CHAPTER 160: CHAPTER 159: ORIGINS

"Origins?"

Sienna Thornton laughed slightly, as if these things, difficult for others to voice, had become numb and unaffecting to her: "As you can see, I’m the baggage my mom brought with her when she married Felix Raines, so whenever Felix sees me, he thinks of my mom having been with other men before, and then he becomes twisted, unable to restrain himself from wanting to hit and scold my mom and me."

Simon Forrester didn’t ask why; he could easily guess the motives of the short, ugly, and destitute Felix Raines for marrying Melinda Linton, who, though weak, still retained her charm.

Simply a poor, ugly man longing to marry a beautiful woman, unwillingly accepting her past, yet once he had her, he started to disdain her history, looking down on her from his heart, blaming her, as if her presence was a blight on his life.

Unfortunately, people like this were encountered by Sienna and her mother.

Thinking of the hardships she endured growing up, Simon’s heart ached, and he hugged her tighter.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "Do you know what situation your biological father is in?"

Sienna spoke with a flat tone, devoid of emotion: "He was a university student volunteering as a teacher back then, dated my mom for six months, then returned to the city, disappearing without a trace. My mom gave birth to me; her family felt it was a disgrace. It happened that someone introduced Felix Raines, so my mom married him with me. My mom said my biological father was from Brimfield, with the last name ’Thornton,’ born in 1965, and that’s all she knows."

"Do you want to meet him?" Simon said, "Knowing his last name and birth year, it’s actually quite easy to trace."

Sienna laughed, her laughter full of helplessness: "When I first got into Harvard, I really wanted to; I hoped every day to meet him, stand in front of him, and say—look, your daughter is outstanding! But now, I’m so down and out, I don’t really want to anymore."

"Alright, as you wish." Simon bent down and kissed her on the temple, hugging her, looking toward the eastern sky.

That’s the direction of Brimfield.

*

In the evening, Melinda Linton was cooking dinner in the kitchen, Simon was helping to fetch water from the well, Sienna and Jenna Raines were cleaning the house.

A sudden commotion at the door, Sienna went to take a look and saw Felix’s cousins; Sienna felt disgusted and went back inside to call Jenna to receive them.

Jenna invited them in, and Melinda chatted with them for a while before calling Sienna and Simon to go have dinner at the house of the elder cousin.

It was the anniversary of Felix’s grandmother’s death.

Sienna initially didn’t want to go, but with Melinda looking so upset, she had no choice but to call Simon to join them.

The cousin’s house was at the end of the village; Simon drove them there.

The car wheels kicked up the yellow dirt; villagers sitting by the roadside watched with envy as the colossal vehicle passed.

After getting out of the car, Sienna noticed that the other brothers of the Raines Clan had already built concrete steel homes, but Felix’s house was still tiled.

Melinda’s sisters-in-law came out of their houses and led her inside warmly, lavishly praising her pearl necklace.

Sienna watched these opportunistic old women blankly, remembering the scenes from the past where they fought Melinda over a little land.

Seated, Sienna looked at the table full of dark food, feeling no appetite.

The ceramic bowls and plates were chipped and scratched; the dining table was made from wood from the mountains, used for decades, having gone through multiple rounds of mildew, drying, and mildew again, now a nearly moss green.

Sienna regretted bringing Simon to such a place.

Not to mention how embarrassing it was?

She glanced at Simon and saw that he hadn’t touched his chopsticks either, then whispered, "Shall we take a walk outside?"

Simon nodded.

Just as they were about to leave the table, the elder cousin of the Raines Family stopped them.

He smiled at Simon and asked, "I heard you’re from Brimfield?"

Simon nodded.

The man pointed his chopsticks at the car in the yard: "How much did that car cost? Maybe around this much?"

He gestured with five fingers.

Simon smiled superficially and replied, "Close enough."

The man laughed heartily and told the other two cousins at the table, "I told you! That car is huge! Must be half a million! Wow, it’s really something!"

Sienna sneered, "Lamborghini’s Aventador, it’s five million, not half a million."

Simon glanced down at her.

Looking again at the Raines Family who were dressed far more elegantly than Felix and Melinda, he suddenly understood.

Sienna and her mother must have suffered many sneers from these people.

Now she has achieved something, it’s like returning home in fine clothes, and bringing him along; when relatives admire his car, it’s essentially admiring her for having a wealthy partner.

Simon found, unusually, that this feeling wasn’t bad.

He’s always willing to bring pride to Sienna.

His hand under the table, originally holding Sienna’s, now tightened even more.

Meanwhile, the Raines relatives, unable to comprehend a car worth five million, looked at Sienna with extremely complex expressions.

That expression includes admiration, envy, surprise, disbelief, suspicion, and more.

They probably all thought that she has truly made it, having found such a man.

Another male relative of the Raines Family sighed, "I always knew this little baggage loved reading since young, destined to achieve something! Look now..."

The other sisters-in-law chimed in, "Yes, back then Melinda never let the eldest girl do any farm work! Melinda, you planned all along for the eldest girl to go study?"

Melinda smiled gracefully.

Sienna glanced at her; though she used to blame her, at this moment, because of this comment, her blame subsided.

Simon listened quietly, realizing that Sienna’s biological father back then had good reasons to fall for Melinda.

Even if she was illiterate, among the rural women back then, her thinking was indeed more advanced.

Perhaps, such thoughts were imparted to her by Sienna’s biological father back then...

*

Sienna and Simon later came out, having eaten nothing, planning to return and make some noodles themselves.

Since they were leaving, Melinda and Jenna also came out quickly.

Back at the old Raines house, Melinda busied herself in the kitchen, reheating the food she’d made earlier and serving it. Sienna and Simon ate a little, though it wasn’t to their taste.

The village slept early; by nine o’clock, it was enveloped in darkness, as everyone turned off the lights and went to bed.

Sienna tidied Jared’s old room for Simon to stay over temporarily, while she slept with Melinda and Jenna.

After persuasion from both daughters, Melinda finally agreed to go to Brimfield with Jenna.

Sienna’s heart felt relieved.

She felt that one of her small goals had been achieved; although the housing problem wasn’t solved, she believed that someday she would afford a big house for Melinda.

She texted Simon, but after a long time, he hadn’t replied. Considering that Simon barely slept last night, she figured he must have fallen asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.

The next day, they headed back to town, settled Melinda, and decided to return to Brimfield immediately.

This departure wasn’t tearful but was filled with anticipation for a new life.

Each drove a car and hit the highway.

Sienna was focused on driving when her phone rang.

She pressed the answer button on the steering wheel, "Hello?"

"Where are we going tonight? Your place?" A man’s low, rich voice played through the car’s speakers, stirring her heart.

Sienna’s ten fingers, gripping the steering wheel, suddenly tightened; she swallowed hard and softly said, "Let’s go to your place; you said you’d lend me a room."

Her intuition told her, after tonight, their relationship would change...