Chapter 117 A Bitter Realization
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Elliot’s mind was consumed by the image of Lauren, each memory of her kindness turning into sharp needles that pierced his heart one after another.
Regret clawed at him. Why hadn’t he trusted her more deeply? Why hadn’t he stood by her side when she
needed him the most?
IfI had been kinder to Laurie after she was released, would she have stayed?
The mere thought of Laurie spending five years in prison for no reason, coming out battered and broken, and never being able to recover as good as new in here made it almost impossible to breathe.
He curled up on the couch, he clutched a pillow tightly burying his face deeply into it.
His shoulders shrugging slightly, mutlled sobs escaping from his throat despite his efforts to hold them in.
Alice’s heart ached at the sight of her son in such despair.
Alice’s resentment towards Lauren grew a few degrees stronger in his heart.
Was running away really necessary just because she suffered a little?
To her. Lauren had deliberately made things difficult for their family.
She regretted bringing her into the house eight years ago. Ever since then, the girl had done nothing but create trouble–fighting with Willow, stirring up drama,
Even five years in prison hadn’t changed her.
What did she even do in there?
Perhaps the prison guards had treated her well because of her status as the Bennett family’s daughter.
No wonder she had gotten even more defiant.
The more Alice thought about it, the more frustrated she became.
Now, even Elliot was suffering because of her. If Elliot was devastated by this, his health took a turn for the worse, I would never forgive Lauren.
Despite the irritation in her heart, she gently patted Elliot’s back to comfort him, “Don’t worry, your father has already sent people to search for her, I believe they find her soon.”
“I’ll have the kitchen prepare some porridge for you. You need to eat something and rest.”
After comforting him, she pulled David aside and left the room.
About half an hour later, a maid entered with a bowl of pumpkin millet porridge, setting it down carefully. “Mr. Elliot, have some porridge to warm your stomach
He caught a whiff of a familiar smell. He forced himself to sit up, despite his fatigue, and weakly took the
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Chapter 117 A Bitter Realization
“This tastes wrong.
The maid blinked in confusion. “It’s just porridge, they all taste the same, don’t they?”
Elliot’s voice was weak, but firm. “It’s not the same as before.”
A brief silence followed.
Finished
Then, as if realizing something, the maid hesitated before explaining, “Mr. Elliot, the porridge you used to have was made by Marilyn. She simmered it for over to hours every time.”
“She said that for porridge to taste good, it has to be cocked slowly, letting the starch break down until it turns thick and smooth. That’s the best way to soothe the stomach.”
“She also mentioned that Ms. Bennett was the one who taught her.”
Lauren had grew up in an orphanage and wasn’t supposed to know much about cooking.
But the orphanage director was a kind–hearted woman, and in order to raise the children in the orphanage in good health. One of her methods was making nourishing porridge every day,
The children in the orphanage rarely had access to nutritious meals, but porridge was cheap. The only downside was that it took time and patience to make properly.
Still, it kept their stomachs warm, preventing illnesses.
Lauren had lived in that orphanage for fifteen years without ever developing a stomach problem. Though she didn’t have much, she had always been in good health.
That changed after she came to the Bennett family.
Years of inconsistent meals–sometimes starving, sometimes overstuffed, sometimes eating cold leftovers -had damaged her stomach.
Winters were the worst.
If Marilyn hadn’t noticed her vomiting from stomach pain at night and taken the time to make digestible. foods like noodles and dumplings, Lauren might not have made it through.
Yet even then, she had been foolishly concerned about Elliot’s health.
She had told Marilyn all about the orphanage’s porridge recipe, hoping she could make it for him whenever she was too busy to do it herself.
After Lauren was sent to prison, Marilyn continued cooking porridge for Elliot.
But without her reminders, he only got to eat it once every ten days or so. Over time, his stomach problems returned.
The realization sank in.
Elliot’s face darkened.
“Then make it the same way. His voice, though weak, carried undeniable authority.
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Chapter 117 A Bitter Realization
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The maid besitated, “Mr. Elliot, it’s not that I don’t want to, but it takes over two hours to cook properly. Someone has to stir it from time to time to avoid the porridge sticking to the pot. And… I really don’t know the exact way Marilyn used to do it.”
No one ever bothered to pay attention to how she made it.
Marilyn had given up her own rest just to do this.
Would any of the staff go that far? Of course not. Not unless they were getting paid extra.
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