Chapter 2

Quiana’s whereabouts were unknown. My dad panicked.

Determined to find her, he spared no expense and used every connection he had.

The search was extensive, but he did not make her name public because he feared for her safety. To the outside world, the CEO of Jefferson Corp only seemed to be searching for his lost love.

My mom thought he was looking for her. She even called me several times and warned me not to say anything.

After investing enormous manpower and resources, my dad finally found Quiana in a mountainous area, where she was doing charity work.

Time had been especially kind to her. No traces of hardship showed on her face.

“Quiana, it’s been a long time.”

My dad had rehearsed many opening lines on the way there, but when they finally met, that was all he could muster.

His tone was still a little stiff.

“Are you all right?

“I mean your stomach cancer.”

Quiana paused for a moment, then smiled gently. Her voice was calm. “The treatment was painful at first, but it’s over now.”

“I never received that letter back then. Mindy hid it.”

My dad continued in a low voice. “I should have brought her here to apologize to you, but she… she went missing.”

Concern rose in his eyes. “I’ll have people look for her over the next few days. When she comes back, I’ll bring her to you and have her apologize properly.”

My dad was still worried about my mom.

They had spent many years together. Even someone with a heart of stone would grow tender. Besides, her deception back then had started from love.

I pursed my lips and said unwillingly, “Dad, I don’t want Mom to come back.”

My dad’s face darkened, and he angrily said, “She’s your mother. Who taught you to say that?”

I ate the candy Quiana had given me. I pouted, and my eyes quickly filled with tears.

“The candy Ms. Sullivan gave me tastes really good. Mom always makes me drink chili water. I don’t like chili water at all!”

My dad’s face immediately changed.

As long as I could remember, my dad rarely came home at night.

Every day, my mom cooked a full table of food, then quietly threw everything away.

One time, I was so hungry that my stomach hurt. I was rolling on the floor while crying in pain.

Only then did my dad rush back and take me to the hospital.

After that, whenever my dad did not come home, my mom would not let me eat. Sometimes, she even forced me to drink chili water to aggravate my stomach.

Whenever the pain made my face turn pale, she would hold me and cry until her eyes were swollen. “It’s all your fault. Jane is too fragile and too picky. She refuses to eat every day, so I can’t eat either.”

Each time, my dad would pull her into his arms and comfort her softly.

During that time, the way my mom looked at me became much gentler.

Because of that, I did not dare say that I was not picky.

I also could not say that she was never actually hungry. She always ate in secret.

I cried and buried my face in my dad’s arms. “I don’t like drinking chili water. But Mom said that you would only come back to see me only if I got sick.

“I’m not afraid of getting sick. The chili water is just too spicy. Every time I drink it, my throat hurts.”

When I remembered everything from my past life, the tears still fell through my sobs.

My dad stood there without moving.

After a long while, his hands began to tremble as he gently held me. He softly said, “All right. We won’t look for your mom. As long as I’m here, you’ll never have to drink chili water again.”

My dad’s expression grew heavy. For that time being, he stopped thinking about searching for my mom.

“Then, can I eat cake today? The kids at kindergarten say that you have to eat cake on your birthday.”

My dad finally realized that it was my birthday.

I seized the chance to grab Quiana’s hand. “Ms. Sullivan, I’ve never celebrated my birthday before. I want to celebrate my birthday with Dad and you and eat cake together.”