to Salt City because that's where I might be able to

find my biological parents."

I turned around and saw Petra's face that was filled with tears. I sighed. "Maybe it was the wrong

decision to go to Salt City from the very start. I shouldn’t have gone there because I wouldn't have

met Theo, Cindy, o r even you guys."

"Wanda..." she said, her voice choking with sobs.

I smiled slightly, my gaze still indifferent as ever. "If I hadn't met you guys, perhaps I would live an

ordinary life-a mediocre yet blissful life. I love Theo, that's why I’ll always forgive him even after he

does something to hurt me."

After a pause, I continued, "Just because you're my parents, I can’t hate you openly, much less

resent you i n my heart. I don’t even dare to hate you. How tragic. I can’t even find someone to hate

for all of my miserable encounters.”

I took a deep breath and suppressed the pain in my heart. "Like I said, I'll not hate you simply

because you're my parents. You’re my family who shares blood ties with me, but that's all."

She was such a clever woman, so she surely knew what I was trying to say.

Perhaps my words were so harsh that her complexion turned pale and she half-crouched on the

floor. Her tears hit the floor tiles. They were soft yet extraordinarily loud.

I quickly left the kitchen. My heart was in pain but it was still bearable.

It was normal for one to experience pain in life. However, pain was necessary to heal. That was how

w e could keep living and finish the rest of the journey called life.

When I got to the yard, Theo and Grayson came back from their walk.

Seeing the awful expression on my face, Theo hurried over and held my hand. He asked tenderly,

"Why do you look so unhappy? Are you unwell?"

I shook my head and looked up at him with a smile. There were tears in my eyes.

Seeing my tears, Theo’s pupils contracted slightly as his countenance darkened. "What happened?”

I shook my head. My heart was in great pain, and I refused to talk.

Grayson did not see Petra and could vaguely guess that something was wrong, so he quickly ran

into the villa.

Not long after that, he helped Petra out.

Petra's complexion was pale, and there were tears on her face.

Quinn did not overthink it and merely said, "Look how pale you are. You're probably unwell. Do you

want to g o to the hospital?"

Petra waved. "I'm fine. It's just my gastric problem. It's an old problem now. I just took my medicine

and will b e fine after a while."

Grayson was worried about her and against her idea. " I think we really need to get it checked at the

hospital."

"I'm okay!" Petra looked up at him, her face filled with pain. "It's a bad omen to go to the hospital on

New Year's Day. I feel much better now after taking my medication."

Although she had said so, the worried look on Grayson’s face remained.