Chapter 499: She Is Not Our Daughter
Chapter 499: Chapter 499: She Is Not Our Daughter
’Family... do I even have a family anymore?’
Addie Sutton pressed her lips together and shook her head blankly. "No."
Seeing this, Jane Conway asked in confusion, "Dear, what do you mean? If you don’t call soon, your family will start to worry."
Addie Sutton’s eyes glistened with tears as she choked out, "I don’t have a family."
"What?" Jane Conway looked at her, astonished. "How could you not have a family?"
She quickly understood. "Dear, did you have a fight with your family?"
But Addie Sutton turned her back to her, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably as a muffled sob escaped her throat.
Jane Conway was at a bit of a loss, not knowing how to comfort her.
She sighed softly and left the room, giving Addie Sutton some space to be alone.
Uncle Victor had been sleeping on the living room sofa. Seeing her come out, he quickly sat up and asked, "Jane, why are you out here? Is something wrong with our girl?"
"It’s nothing." Jane Conway sat down on another small sofa and was quiet for a long time before she spoke. "She’s not our Cherie."
"What do you mean she’s not?" Uncle Victor instantly became agitated. "She is Cherie! She’s our daughter!"
Jane Conway opened her mouth, but in the end, all that came out was a helpless sigh.
"She’s not Cherie. I know." She picked up the kettle and poured water into a glass, her voice tinged with bitterness. "But York won’t believe me. He thinks that girl is our Cherie, and I just can’t get through to him."
Jane Conway placed the glass in front of them and said calmly, "You’ve probably heard a bit about York’s condition. All the neighbors around here know."
Sometimes, when Uncle Victor has an episode, he sees his daughter in every young woman.
Some of the young girls feel sorry for him and are willing to play along, humoring him a little.
Other girls don’t know the situation and get a real scare, so they choose to call the police.
Over the years, the police have constantly shown up at their door looking for Uncle Victor. Jane Conway has long since gotten used to it.
"York’s condition had gotten a little better recently. He hadn’t been grabbing girls on the street and calling them his daughter anymore." Jane Conway’s voice was full of helplessness. "I was actually quite happy about it. I never expected he’d go and drag someone all the way home this time."
Renee Jennings frowned slightly and asked, "Have you not taken Uncle Victor to see a doctor?"
"We have," Jane Conway said. "Medicine only helps manage it. There’s no way for him to get completely better."
Renee Jennings felt a deep sense of sympathy for Uncle Victor’s plight.
For a moment, she couldn’t help but think of Sawyer, who had gone through something similar.
But now wasn’t the time to get sentimental. She collected her thoughts and asked, "How is the girl in the room doing?"
Speaking of that, Jane Conway’s brow furrowed again. "That girl isn’t doing so well. She just lies in bed, not eating or drinking, and she hasn’t even gotten up. The moment I asked for her family’s contact information, she just started crying nonstop. I didn’t dare to ask again after that."
"She’s the person we’re looking for," Renee Jennings said softly. "I’d like to go in and see her."
Jane Conway nodded. "Then you should go. I just don’t know if she’s awake."
"Okay." Renee Jennings walked to the bedroom door, holding Ducky, and knocked gently. "Addie, I’ve brought Ducky to see you."
Addie Sutton was lying in bed, staring blankly at the slightly yellowed wall.
She knew people were talking in the living room, but she hadn’t paid any attention until a clear, gentle voice softly called out two names she knew.
Renee Jennings pushed open the ajar door and walked in.
Ducky caught the familiar scent and saw the familiar figure, instantly crying out in excitement, "QUACK QUACK QUACK! Waaah, Dee! Ducky finally found you!"
’Ducky?’
Addie Sutton slowly turned over. When her gaze fell upon the familiar, snow-white figure, her eyes suddenly reddened.
She struggled to prop herself up on the edge of the bed and asked, her voice thick with emotion, "Ducky, what are you doing here?"
Ducky flapped its wings in Renee Jennings’s arms. "QUACK~ Sister, Ducky wants to hug Dee!"
Renee Jennings handed Ducky over to Addie Sutton.
Addie Sutton hugged Ducky and shed silent tears. "Ducky."
Ducky: "QUACK!" Ducky’s here!
Addie Sutton pressed her cheek against its snow-white feathers, rubbing it gently. An indescribable warmth surged from the depths of her heart, the touching feeling of recovering something she had lost.
Renee Jennings watched this warm, affectionate scene, a small smile playing on her lips. "Addie, Ducky was very worried about you."
Addie Sutton looked up at Renee Jennings, her eyelashes wet with tears, her red-rimmed eyes filled with confusion. "Miss, how do you know me?"
Renee Jennings took her credentials out of her pocket. "I specialize in communicating with animals. Ducky has already told me about your situation."
"You... can understand Ducky?" Addie Sutton asked cautiously.
"Yes." Renee Jennings nodded, reaching out to stroke her head. "You’ve been through a lot these past few days, Addie."
Addie Sutton stared at her blankly. Her nose began to sting, and her eyes grew hotter and hotter.
She pressed her lips together tightly, trying not to let a sob escape. Her throat bobbed as she spoke with a nasal voice, "Miss..."
Renee Jennings leaned in and gave her a hug, whispering gently in her ear, "Don’t do anything foolish again. Live your life well, and be a little kinder to yourself, okay?"
But Addie Sutton didn’t know how to answer.
’She didn’t know what it meant to be a little kinder to herself.’
’She wasn’t sure if she could live her life well.’
’It’s so hard. It’s just so hard.’
"Are you hungry?" Renee Jennings asked her.
Addie Sutton was about to say she wasn’t, but just then her stomach started to RUMBLE.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she hung her head in embarrassment.
"How about you eat a little something?" Renee Jennings asked.
"QUACK! Dee, eat something!" Ducky squawked.
Renee Jennings’s lips curved into a smile. "Ducky is telling you to eat something, too."
Addie Sutton looked at Ducky, then nodded at her. "Okay."
Seeing Addie Sutton finally willing to come out of the room, Jane Conway felt a wave of relief.
When Uncle Victor saw this, he brandished his spatula and said happily, "Our girl’s awake? Sit down, honey, sit down. The stir-fried zucchini with pork is almost ready! Your favorite, stir-fried zucchini with pork!"
Addie Sutton sat stiffly on the sofa. She glanced at Director Leto, thinking he looked a little familiar.
Uncle Victor went back to the gas stove, then slapped his forehead in frustration. "Our girl also loves stir-fried tomatoes and eggs! I forgot to buy tomatoes and eggs!"
He hurried back out, untying his apron as he said, "Jane, I’m going downstairs to buy tomatoes for the eggs."
Jane Conway stood up to stop him, her expression a mixture of helplessness and heartache. "York, you need to snap out of it. She’s not Cherie. She’s not our daughter."
"Nonsense!" Uncle Victor suddenly became fierce. "She is Cherie! She’s our daughter! I brought our daughter back home!"
Jane Conway’s eyes reddened with anger as she choked out, "Cherie has a mole above her left eyebrow! This girl doesn’t! She’s not Cherie!"
The expression on Uncle Victor’s face froze. He slowly turned his head to look at Addie Sutton.
She had no mole on her eyebrow.
"Why is there no mole?" Uncle Victor muttered. "The mole? Where did the mole go?"