Chapter 256


    Erica emerged from the study and said, "Ethan, the States are asking for a video conference.


    You''ve been handling their stuff, so you go take care of it. It may not be very appropriate for me to


    step in."


    Ethan nodded and said to Ines, "Izzy, you rest up first. Make sure to dry your hair after showering.


    Don''t wait up for me, I''ll hit the hay after this meeting."


    Ines nodded. Ethanughed a little and headed into the study. Ines looked a bit worried.


    Erica patted her shoulder, "Don''t fret, he''s a man, they''re built tougher than us. He''s had high-stress


    jobs before, it''s actually rare for him to be home this early."


    "Ever since my dad’s incident, he hasn''t been resting well. I worry his health won''t hold up. He


    seems to have lost a bit of weight."


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    "Don''t worry, you''re expecting now. As long as he gets some decent sleep at night, he''ll be totally


    fine." A hint of a smile flickered in Erica''s eyes.


    Cam, tidying up in the living room, overheard Erica and burst intoughter. Ines blushed, "Mom,


    what are you talking about?"


    But then again, Erica did have a point. Ethan was always full of energy. Even if he had to workte


    into the night, he''d still be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the next day. This thought relieved Ines.


    "No need for the shy act, we''re all adults here. I know my son. It''s actually a rare sight to see him


    quiet down." Erica was straightforward.


    Ines didn''t have the guts to discuss such topics with Erica, "Mom, you''re so mean. I''m not talking to


    you anymore; I''m going to rest. I''m really tired today."


    Watching Ines leave, Erica chuckled, "She''s shy, must be a lot of love between her and Ethan."


    Camughed, "I''ve been a postpartum do for a decade now, but I''ve never seen a couple as


    great as Ethan and Ines. Most couples have their little spats, but I''ve never seen Ines and Ethan


    fight. I was taken aback when Ines said she and Ethan had a shotgun wedding. Who''d have thought


    such a marriage could be this loving." "Well, you never know. Ethan was always against the idea of


    blind dates, but just the one time he goes on one, he brings me back a daughter-inw. I was


    worried at first; afraid he got married because of family pressure. That would have been our fault as


    parents."


    As Cam and Erica chatted in the living room, Ines went to the bedroom, a little smile curling at


    the corners of her mouth. But then she remembered the ck notebook Ss gave her and went


    back to the living room to get it.


    Erica thought Ines was still dealing with work, so she reminded her, "Ines, you''re pregnant now, you


    can''t overwork yourself. You can handle work stuff tomorrow."


    "Mom, I''m not working, just some odds and ends. I''ll take a look and then go to sleep."


    Erica didn''t suspect anything. She nodded, "That''s good then. Get some rest as soon as you can.


    Don''t wear yourself out."


    Ines tossed the notebook on the bed and went to take a shower. Afterward, she felt much more


    rxed. She dried her hair with a hairdryer, turned on the bedsidemp, propped herself up against


    the headboard, and started flipping through the notebook.


    The first thing she saw was a scrawl. This was a familiar sight to Ines, as all of Galeana Group''s


    documents had this kind of handwriting.


    Despite the scrawl, the words were full of energy and didn''t interfere with readability. Ines could tell


    what it said at a nce.


    Izzy, by the time you read this notebook, I might have already departed this world. I''m sorry that I


    can''t do anything more for you and instead left you with such a heavy burden.


    There were things I couldn''t say to your face, so I''m telling you this way.


    Ines''s grip on the notebook tightened a little. She was a bit scared of what she might see next. After


    a pause, she moved her eyes back to the pages.


    Perhaps you''ve always been puzzled about my feelings for your mother. I only realized recently that


    she was not just a lifesaver when I was down and out, but also the love of my life. Your arrival was a


    beam of light in my life. You two are the most important people in my life, but I ended up hurting you


    both deeply.


    I was born into a standard farming family. My father, however, was not ambitious at all. He was a


    genuine alcoholic. He would spend any money he earned on alcohol and often came home in the


    middle of the night, and then often blew up at my mother. I was young at the time and couldn''t do


    anything about it. I would always rush to stop him, but he would grab me by the cor and toss me


    aside. My mother could only hold me and cry.


    I was sick of that life. From a young age, I was determined to take my mother and leave, go as far


    away as possible, and never see that man again. I started studying hard. When my mother found


    out about my n, she was very supportive. She often worked to pay my tuition fees, while my


    father would stille home drunk every night. I couldn''t stand people who let poverty beat them


    down, so my rtionship with him became more and more distant. The education conditions in the


    countryside were poor at that time; there wasn''t even a primary school. I had to walk a long way to


    school in the city every day. From primary school to high school, that was more than ten years of


    walking. There were dorms in high school, but my family couldn''t afford it, so I still had tomute


    every day. I would review my lessons while walking. Forplicated physics and math problems, I


    would solve them repeatedly in my head. Over time, I found that my academic performance was not


    falling behind, and my memory and mental arithmetic were even stronger than others.


    Ines covered her mouth lightly. She had no idea about his past, that he had to walk several


    kilometers to school every day for twelve years. That''s not something an ordinary person could


    endure unless they had extraordinary perseverance.


    When I was in junior high, my father died of excessive drinking. I didn''t feel sad at all, but rather


    relieved.


    Shirley was a friend I met in primary school. Her family was a bit better offpared to mine at the


    time. They lived in the city, so she didn''t have to rush like I did. But in that era, her family was still


    quite poor, and the living conditions weren''t great. Later on, I got into a university, but she didn''t.


    She went back home and did farm work with her mother. The time we really spent together was


    mainly during my university years.