Chapter 475 Meeting An Old Friend


    "Mom, customers," the little boy said obediently.


    "What customers?" the woman scolded. "Do you know that I didn''t the entire night yesterday? I just


    fell asleep! You just had to wake me up huh!"


    As she spoke, she grabbed the little boy and whacked his buttocks.


    "Mom, you said to wake you up when there’s a customer,” the boy defended himself pitifully.


    "So you did what I said? Why weren’t you s o obedient before this huh?” The woman’s beatings


    landed harder.


    The little boy''s pout deepened like he wanted to cry but he held it all in, rousing bouts of pity with


    how he looked.


    Although this was somebody else''s family affair and it was tricky to intervene, to hit a small child like


    this... Susan was going to speak up but Chesney was already charging toward them angrily.


    "Hey, how can you hit someone as you wish!"


    Sheined about the boy’s dirty state just earlier but she slotted herself right in front of the boy


    now without hesitation.


    There was a sliver of surprise in the boy’s eyes as he stared at Chessie.


    The woman squeezed a smile on her face while looking at Chesney. "You’re the customer, yes?


    We’re not in business today. You can leave now."


    "You’re not in business, but that doesn’t mean you can hit him," Chessie huffed. “


    Besides, he didn''t do anything wrong!"


    The woman was quite embarrassed for being chastised by a kid and retorted, "This is my family


    affair. Don’t be a busybody."


    "Is it? But domestic abuse seems to be against thew." Susan''s cold voice rang.


    Hearing the voice, the woman froze before she slowly turned back and saw Julian and Susan who


    stood shoulder to shoulder.


    There was a sense of disbelief that washed over her gaze. "Julian Shaw! Susan Shelby!"


    Recognized and having their names called out, both of them were astonished.


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    "Daddy, Mommy, do you know this bad missus?” Chessie asked in alertness while she guarded the


    little boy.


    "I''d like to know too. Do we know you?" Susan could not help the surprise thatced her question


    when she asked the unkempt and grimy woman before them.


    There was a subtle change of expression from the woman as she involuntarily stiffened. It had been


    three years, but these two people in front of her did not change a bit while she was already aged


    beyond herself!


    That little girl... It must be their child! Hah, look at how she was dressed just like a little princess...


    Her son, on the other hand...


    The woman looked toward the grubby little boy and seemed more unsettled.


    Her strange reaction put a frown on Julian. "Who are you?"


    There was a moment of pause before the woman answered, "It''s nothing. I don''t know you guys.


    I''ve only seen you guys on television.”


    Seen them on television? It was possible.


    Julian and Susan attended charity dinner and whatnot asionally throughout the years and had


    gone onto newspapers and television programs before.


    In spite of it, the woman’s reaction was still puzzling.


    Julian narrowed his eyes. "Tell us then, when did you see us on TV?"


    "Just these recent years," the woman answered carelessly. "Okay, you guys can leave. I''m closing.


    I’m not selling for the day."


    "Will you still beat him after we leave!" Chessie asked fiercely.


    "It’s got nothing to do with you." The woman pushed Chesney away impatiently and grabbed the


    boy.


    "Hey, why are you so mean!" Chesney stomped her foot in anger.


    As if fearful, the woman kept her stall in a haste and packed everything up on a in used car.


    ying the woman''s face in her mind, Susan kept feeling an odd sense of familiarity. Suddenly, she


    caught a uniquelooking ring on the woman''s finger.


    The woman was already done packing up and was going to drive off when Susan called out


    abruptly, "Mandy Ainsley?"


    The woman froze, her hand that was going t o pull the car door open halted.


    Mandy Ainsley?


    Julian could not help being startled when Susan called out the name. What? This old and worn out


    looking woman was Mandy? "Mandy, why are you here!” Susan was already certain with her guess.


    The woman stood rooted for a while before turning back in despair. She kept her gaze o n Susan.


    “How did you recognize me?"


    Susan pressed her lips together before answering, "The ring on your finger..."


    Mandy hid the ring on reflex before she chuckled dryly. “Luke picked this out for m e himself. I


    couldn’t bring myself to sell it. I didn''t expect to be recognized because of this.”


    Susan''s gaze brimmed with an array of emotions. "You''re still thinking of Luke?"


    "How could I forget him?" Mandy said bitterly. "I''ve left my home to stay in the States alone I''ve


    done so much just to try and see if I can find him but... I haven’t gotten any news of him all this


    while." Despair slowly filled the woman. "I probably won''t see him again in this lifetime."


    Susan could not help the silence that took over. She had news about Luke, but was this an


    appropriate time to let Mandy know about him?


    Taking in Mandy who looked worse for wear, Susan was sympathetic. It had been s o long that she


    could barely remember her grudges with Mandy. Whatever it had been, Mandy''s feelings for Luke


    were undeniable when she could give up her upper-ss birth in Canada to struggle for a living


    here in the US.


    If this woman was Mandy, then the child...


    Susan could not help looking at the boy. " This is..."


    Luke''s kid." Mandy nodded easily.


    Susan’s sympathy grew as she took in the boy’s grimy state.


    Mandy and the boy were not doing well at all.


    "And his name is?" Susan asked.


    "Lucas Jenkins," Mandy uttered faintly. ''To remember Luke by."


    Susan was silent for a beat before shemented, "It''s a great name."


    "No use being a great name—his life isn''t great." Mandy looked at Susan. "Can I leave my contact


    number with you? I''m not asking for anything, just that if you have news about Luke, can you let me


    know?"


    Susan asked, feeling an onught of emotions, "Do you not n to go back to Canada? Your


    parents are going crazy looking for you."


    "Oh really? Are they?" Mandy forced a halfsmile. "I actually took Lucas back home once and


    bumped into my parents bearing a son in theirte years. Both of them grinned eye to eye carrying


    my baby brother.”


    "But they miss you still...”


    "Do they?" Mandy smiled. "After my baby brother was born, the people they sent to look for me here


    were gone. I think... even if they miss me, there''s a limit to it."