CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 105: HE OVERLOOKED HER

After work, Poppy Hale took Florence to the hospital.

She brought a meal for Truth Hale in a thermos.

When they arrived, Truth had just opened the dinner prepared by the caregiver. Seeing Poppy and her companion, her face was all smiles, but her mouth was grumbling.

"It’s not like I don’t have food to eat, why did you go out of your way to come? Do you have too much time on your hands?"

Despite her words, she quickly closed the meal box and took the thermos from Poppy’s hands.

Poppy opened the meal box.

A small portion of greens, some boiled shrimp, minced meat with edamame, and rice.

The meal wasn’t too fancy, but it was decent.

Poppy took away the meal box, "Since it’s already here, I’ll eat this. You eat what I brought."

Truth, holding chopsticks, put on a stern face.

"Didn’t you eat at home?"

"I did, but I’m hungry again, and your meal looks good. I’ll have a few bites."

She picked up a few edamame with her disposable chopsticks and put them directly into her mouth.

Truth looked at her, her face showing both helplessness and indulgence.

"You know, you’re a mom now, but you’re still acting like you did when you were a kid."

When Truth was hospitalized once during Poppy’s childhood.

Poppy kept insisting on eating her meal box.

She hadn’t had it before and always thought the meal looked delicious.

While eating, Truth laughed, "You said back then, since I was sick and had no appetite, you might as well eat it. Seeing you enjoy your meal made me want to eat too."

Young Poppy always had a bunch of twisted logic.

Truth looked at her and discussed with her.

"I’m thinking of selling your grandmother’s house, how do you feel about it?"

That old house had been unoccupied for many years.

Poppy had lived there for a few years when she was young.

Previously, Truth and Poppy agreed to leave the house as it was, preserving a piece of memory.

Truth continued, "I plan to go check it out after I’m discharged. If there are still things your father liked at home, I’ll bring them back. Keeping the house is like holding onto a ticking time bomb."

Poppy nodded lightly.

As a child, Poppy always thought Truth and Connor Lynch didn’t get along well.

Truth was always busy with her work, rarely home. She would be out before Poppy woke and home by the time she was asleep.

It was always Connor who played with her, taking care of her every little need.

Until one time, when Poppy, now in middle school, played hooky and stayed home.

She heard music playing at home.

Getting up to look,

The door to her parents’ room was ajar, and the old record player was slowly spinning, filling the room with music.

Truth was wearing a very retro long dress, its skirt swaying as she danced with Connor.

The skirt, mingling with the music and the breeze, made their dance slow and unnoticing of Poppy hiding by the door.

Connor even said, "Lower the music, Poppy is sleeping."

"Just close the door, she won’t be disturbed. What should we have for dinner?"

Their steps were towards the door, even as they talked about mundane things, their embrace unbroken as they moved to close it.

Poppy quickly stuck to the wall, hiding where she wouldn’t be seen.

Connor asked, "Braised pork?"

"Poppy doesn’t like braised pork, let’s have chicken with chestnuts instead."

As they closed the door, their voices got muffled also.

Yet Poppy’s heartbeat inexplicably grew louder.

Truth never liked eating chicken, always complaining about its texture. She loved braised pork.

At that moment, Poppy realized that Truth loved her father and loved her too.

Perhaps when she pursued love in college, it was because she witnessed the love she was encased in.

Thinking of Declan Hawthorne.

The edamame in Poppy’s mouth was momentarily forgotten, swallowed inadvertently.

After a few gulps of water, she lost her appetite.

She was full at home, only wanting to check the quality of Truth’s meal.

After a few bites, it was quite good.

"That house, Dad said it was where you both started. If you want to sell it, go ahead, I have no objections."

Truth smiled faintly.

"Alright, it’s decided then. After I get discharged, we’ll talk. The money from the sale will be split between Anya and Florence."

Closing the meal box lid, Poppy casually mentioned, "Sean’s new wife is also pregnant."

Truth waved her hand.

"I will never give a penny to anyone who’s wronged my daughter. My backbone isn’t that weak."

She would give to Anya, because Sean Lynch had always been good to Poppy.

Moreover, with Anya not being raised by Eugene Lynch, she probably wouldn’t stray.

Truth remembered the good and clearly recalled the bad.

There was no way she would give a penny to Stella Hollis’s child.

Poppy lowered her eyes, feeling warmth surge in her heart.

"Alright, I’ll listen to you."

Truth continued eating.

Inside, she was calculating, perhaps she could find some of her husband’s old documents in the house.

These days, lying down, her dreams were filled with the past.

One day, she dreamt of the days before Connor Lynch passed, those days he kept talking about the old house. Truth’s health was also not good then, and she forgot about it.

Maybe this time, she might find something.

-

"Big brother, from my investigation, it turns out Miss Hale’s family company incident was an accident. A worker was crushed by a machine, and the person in charge deceived the worker’s family."

"They told the family that the worker died inside the machine, and the family would have to compensate for the machine, which was worth millions. The worker’s family went to the media and lawyers, exposing the situation."

"But the compensation money had actually been transferred, swallowed by the person in charge. Connor Lynch even wanted to give the family a bit more compensation, but not a single cent reached them."

Tristan Hawthorne stood nearby, also sighed slightly.

"At that time, Connor Lynch was ill, unable to manage, and Poppy’s grandmother was critically ill too, leaving no one to handle the situation at home."

"I didn’t expect such a thing to happen to Miss Hale’s family, and I remember seeing that news back then and forwarding it to you."

The pen Declan Hawthorne was twirling in his fingers fell with a clatter when he heard this.

He pulled out his phone, opening his chat history with Tristan.

Sure enough, within the records from a few years ago, he found some related information.

But Connor Lynch’s name was too unfamiliar to him at the time, he didn’t open it, even told Tristan to ignore such negative corporate news.

Opening it now, surprisingly the link still worked.

Most of it was the worker family’s complaints and demands for justice against the company.

The last photo showed Poppy wearing a mask.

Her exposed eyes appeared vacant, large and round, filled with panic and helplessness, causing Declan’s heart to clench painfully.

He should have known she was in trouble back then.

But he chose to ignore it.

Declan closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.