CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24: I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE REVENGE ON HER

The elevator quickly reached the fifth floor.

Poppy Hale exited with the child, not noticing Declan Hawthorne.

The elevator doors closed.

In the semi-transparent observation elevator, with a half view looking outside, through the glass, Declan Hawthorne saw Sean Lynch carefully holding Florence Lynch, then giving Poppy Hale a hand.

Poppy Hale reached over, seemingly holding the man’s hand.

The family of three left.

Inside the elevator, a delivery guy remained, seeing Declan Hawthorne not getting off, thought he forgot.

"Dude, aren’t you getting off?"

Coming back to his senses, Declan Hawthorne nodded and thanked, "I’m getting off, thank you."

Mrs. Hawthorne had just seen Tessa Thorne off, and seeing Declan Hawthorne come, her face full of surprise and happiness.

"Why are you here?"

"Here to settle your bill, aren’t you happy?"

"Of course I’m happy! If you hadn’t recalled the photo you just sent me, I’d be even happier!"

Mrs. Hawthorne felt a pang of regret in her heart.

Forgot to save it!

Declan Hawthorne unbuttoned his suit with one hand and sat across from her.

"Don’t you have other photos to look at?"

The one from Mason Rivers, definitely not recalled.

Mrs. Hawthorne complained, "How could that be the same? A son is not just any son, and a girl is not just any girl!"

Girl, indeed there was one.

Mrs. Hawthorne thought and felt a sense of loss.

"Was that your girlfriend from college? I saw you really liked that girl, why did you break up?"

Really liked?

Declan Hawthorne wanted to refute, but opened his mouth, unable to deny it.

But to admit he liked Poppy Hale, he couldn’t say it either.

"She dumped me."

Mrs. Hawthorne was even more shocked.

There was actually a girl who had the courage to dump her son?

"Was it because she disliked you for being poor? I said, why engage in work-study programs! Our Hawthorne family kids are being seen as poor!"

Because of this, losing a daughter-in-law, Mrs. Hawthorne felt her heart ache.

Declan Hawthorne: "No, she spent a lot of money on me."

Mrs. Hawthorne shifted her tone, "Your grandfather’s decision was indeed correct, see, you’ve met such a good girl."

Unfortunately, such a good girl was already married.

After sitting with Mrs. Hawthorne for a few minutes, Declan Hawthorne found an excuse to get up and leave.

As he left, he changed his footsteps.

He passed by a parent-child restaurant on the fifth floor.

The design with a spiral staircase, dining was on chairs shaped like a carousel, which kids loved.

He could see Florence Lynch sitting on Sean Lynch’s lap, eating a piece of strawberry cake in small bites.

Poppy Hale sat opposite, watching them with a smile.

Sean Lynch felt someone watching him, looked up at the glass window, and met Declan Hawthorne’s gaze.

Declan Hawthorne withdrew his gaze and strode away.

Sean Lynch touched his face, "Florence, is there something on uncle’s face?"

"No."

"Oh, someone was looking at me just now, I thought my face was dirty."

Poppy Hale followed Sean Lynch’s gaze, seeing only a few people heading to the skating rink.

She probably made eye contact with a passerby.

After eating, Sean Lynch and Poppy Hale and her daughter left the mall.

Audi car parked by the roadside, Sean Lynch started the car, looked at Poppy Hale, "Are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?"

"No need, Florence and I will take the bus back, it’s closer, my mom is still in the park, I’ll go back with her."

Poppy Hale was stubborn, and Sean Lynch indeed had other matters, so he didn’t insist.

He touched Florence’s face, "Alright, Florence, remember to miss uncle, see you next time."

"Mm! Uncle, drive safely."

Sean Lynch’s heart melted.

Poppy Hale had taught Florence very well.

Understanding and obedient, with just the right amount of little stubbornness, Sean Lynch couldn’t help but think, if Florence’s biological father knew about her, he would probably even pluck the stars for her.

The mother and daughter parted with Sean Lynch.

The Audi car merged into traffic.

A few cars behind, a low-profile black BMW followed Sean Lynch.

Half an hour later, the Audi car stopped at another mall, from which a woman dressed in high-end designer clothes emerged.

Carrying several bags, she got into Sean Lynch’s car.

After getting in, they hugged and kissed, with intimacy and affection.

The car drove off into the distance.

The BMW behind did not follow.

Inside the car, slender fingers tapped the steering wheel, a throbbing pain in the temples, intense, annoying, as if trying to crush Declan Hawthorne’s brain into a mess.

Did Poppy Hale know?

That man showed no sign of illness, not someone who would lie at home resting.

Driving an expensive car, buying luxury goods for other women, yet unable to find money to get a better place for his own wife and daughter?

Declan Hawthorne couldn’t help but think.

When Poppy Hale kissed him, her body language showed little hint of a typical marital relationship.

Was it that man who was incapable, or was it just some excuse to only be incapable with Poppy Hale?

For such a man, Poppy Hale left him.

Perhaps out of that ridiculous male pride.

Declan Hawthorne chose to follow the car, wanting to see Poppy Hale’s life.

After leaving him, what kind of good man did Poppy Hale find?

Declan Hawthorne knew, Poppy Hale had a new life, in no way should he disturb her.

But to wish her well, was impossible.

A raging hatred and bitterness burned in his heart, all pressed down, he smoked several cigarettes in succession, barely dissipating the gloom.

Starting the car, he drove away.

The roads were crowded with cars on the weekend, and several traffic accidents happened up front; stopping at a red light, Declan Hawthorne saw two people, one large and one small, get off a bus in front.

Poppy Hale was carrying Florence, the mother and daughter’s heads close together, he didn’t know what they were discussing.

They didn’t notice anyone in the car; as they passed, Florence said, "I don’t want it, it’s too expensive, it’s not easy for mom to earn money."

"Good baby, give mom a kiss."

They seemed to be talking about a magnetic building block set worth three hundred dollars.

Poppy Hale’s voice moved from near to far, "If mom works a bit harder, we can afford it, if Florence likes it, we shall buy it."

"I don’t want it, mom, don’t work too hard."

The mother and daughter’s steps receded.

The city’s neon lights started lighting up one by one, as if illuminating a path home behind the mother and daughter.

Inside the car, however, it remained dim.

Declan Hawthorne didn’t turn on the lights, his expression growing increasingly obscure.

His heart choked again with gloom, impossible to shake off.

She lived in hardship and embarrassment, having to skimp and save for a few hundred dollars, wronging herself and her child.

He should have been happy, that after leaving him, she lived poorly.

But he couldn’t feel any happiness.

Declan Hawthorne thought for a moment, and dialed a good friend’s number.

"Hello? Declan, how come you’re calling? Haven’t you taken over the family business? Super busy man!"

"I want to ask you a question."

Declan Hawthorne paused.

"If your girlfriend dumped you and soon married and had a child, what would you do?"

The person on the other side was obviously taken aback and then laughed after a moment, "Depends on if I liked her or not!"

"If I liked her, and she treated me like this, I’m not a good person, I’d get back at her."

Declan Hawthorne’s voice was hoarse as he pressed on, "And if you don’t like her?"

The other person laughed even more freely.

"Don’t like her? If I didn’t like her, she wouldn’t be my girlfriend!"