Chapter 20 A Harsh Awakening
Chapter 20 A Harsh Awakening
As the sun set, the temperature on the mountain dropped. Hannah took Ethan’s hand and started heading
down.
They hadn’t gone far when they spotted Chester, his face streaked with tears.
Ethan shifted uncomfortably. “Mom, the teacher scolded him today.”
“He looks really upset.”
Hannah felt a pang of sadness at Ethan’s kindness.
She sighed softly. “I just want to go and cook dinner. Everything else has nothing to do with us.”
She knew Ethan was trying to speak up for Chester, trying to explain his behavior—that he had only acted out because he was upset.
But she knew Chester too well. For a child his age, he was unusually sharp.
The real reason he had followed them was likely that he was afraid she would go looking for Christian.
After all, Christian only wanted Rebecca now.
“Mrs. Ford, aren’t you going to comfort Mr. Chester?” Amelia couldn’t help but speak up.
But there was always a trace of contempt in her tone when she addressed Hannah, as if reprimanding her.
Hannah merely smiled. “If someone as brilliant as you can’t comfort him, then perhaps he needs someone -even more important–like Mr. Ford. Don’t you think?”
Amelia stiffened, her face instantly flushing with anger.
“You’re not leaving!”
Chester seemed to snap. He ran in front of them, blocking their way, his finger pointing accusingly at Hannah.
“You’re ignoring me because of Bobby, aren’t you? But Madam Rebecca said Bobby’s death had nothing to do with me!”
As he spoke, he suddenly shoved Hannah.
She hadn’t been prepared and stumbled backward.
Thankfully, Ethan caught her around the waist, and she grabbed onto a nearby tree, managing to keep her balance.
Chester’s eyes widened, clearly panicked.
“I–I didn’t mean to! I wasn’t trying to-”
Then, he let out a wailing cry, tears streaming down his face.
This tactic always worked. Whenever he did this, Hannah would never stay angry,
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Chapter 20 A Harsh Awakening
Hannah steadied herself and simply watched him.
Before, whenever he cried, it felt like a hammer striking her heart.
The pain was suffocating.
So much so that she never stopped to think about whether his tears were real or fake.
Like now–his face was covered in tears, but his eyes held no sadness.
He was using his tears to get what he wanted.
Her tone was calm. “Chester, I’m not mad that you pushed me.”
Chester immediately stopped crying.
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But she continued, “Only because I didn’t get hurt. Otherwise, I would be having a discussion with Mr. Ford about your behavior.”
Chester’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if unable to process that su
mouth.
“Mrs. Ford, that’s enough!”
Amelia protectively pulled Chester behind her.
cold words had come from her
“You used to stay home every day! You have no idea how busy Mr. Ford is! Instead of taking care of your own responsibilities, you throw tantrums and move out, and now you want to bother him over something so trivial? Don’t you think you’re being ridiculous?”
Chester, having found someone to back him up, immediately stopped crying.
He even shot Hannah a smug look, as if to show his agreement with Amelia’s words.
Hannah hadn’t planned to engage any further.
But since Amelia had brought it up, she might as well ask something that had always puzzled her.
“Amelia, assisting Mr. Ford is part of your job. But why do you insist on meddling in his family affairs?”
Amelia wasn’t like Rebecca.
Rebecca’s ambition was written all over her face–she wanted power and status.
But Amelia had shown deep concern for Christian since she started working for him, though she never seemed to have any interest in taking Rebecca’s place.
Hannah simply couldn’t figure her out.
That’s why she had always been wary of her.
Amelia pressed her lips together, a flash of disdain flickering in her eyes.
As if the question was utterly foolish.
“You’ve always been content being a housewife, so of course you wouldn’t understand! I was born in the
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Chapter 20 A Harsh Awakening
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mountains. If it weren’t for Mr. Ford’s financial support, I would’ve been sold to some fool in the next village! When I got into college, I swore I would repay Mr. Ford no matter what. So aside from easing his workload, I also want to make him happy. He saved my life–I would do anything for him! Mrs. Ford, I had a friend who also received financial aid. But after graduating, she chose to become a housewife. I slapped her ten times and cut ties with her! She wanted to depend on a man to survive. I thought she might as well have just stayed in the village to rot, rather than waste Mr. Ford’s generosity!”
Her voice was filled with righteousness.
She didn’t bother hiding her utter contempt for housewives.
Hannah wasn’t angry. She was surprised.
After she had survived the cliff fall, Christian had saved her. Grateful to be alive, she had donated her savings to sponsor several girls from impoverished villages.
But later, Christian had wanted to seize control of Ford Group and used the sponsorship program as part of his public image. From then on, the foundation had been credited to him.
“You’ve been working for two years, right?”
Amelia tensed, then sneered. “Mrs. Ford, you sure keep track of me.”
Hannah’s tone remained unchanged. “I just assumed that after two years as an assistant, you’d know exactly who founded the Ford Group scholarship fund.”
