Chapter 241 Secret Meeting with a Man
Uma was so angry she couldn't speak. "You're so noble. If it were your sister sleeping with Mr. Tristan Lancaster and getting pregnant with a bastard while you were pregnant, I wonder if you could still be so high and mighty."
"I would get divorced and stay far away from that scumbag, instead of targeting another woman." Harriet's face was cold. "Unless that woman had harmed me in the same way, I would never take revenge on her in such a cruel manner. Most importantly, from what I know about Amara, she would never have climbed into Owen's bed on her own! She has strong principles and would never do such a thing, so it must have been Owen who initiated it, or even possibly forced her!"
"Mrs. Harriet Lancaster, I don't want to discuss Amara's past with you here. I'm leaving now."
Harriet didn't make things difficult for Uma.
After all, she was just a servant, at most an accomplice, not the main culprit.
Harriet watched the taxi drive away before looking away.
When she turned around, she saw Griffin standing behind her at some point.
Whether it was Harriet's imagination or not, she felt his eyes were filled with sadness.
Harriet realized something and walked up to ask, "How much did you hear?"
"I only heard your last few sentences." Griffin smiled. "Harriet, if my mother's spirit in heaven knew you trusted her so much, she would be very happy."
Harriet looked at him suspiciously. "You know everything, don't you?"
"She didn't let me know." Pain spread through Griffin's eyes. "When she knew her time was running out, she told your grandmother everything about her life, and I overheard it."
"So you and grandmother knew everything, and I was the only one kept in the dark." Harriet choked up. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Harriet, you're so pure and wonderful, how could I bear to tell you such things." Griffin smiled bitterly. "I pretended not to know and spent her last days with her. Because her final wish was that I could live a peaceful and stable life."
"So what really happened?" Harriet asked. "In my view, Ms. Wallace would never have fallen for someone like Owen, a married man unfaithful to his marriage."
"Of course not." Griffin's voice was strained. "Owen raped her."
"To protect Gemma from harm, she didn't even choose to call the police, but acted as if nothing had happened and quietly left."
"Later, she found out she was pregnant. She wanted to abort it, but couldn't bring herself to do it. I think that was the most foolish decision she ever made in her life."
"After secretly giving birth to me, no matter how hard life was, she never thought of going to the Lancaster family to demand anything. But she never expected that Gemma would find out and had no intention of letting her go."
"She was originally a pure and innocent flower, but Owen and Gemma dragged her into the mud, and she never found redemption for the rest of her life."
Harriet thought of that beautiful and kind Amara, her heart aching.
No wonder.
No wonder back then, she could always see a trace of sadness in Amara's clean and clear eyes.
Harriet didn't understand it then, but now she suddenly realized.
That beautiful and gentle Amara had endured so much torture and pain that ordinary people couldn't bear.
"Harriet, you know what?" Griffin's eyes filled with tears. "I actually hate myself quite a bit. If it weren't for me, she could have died long ago."
"But because of me, she couldn't die."
"Not only couldn't she die, but she had to find ways to keep me alive, so she had no choice but to go down that path."
Griffin's tears finally fell. "I often think, every time she smiled and satisfied those men, she must have wanted to die so badly. But she told your grandmother that she never regretted giving birth to me."
"Stop talking, Griffin." Harriet couldn't help but cry out loud. "Stop talking. What's wrong with this world? Why? Why don't good people get good endings?"
Amara was like this.
Ondine was like this, too.
She really didn't understand.
"Harriet, don't be sad." Griffin gripped her shoulders. "My mother is watching from heaven and wouldn't want to see you so upset."
"She loved you so much. Only when you're well will she be at peace, understand?"
Harriet suddenly remembered something. "Since Gemma was always relentlessly pursuing you and your mother, was it also her doing when you were harmed and ended up in Vesperia?"
Griffin didn't deny it. "Besides her, who else would want me dead?"
Harriet wiped the tears from her face and looked up at the gentle and refined Griffin in front of her. "Griffin, since you've known about Ms. Wallace's ordeal all along, tell me, what are you really trying to do by returning to the Lancaster family?"
"Harriet, what are you trying to say?"
"You're so filial, how could you possibly let go of Ms. Wallace's death?" Though Harriet was guessing, her tone was particularly certain. "Tell me the truth. Did you return to the Lancaster family to avenge Ms. Wallace? Does Gemma's death have anything to do with you?"
"Harriet, do you know how serious your accusation is?" Griffin looked at her seriously. "Grandmother has already acknowledged me as part of the Lancaster family. If I killed Gemma, wouldn't that be disloyal and unfilial?"
"You don't need to give me these high-sounding words. I don't believe you can really put Ms. Wallace's past experiences behind you." Harriet's heart was still aching. "Not to mention you, even I want to seek justice for Ms. Wallace right now!"
"Harriet, you're right." Griffin smiled faintly. "When I was young, that's what I thought too. When I grew up and became capable, I would definitely seek justice for my mother."
"But over these years, I've suffered enough in Vesperia. That youthful mindset has long been worn away."
"Harriet, can you imagine what it's like to fight dogs for food?"
"When you don't snatch food from a dog's mouth, you'll starve to death. All your pride and dignity disappear. You can only choose to survive, otherwise, even if you don't starve to death first, you'll be bitten to death by vicious dogs."
Griffin closed his eyes painfully. "Harriet, those days were too dark, dark enough to change your nature and make you just want to live, to live like a human being."
"So after I was lucky enough to return home, I just wanted to follow my mother's wishes and live well."
"So when my father found me and wanted me to return to the Lancaster family, I agreed."
"Harriet, do you think my mother would want to see me living a stable life now, or living worse than an animal in Vesperia?"
"Or would she want to see me seek revenge on Gemma?"
"Gemma is paralyzed and powerless, but don't forget, she still has a son. If I dare to touch her, will Tristan let me go? Can I fight against Tristan?"
"So I'm not stupid enough to seek my own death."
Griffin's words were heartbreaking and made sense.
But Harriet felt something wasn't quite right.
Griffin had always been filial and shouldn't have let go of Amara's revenge so easily.
"Harriet, don't you believe me?" Griffin's hands on her shoulders suddenly tightened. "Why don't you feel sorry for me at all, but instead suspect me? Just because of that diary, do you really hate me that much?"
Harriet shook her head gently. "I've never said I hate you. No matter what unpleasant things happened between us, I don't want you to go down the wrong path."
"Before Ms. Wallace passed away, she met with me alone and asked me to look after you for her." Harriet choked up. "Griffin, I don't want to fail Ms. Wallace's trust. I hope you won't disappoint her expectations either. She wanted you to be a good person, do you understand?"
"Of course I understand." Griffin promised firmly. "Harriet, rest assured, I won't let her down, and I won't let you down either."
"What are you two doing!"
A sudden voice interrupted them.
Harriet turned her head and saw Tristan, Xavier, and Quinlan's family, who had been dining upstairs, had come down at some point.
Tristan was staring at the two of them with a dark expression.
Quinlan spoke indignantly. "Harriet, my aunt just passed away, and as her daughter-in-law, how can you be getting cozy with another man at a time like this?"
Griffin calmly withdrew his hands.
Brielle pretended to be shocked. "Tristan, I've heard that your wife doesn't respect your mother, and it's actually true."
"It's one thing for her not to respect her elders, but how can she not even consider your dignity?"
"She left in the middle of the meal, and I wondered where she went. Turns out she went to meet a man in secret."