Chapter 274: Chapter 274: "Does Mommy Hate Daddy the Most in the Whole World?

"Yes."

Rory Linden’s reply was crisp.

"Five years ago, I said some things. Back then, I was comparing you to my own mother," she continued. "Now that I’m a mother myself, I see things from a different perspective, but my opinion hasn’t changed."

Rory Linden couldn’t understand how any mother could not love the child she had carried for ten months and given birth to.

Besides, it wasn’t as if Sean Harrison had ever done anything to hurt her.

On the contrary, she was the one who had hurt him, again and again.

"You don’t know Sean Harrison. There’s a side to him you haven’t seen," Charlotte Rhodes said earnestly. "He never told you about the things he did as a teenager, did he? He..."

"Auntie Rhodes."

Rory Linden cut Charlotte Rhodes off, her tone serious. "What President Harrison went through or did when he was in school... he has indeed never told me. If I get the chance, I will ask him myself. I don’t need to hear it from anyone else."

Rory had always known that Sean Harrison did some bad things back in middle school.

The video Nadia Willow had sent her all those years ago revealed as much.

She was curious about it, but she didn’t want to hear it from anyone else.

’Anything anyone else says would just be one side of the story.’

’I want to hear it from Sean Harrison himself. I just don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance.’

Charlotte Rhodes stared deeply at Rory, opened her mouth as if to say something, but then changed the subject. "When can I be discharged?"

"That depends on your recovery. I hope you can maintain a positive outlook," Rory advised her earnestly. "Evan Hollis paid for your surgery. He went to great lengths to get that money, so please don’t let his efforts go to waste."

Those words truly struck a nerve with Charlotte Rhodes.

Another long silence followed.

Finally, Charlotte Rhodes said, "If you hear any news about Evan Hollis, please tell me immediately. Thank you."

-

After leaving Charlotte Rhodes’s room, Rory Linden changed her clothes and went home.

Starting today, a driver was assigned to take her to and from her destinations.

The car was parked at the hospital entrance.

She got off work rather late today, well after the evening rush hour.

The moment she walked in the door, Leo Linden came bounding down the stairs.

"Mommy!" The little boy hugged her arm. "Did you see the photos Daddy sent you? I designed an octopus robot, and the designer uncle said my idea is really good!"

Rory Linden bent down and picked up her son. "You’re so amazing." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Sean Harrison followed behind them and added, "They weren’t just saying that. Leo’s design is genuinely fantastic and feasible. There should be a prototype of his design soon."

"Really?"

Rory was a little surprised.

When she first heard her son say it, she had assumed it was just flattery from the people at the robotics company.

"Mhm, let Leo tell you about it."

Sean Harrison walked over and reached out, taking Leo from her arms.

Leo was four this year. He had grown taller and put on quite a bit of weight.

He was worried she would get tired from holding him for too long.

Leo explained it to Rory, gesturing with his hands as he spoke.

The general idea was that an octopus’s curling tentacles could grab things more securely and with more flexibility.

Rory listened intently.

It was only then that she realized her son’s idea was actually practical.

Leo laughed. "An octopus robot has so many arms! It can stir-fry, mop the floor, and clean the windows all at the same time. Then Mommy won’t have to work so hard!"

"Thank you, Leo."

Rory hugged her son and gave him a big kiss.

Leo went on to share many more of his ideas.

Although they were all wild, imaginative fancies, the two adults were a very supportive audience for their son.

When it was time for bed, Leo was still absorbed in the day’s events, reluctant to go to sleep.

Rory tried to coax her son for a while before she couldn’t help but say, "If you don’t go to sleep today, tomorrow will never come, and you won’t get to find out what fun places we might go."

"Then I’ll go to sleep!"

Leo quickly squeezed his eyes shut.

Rory’s hand rested gently on her son’s chest.

She patted it lightly, again and again.

The bedroom light was off, with only a small night-light on.

The room was quiet for only a moment before Leo stealthily opened his eyes again.

"Mommy..."

"Hm?"

Leo looked at his mother and asked in a small voice, "Am I... am I not supposed to like Daddy?"

"Why would you think that?" Rory froze. "Mommy and Daddy are the people closest to you in the whole world. You should like us the most."

The summer quilt was pulled up to Leo’s neck.

His body was perfectly still; only his eyes were fixed on Rory. "But... I think Mommy really hates Daddy."

"Did Daddy say that?"

Hearing this, Rory’s first reaction was that the man had sent his son to act as a go-between.

The little boy shook his head gently. "When you and Daddy were fighting before... Mommy is always so nice. That was the first time I’ve ever seen you so fierce. Does that mean Mommy hates Daddy more than anyone in the whole world?"

"..."

Rory was stunned speechless by her little boy’s words.

She knew which time he was talking about.

That was the day she had learned the truth about why the man had distanced himself from her all those years ago.

A truth she found so laughable it bordered on absurd.

"If Mommy hates Daddy, then... then I can hate Daddy too!"

The little boy said this as if he had made some sort of firm resolution.

"Of course not!" Rory said hurriedly. "Mommy and Daddy loved each other, and that’s why we have you. We’re just separated for some reasons, but that doesn’t mean Mommy hates him."

"Really?"

"Mhm."

"Then... will Mommy like Daddy again?"

Leo’s voice was filled with caution.

Rory knew why her son was asking this.

After spending the last few days together, Leo had definitely grown very fond of Sean Harrison.

It wasn’t just because blood is thicker than water; it was more because Sean catered to his interests.

Ever since Leo turned one, Rory had rarely been able to spend more than a week with him at a time.

In his time with Sean Harrison, Leo not only had companionship but also got to see things that fascinated him.

The bedroom was very quiet.

The air seemed to have frozen.

Rory continued patting her son’s chest gently. After a long while, she finally said, "Mommy has never disliked Daddy. It’s just that Mommy and Daddy are on different paths now."

The little boy only half-understood, but he took it as the answer he was hoping for.

He carried that answer with him into his dreams.

-

Over the next few days, Charlotte Rhodes was still unable to contact Evan Hollis.

Every day when Rory Linden did her rounds, Charlotte would ask about Evan Hollis again and again.

It was as if... Rory and Sean Harrison had hidden Evan Hollis away somewhere.

All she could do was repeatedly comfort the older woman with the phrase, "No news is good news."

This continued until Monday morning.

Rory Linden was in her office, reviewing the files of a newly admitted patient...

"Dr. Linden, the police are here!" a nurse exclaimed, running into her office. "They said they have some questions for the patient in bed 137."

Bed 137 was Charlotte Rhodes’s bed!

"Tell them to wait a moment!"

Rory quickly stood up and rushed out.

Two police officers were standing by the nurses’ station.

The patients coming and going all watched from a distance, not daring to approach.