Chapter 1688
Daniel grappled with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he hoped that she would remember him,
but on the
other, he wished she couldpletely forget everything that had transpired before, never to recollect
those
memories again.
-
Guided by Nicole''s directions, Maisie navigated her way to her family''s address. She couldn''t help but
smile at the
irony of needing a map to find her own home. Over the past two years, the concept of "home" had
slowly faded
from her mind.
"We''re almost at my house," Maisie informed Daniel. "You don''t have to apany me any further. I
can go on my
own."
"Alright. I''ll head back to thepany to take care of some matters."
"Sure, go ahead." Maisie was aware that Daniel worked for the prestigious Quimby Group, a renowned
name in this
city. Daniel must have a lot of responsibilities there.
With a wave and a smile, she turned to face the aging apartment building.
The neighborhood was in a low-ie area, surrounded by shantytowns. The remaining buildings
were only three
or four stories tall, showing signs of disrepair and appearing on the verge of copse.
However, Maisie recalled Nicole mentioning that her family''s living conditions hadn''t been this dire in
the past. What
had caused this decline?
She was filled with questions and uncertainty as she climbed the stairs. Upon her return, she found
Cindy busy
preparing chicken soup.
"Mom—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Cindy interrupted her, "Don''t just stand there, can''t you see?
Hurry up! Wash
your hands ande help!"
Maisie was taken aback. She hadn''t expected her mother to immediately ask for her assistance with
chores upon
her return home.
Had her mother forgotten that she hadn''t been home for two years?
Maisie took a deep breath, washed her hands, and entered the kitchen. The ce was in disarray, and
the floor
wasn''t particrly clean. She had to sift through the clutter of pots and pans to find the necessary
items and aided
Cindy in washing, peeling, and chopping vegetables and meat.
"Hey, why are you so slow?" Cindy impatiently scolded her. "Have you been living the high life for so
long that
you''ve forgotten how to do chores?"
Maisie retorted, "Mom, I am helping, though..."
"Alright, alright. What are you even doing?" Cindy grabbed the knife from her hand. "I''ll do it myself!"
Maisie was pushed aside, and the sound of the knife striking the cutting board resonated like a stab to
her heart. It
was eerie and unsettling.
The moment she stepped into the house, she wanted to escape.
N?velDrama.Org ? content.
She discreetly took out her phone, intending to text Daniel to inquire when he would pick her up, only
for Cindy to
notice this small action.
"What are you doing? Can''t you survive without your phone?" Cindy scolded her, intensifying her
chopping. The
meat and vegetables bore the brunt of each forceful strike.
"Who are you texting? Your sweetheart?"
"Mom..."
"You stubborn girl!" Cindy poked her on the forehead, "Why did you break up with Mr. Bayer? Are you
out of your
mind?"
"Mom, we really weren''tpatible!"
Maisie was pushed off bnce, and she genuinely wondered if her mother was using the same force
she exerted
while chopping the meat a moment ago.
"Ipatible? What does that even mean? He''s wealthy, isn''t he?!" Cindy raised her voice,
brandishing the knife
while ring at Maisie. "He''s a great catch—handsome, sessful, and loaded. Men like him aren''t
easy toe
by!"
"Mom!" Maisie couldn''t bear it any longer. "Don''t you care about my happiness? What if I married into
that family,
but my life was miserable? What then?"
"How miserable could it be? Nonsense!" Cindy continued to berate her. "Your brother is the one who''s
had a tough
life! By the way, where''s your sry for the past few months? Why did you send back so little?"