He was rather moved because he was acknowledged. Truly, genuinely acknowledged.
Mila Anderson glanced at everyone and asked, "What? Am I wrong?"
The old lady nodded vigorously. She was most pleased that her daughter-in-law could see things clearly.
After all, Jas was not at fault.
Gian Horne said gratefully, "Mila, thank you."
Mila Anderson shot him a look. She had co to terms with it, not for the sake of his thanks.
For many years, Jas Horne had also lived a hard and exhausting life, which she had witnessed firsthand. He hadn’t wished for a mother like Phoebe Rogers either. Thankfully, Glades’s protection had prevented Jas from going astray or opposing her. For that, she was truly grateful to her son. If Phoebe Rogers had corrupted Jas, causing him to constantly oppose her, she wouldn’t be able to sit here leisurely drinking bubble tea now.
Jas was a good kid!
"Jas, have you not proposed to the Hughes family yet?" the old lady changed the subject.
Jas looked at Rebecca Hughes, his eyes soft and affectionate—a spitting image of Glades.
"Grandma, I’ve proposed to Rebecca, and the Hughes family has agreed. I brought Rebecca here today because I want you all to help us choose a wedding date," Jas said tenderly.
After he had jealously and possessively made Rebecca his, he began to let go of his feelings for Julia. He truly had to thank Julia for her reminder and guidance. He had initially wanted his family to help him choose a wedding date sooner, but Rebecca always seed to have sothing on her mind, which caused delays. When he pressed her about it, he learned that Rebecca was worried it was all just a dream.
He chuckled at her silliness, yet also found it endearing.
If it all were a dream, then he would sink into that dream with her, never to awaken.
He loved her!
He had truly fallen for her!
Julia, though still a regret in the depths of his heart, had seen his feelings for her transform from love into familial affection.
He could swear it to the heavens.
After they communicated, his actions further proved his love, helping Rebecca’s spirits recover. Their wedding plans were then put on the agenda. In Uriel Hughes’s words, "Don’t wear a wedding dress with a big belly, or it won’t look good."
"Really? You’re really planning to get married? That’s wonderful, wonderful!" The old lady laughed with joy.
Her fourth grandson was getting married! This was a joyous event, a truly great occasion!
"Jas, don’t worry. We’ll take care of your wedding. You and Rebecca just need to relax and wait to be the groom and bride," Mila Anderson also smiled.
The family was finally going to have a joyous celebration.
It had been a long ti since they’d had such a happy event, hadn’t it?
Gian Horne was also very happy and breathed a sigh of relief. He probably felt that with his youngest son getting married and accomplishing this major life event, his responsibilities as a father had lessened.
And then there was his daughter...
"RING, RING, RING..."
The telephone rang, and Aunt i hurried over to answer it.
After the call, Aunt i ca over with a beaming smile and announced to everyone, "The Eldest Young Master called. He said the Eldest Young Mistress is expecting again!"
"Really?"
"That’s fantastic!"
"I’m going to be a grandma again!"
"I’m going to be an uncle again!"
Hearing that Julia was expecting again, everyone burst into joyous laughter once more.
The Fourth Young Master was getting married, and the Eldest Young Mistress was expecting again—good things were happening one after another!
「T City First Prison.」
Dressed in her prison uniform, Phoebe Rogers was escorted by a female prison guard into the visitation room. There, she saw Jas Horne and Rebecca Hughes sitting on the other side of the partition.
Her expression was sowhat agitated; her son hadn’t visited her for so ti.
She thought her son hated her, resented her, and no longer wanted to see her.
She hurried to the phone and, before even sitting down, eagerly picked up the receiver. Through the transparent partition, she gazed greedily at her son’s still handso face.
After leaving the Horne estate, Jas Horne had told Rebecca Hughes that he wanted to take her to see his mother. Since they were getting married, he felt it necessary to inform her. No matter what, Phoebe Rogers was still his mother, and their blood ties wouldn’t be severed by her incarceration.
"Jas," Phoebe Rogers called out, her voice choking.
Jas picked up the receiver and asked in a low voice, "Mom, how have you been lately?"
Phoebe Rogers nodded, tears in her eyes.
After being imprisoned for so many years, she had slowly co to realize her mistakes.
"Jas, what about you? Are you doing okay? You seem to have lost weight. Rember to eat on ti. No matter how busy or tired you are, you mustn’t go hungry, understand? And who is this young lady?" Phoebe Rogers glanced at Rebecca Hughes. She guessed the truth, her eyes showing joy, but she still wanted her son to tell her himself.
Jas turned his head to look at Rebecca and then said, "Mom, this is your daughter-in-law, Rebecca Hughes. We’re preparing to get married, so I brought her to et you."
Phoebe Rogers quickly wiped away her tears and smiled happily. "Jas, let talk to her, okay?"
Jas then passed the receiver to Rebecca.
Taking the receiver, Rebecca warmly called out, "Mom."
Tears welled up in Phoebe Rogers’s eyes again before she could even speak.
She wasn’t a qualified mother, nor was she an honorable one. Yet her son still acknowledged her, and her future daughter-in-law was also willing to recognize her. It made her feel that, in fact, God had been fair to her.
"I don’t deserve this."
Phoebe Rogers said guiltily, recalling the past. She had claid to love Jas, but in reality, she had used him more than she loved him. She had only thought of using her son’s existence to strike at Mila Anderson, to cause Mila distress and prevent her from living a comfortable life. Furthermore, she had wanted to use her son to help herself move into the Horne family ho.
"Mom, you carried Jas for ten months and gave birth to him, giving the man I love. You are Jas’s mother. That’s a fact, and it won’t change because of any mistakes you’ve made," Rebecca said kindly.
Phoebe Rogers was deeply moved. This girl was a good woman who truly loved her son; Phoebe could finally rest assured.
"Love Jas well. He... he’s a good man. He has received so little true love in this world. You must take my place, take good care of him, and love him," Phoebe Rogers said, her eyes brimming with tears.
Rebecca looked at Jas, their fingers tightly interlocked, and said, "Mom, don’t worry. I will love Jas with all my life. I will take good care of him and make sure he never goes hungry, feels cold, or gets too tired."
Phoebe Rogers nodded repeatedly.
She was overjoyed.
Her son was finally getting married. It was clear that her daughter-in-law ca from a prominent background. Despite Phoebe being a prisoner, her daughter-in-law didn’t despise her and was willing to acknowledge her as her mother-in-law. She was so happy she didn’t know what else to say.
Rebecca returned the receiver to Jas. She knew that visiting ti was limited, and she wanted Jas to have more ti to speak with his mother.
Jas took the receiver again.
"Jas... your father..." Phoebe Rogers hesitated for a long ti before asking about Gian Horne.
Gian Horne had visited her too. However, due to her resentnt towards him, they would sit in silence, and she even found herself not wanting to see him.
Gian Horne hadn’t co to see her recently. It seed like it had been about half a year.
Having let go of her resentnt, seen things clearly, and realized her mistakes, she knew that if she were to hate Gian Horne, she must first hate herself. She had made the first move; Gian Horne had rely responded.
It takes two to tango; it wasn’t just Gian Horne’s fault. She was also to bla.
Jas Horne nodded and replied, "He’s all right."
"Your Aunt Mila..." Phoebe Rogers began, asking about her forr rival, her heart filled with guilt.
It was she who, in the na of love, had destroyed another’s love and marriage, causing Mila Anderson to suffer for over thirty years.
She had wronged Mila Anderson terribly!
"She’s doing well." Jas Horne told Phoebe Rogers about Mila Anderson’s recent situation. Finally, he also ntioned that Mila had asked him and Rebecca to call her "Mom" instead of "Aunt."
Phoebe Rogers was moved once again.
After more than thirty years of rivalry, Mila Anderson had let bygones be bygones with a smile. When Phoebe was imprisoned, Mila had genuinely accepted her son.
"Jas, I’m afraid I won’t make it out of here in my lifeti," Phoebe Rogers confessed. Her sentence was for over ten years, and she was already in her sixties. She feared she would spend her final days in prison, with no hope of release. However, she still wanted to convey her apologies to her forr rival through her son.
"Mom, don’t say such things. As long as you reform well and strive for a reduced sentence, you can reunite with us soon," Jas said in a low voice.
Phoebe Rogers smiled, a smile mixed with tears. She shook her head. Once she ca in, she never expected to get out. She knew her own body; her health had deteriorated greatly. She didn’t want her son to worry, so she had asked the prison guards to help her hide it. "Jas, promise , apologize to your Aunt Mila for . Tell her I’m sorry! And your elder brother, and your younger sister—you must apologize to them on my behalf too."
Jas shook his head. "Mom, an apology is only sincere if you deliver it yourself."
"Jas, promise !" Phoebe Rogers insisted.
Jas pursed his lips.
Only after Phoebe Rogers’s repeated pleas did Jas give a heavy nod.
"Also, Jas, you and Rebecca must treat your Aunt Mila—no, your mother—with filial piety, just like your elder brother and his wife do. From now on, call her ’Mom.’ Only in this way can you help atone for my sins," Phoebe Rogers instructed, her heart feeling as if it were being sliced by a knife.
Every single mistake, it was all her fault.
If only she had known then, why did she ever start down that path?
Jas nodded heavily once again.
The visiting ti ended, and Phoebe Rogers was escorted away by the prison guards.
With every few steps, she would look back, filled with imnse reluctance to leave.
One wrong step led to a cascade of errors, ultimately costing her a lifeti of youth and half a lifeti of freedom.
Love, affection, hatred, resentnt—at this mont, all of it dispersed like fleeting clouds.
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