Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 519

Hiram choked out, "My mom treats me well; she never did anything wrong to me, grandma..."

Hearing the innocence in the child's voice, Faith and I exchanged glances. As mothers, we understood. But a young child like Hiram wouldn't. Karina had raised him and was the person he relied on most. Therefore, in his mind, his mom was the best person in the world.

"Hiram, you'll understand when you're older. For now, you have to be obedient, okay?" Faith wasn't quite sure what to say, so she just comforted Hiram.

Fearing that Neil would get angry again, Hiram didn't make a scene. Instead, he sat quietly with his head down.

Perhaps realizing that he had been too harsh, Neil softened his tone, "How about we go buy some toys? You can choose whatever you want. Are you in?"

Hearing this tempting offer, Hiram cheered up immediately. He nodded and without hesitation, grabbed Neil's hand. The father and son duo left the hospital room to buy some toys.

This gave me the chance to discuss things privately with Faith.

"Faith, what's really going on?" I asked, heavy-hearted.

"Irene, you know about Louis, right? His father used to be the Whitmore family's chauffeur. When I married Neil's father, Louis' parents were already married and expecting him." Faith didn't hold anything back. She shared the details with me, maybe because it helped to talk about it.

The story was mostly as I had known it before, except for one detail. There was a jade pendant, a heirloom of the Whitmore family that was traditionally passed down to the next daughter-in-law. However, when it came to Ryan, the pendant was missing.

Even though Ryan had been scolded, Faith didn't hold it against him.

"If the pendant was with me, it should have been passed on to you next." Faith sighed as she said this.

I remained silent. It wasn't about the pendant. What I was thinking was how unfair all this was for Faith and Neil if it was true.

"Ryan refused to admit it. He claimed that he lost the pendant accidentally. We met with Louis and had a paternity test done. The results..." Faith couldn't go on. Tears welled up in her eyes. I quickly handed her a tissue to wipe them away.

"Faith, you have to stay strong." All I could offer were these empty words. But in the face of such a situation, I realized that all other words were just as pointless.

As Faith wiped her tears, she choked out, "We were the couple everyone envied. I always believed that he was faithful. I never imagined that I was being fooled this whole time. Irene, at my age, becoming a laughing stock... it's just humiliating."

I understood. People can be unpredictable. Even those who seem to be good friends might be secretly jealous and waiting for you to stumble. Especially considering Faith's status, she was bound to attract envy.

She and Ryan had been happily married for so many years. The sudden scandal had turned their world upside down and naturally, it made tongues wag.

I handed Faith another tissue and listened as she continued.

She talked for over half an hour. Gradually, she calmed down. That's when I asked, "So, what does Louis want now? To return to the Whitmore family?"

"Yes, he wants to change his last name and return to the Whitmore family. He wants to be on equal footing with Neil, including claiming half of the company. But that's impossible!" Faith was getting agitated.

"Don't be upset. It's just his wishful thinking. Your husband and Neil won't let it happen. You need to trust their abilities." I reassured her.

Louis was living in a fantasy. Even if he was Ryan's illegitimate son, the most he could expect was some money. The idea of returning to the Whitmore family and sharing their fortune with Neil was ludicrous.

My heart skipped a beat. I had just turned down Neil's request earlier in the day, and now Faith was pleading with me.

Given the Whitmore family's current situation, they really couldn't spare the attention for Hiram. It was possible that Karina might take advantage of this to take him away. They needed someone they could trust to look after Hiram.

But me...

"Grandma, I don't want her to take care of me!" Hiram vehemently opposed the idea. He had rejected the idea even before I had a chance to respond.

"Hiram!" Neil's voice cut through the air like a cold gust of wind, and Hiram instantly clammed up. He removed his baseball cap, pouting like a disgruntled little boy.

Faith continued, "I know it's a big ask, but I just can't stand the thought of Karina anywhere near the kids. The things she's done... it's just not right."

It wasn't, but Hiram didn't understand.

The only reason I was still in Rosemont was to stay close to Dylan, to unearth the secrets he shared with Karina, and to attempt to prevent the senseless feud between Neil and Russel. With Serena and Brandon no longer by my side, I had less on my plate and more freedom than ever.

But to use this newfound time taking care of a child who despised me? I wasn't keen on that.

"I just can't trust someone we've hired with cash. Anything money can fix, Karina can too." Faith explained earnestly. "Neil said he only trusts you. Look at what happened with Russel and Louis..."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with a sense of melancholy.