Chapter 9
I stared right back at him–my grandfather, the man I shared blood with, but had never met until now.
The moment I saw him at the party, something just clicked. Even though we’d never crossed paths before, I recognized him instantly. He had my mom’s face, almost a perfect copy, and that alone was enough.
Mom used to tell me how she married my dad after running away from home. Young and reckless, she chased after love, not caring about anything else. Dad wasn’t poor, but compared to Mom’s family–who’d been rich and influential forever–he was just an ordinary guy.
Grandpa never approved of their relationship. He almost managed to tear them apart, but Mom was stubborn. She gave up everything for my dad, left home, and never looked back.
Grandpa was just as stubborn. After Mom left, he packed up the whole family and moved abroad. He never looked back either.
And now, all these years later, I was meeting him for the very first time. He wasn’t just a face in an old photo anymore–he was standing right in front of me, flesh and
blood.
“Grandpa…” My voice sounded rough and scratchy–it had been so long since I’d spoken that even I barely recognized it.
For a second, his eyes lit up with pure, unfiltered joy.
“Elise, you… you’re not actually deaf?” He sounded half–disbelieving, half–hopeful.
I shook my head, and tears prickled at the corners of my eyes.
He seemed like he wanted to say more, but then he noticed the suitcase at my side. He just took it from me quietly, no questions asked.
He smiled at me–soft and gentle. “It’s alright now. Grandpa’s here to take you home.”
Deep down, I knew what he really wanted was to bring my mom home. If only she were still here.
But I was my mother’s daughter, and this was the house she grew up in. When I was little, Mom would always tell me stories before bed about her childhood–about this grand old house with a huge garden full of the roses she loved.§
I never believed her. I thought she was just making things up, like I did after reading too many shoujo manga–imagining herself as a runaway heiress.
Turns out, she was telling the truth.”
“Your grandmother lives overseas now. She’s not been well for a few years, and she still doesn’t know about your mom. If you can, maybe come with me to visit her soon?” Grandpa’s voice was gentle, nothing like the stern, cold man Mom used to describe.
Maybe time really does soften even the sharpest edges.§
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll go. I’ll help take care of Grandma, too.”
As a wife and as a mom, my mother did everything right. But as a daughter… that’s where she always felt she’d failed. Even at the end, her heart was full of regret.
But it’s okay. I inherited her blood, and now it’s my job to look after her parents for her.
Honestly, my supposedly cold and unfeeling grandpa was nothing but good to me.”
He let me stay in my mom’s oid bedroom, which was literally as big as our entire old apartment. The floor was covered in plush toys, and when I opened the closet, it was filled with limited-edition designer bags and couture dresses–stuff people would kill for.”
It was like stepping straight into a dream.
Grandpa brought me a glass of milk. “Your mom was so spoiled–she always wanted the best of everything. My daughter deserved the best. But she was just… too stubborn sometimes.”
His voice got soft at the end, sadness flickering in his eyes.”
He didn’t say anything else, just told me to get some sleep and quietly left the room.
I sat on the bed, completely drained from the emotional whirlwind of the day. I just wanted to crash and sleep forever.
But just as i was about to drift off, my phone buzzed with a Twitter notification. I wasn’t planning to look, but my finger accidentally tapped the alert as I tried to put my phone down. Suddenly, a blown–up photo filled my screen.
Jared was in it–smiling, leaning down to kiss Patricia.
Caption: Someone who matters.N
08%
I didn’t sleep at all that night.
When I got up the next morning, my dark circles were so bad Grandpa scolded me on sight.
“A Hobbs never leaves the house looking like a zombie. We’re always put together–flawless and gorgeous,” he said, pulling a credit card out of his pocket and thrusting it into my hand before I could even protest.#
“Here, Go shopping. Bring a friend, buy yourself some new clothes, get some makeup–whatever you want. Just don’t go around looking like you’ve been drained of life.”
I wanted to say no. We’d only just reunited–it felt weird to take his card so soon.
But Grandpa saw right through me and gave me a look. “It’s just a little money. What are you hesitating for? You’re a Hobbs. Did Aaron raise you to be this shy?“?
Aaron–my dad. He wasn’t a big shot, but he loved my mom with everything he had &
To avoid another scolding, I took the card and called Juno, asking her to come shopping with me.
“Wow, is the world ending? Elise, I thought you and Jared were in a rough patch. You’re actually up for retail therapy?” Juno had seen me through every messy step of my love life. She was my rock.
She knew that normally, I’d be sulking at home, refusing to go out until I’d sorted my head out.
I just shook my head, pulled out the black card, and told her I was buying today.
Juno thought I was joking, but she didn’t question it–she just grabbed my arm and dragged me into the first store.
We barely made it into a shoe boutique before we saw him–Jared, kneeling in front of Patricia, helping her slip on a pair of heels.
“That Patricia… her family’s pretty well–off. She’s always liked Jared, but after his accident–when he lost his hearing–she was nowhere to be found. Now that he’s back to normal, suddenly she’s glued to his side,” Juno said, trying to sound calm, but I could see the fire in her eyes.
Honestly, if I didn’t hold her back, she’d probably storm in there and rip both their faces off.
“Ugh! What a jerk and a snake! I swear, I’m going to claw their faces off!” Juno’s voice was loud enough that Jared, still inside the store, definitely heard every word.
