Chapter 225: Preference
I could only hear Micah complaining about Quinton.
"Yeah! Don't let his honest appearance fool you, he's actually cunning and sharp. He just likes to play dumb."
"We go way back. We enlisted in the same year."
"Back then, he acted all stupid, making us think he had some kind of mental problem. Even our squad leader told us to look after him, so we'd do a lot of things for him."
"Only after getting to know him did we realize,he was faking it! There's nothing wrong with his brain! He fooled all of us."
"But his act actually helped me out a lot."
"The Hays family also thinks he's an idiot who only got where he is today by relying on me, but that's not true at all."
"Him going to prison, that was a trap he deliberately set for The Hays family to fall into. The Hays family still thinks they're the ones who got him locked up, but it was actually your dad's idea."
Amelia was completely shocked.
She had a whole new understanding of Quinton.
She didn't know what to say.
She couldn't exactly join Micah in criticizing Quinton.
But if Micah hadn't said anything, Amelia really would have been fooled by Quinton's simple-minded act.
She had misjudged him!
Thinking about it carefully, if Quinton really was an honest fool, why would Micah value him so much?
No wonder The Hays family doesn't take the Richardson family seriously at all now, they think everyone in the Richardson family is stupid.
Quinton's honest appearance really does make people let their guard down.
Amelia told Samuel about this.
Samuel wasn't too surprised.
Amelia looked at him. "You knew what my dad was like?"
"Not exactly, but I guessed."
Fine, she was the only one who got fooled.
Amelia ended her call with Samuel and went with Uma to see her son.
Since the Julie incident ended, Amelia had been treating Uma's son every week, keeping him on medication the whole time.
At first, Uma's son couldn't see anything at all. Later, he could vaguely sense light.
Now, he could make out human shapes. Though still not very clear, it was major progress.
Amelia said, "In about twenty more days, his eyes will be fine."
Uma was moved to tears with gratitude.
And indeed, just as Amelia said, twenty days later, Uma's son could see clearly, no different from a normal person.
Except his eyes would get tired if he used them for too long.
After examining him, Amelia said, "That's normal. Go out and look at scenery more, look at phones and books less, and it'll gradually get better."
"Does he still need to take medicine?" Uma asked.
Amelia said, "He's finished three courses of treatment. No more medicine needed."
Uma knew it was time for her to leave with her son.
Without Amelia having to remind her, the next day she went to Natalie on her own to ask for time off.
"My son's eyes are better. He wants to go out and really see the world. I'm worried about him, so I want to go with him."
Natalie was reluctant to let Uma go, but as a mother herself, she understood and let her leave. Before she left, she gave Uma a card.
"Take the card and have a good time out there."
Uma refused, but Natalie forced it on her.
Uma packed her things and left that same day.
Holden drove her to the station.
"Listen to Ms. Richardson. Come back when she tells you to come back."
Uma was shocked.
"You know?"
Holden said, "Ms. Richardson told me yesterday. You really got confused."
"I am getting a bit senile."
"Go on. Remember to call me every day to let me know you're safe. I'll be waiting here for you to come back."
"Okay."
Just like that, Uma left.
Natalie was down for a long time, until Amelia brought Faith through the door.
"Mom, this is Faith. You've met her before. She's here to take over Uma's work."
Natalie clearly didn't believe it.
"Don't joke with me. Faith is a guest."
Faith immediately linked arms with Natalie.
"Mrs. Richardson, are you rejecting me? I'm a really good cook!"
Natalie just thought they were joking.
Until the next morning when she woke up and Faith had already made breakfast for the whole family.
Natalie quietly came to Amelia's room and asked, "You're really having Faith take over Uma's work?"
"Of course. Didn't I tell you yesterday?"
"Faith is too young, and she's your friend."
"Don't worry, Faith has a great personality and she's a great cook too."
"Tell me the truth."
"Okay, I want her by your side to protect you. Things are getting more and more chaotic over in Thornfield. I can't let anything happen to you. Besides you, I've also sent people to protect Mason, Lucas, and Grant."
Only then did Natalie understand.
Faith had a very likeable appearance, so Natalie cheered up again and finally stopped being sad about Uma leaving.
While the Richardson family was full of laughter, The Hays family was shrouded in gloom.
Marlon had been transferred because of the Janet incident, and The Hays family's influence in Goldenvale was clearly weakening.
Leonard flew into a rage.
He called Francis and gave him a thorough scolding.
"You made a stupid mistake yourself - why did you have to drag the Rojas family into it too? Look at what you've done!"
On the other end of the phone, Francis abandoned his usual obedience and said coldly, "Since you're so angry, I'll go turn myself in right now and say I was the mastermind. That way it'll reduce Janet's sentence."
"You—" Leonard's face turned iron-blue with anger. "You're starting to rebel, is that it?"
"Dad, isn't that what you mean?"
"Francis, are you trying to make me die of anger?"
"In your heart, I don't matter as much as the Rojas family. Isn't that what you mean?"
"You, you!" Leonard was so angry that the hand holding his phone trembled.
Francis had never dared to speak to him in this tone before!
If Francis weren't far away in Goldenvale, he could slap him across the face right now.
"Get back to Thornfield immediately!"
"I'm afraid that won't work. I still have one thing to do. When I'm done, I'll bring Leo back with me."
With that, Francis hung up directly.
Leonard was about to explode with rage.
Alton had to calm him down. "Francis has always been steady in his work. This time was just a mistake. Who hasn't made mistakes?"
"But he shouldn't have dragged the Rojas family into it."
"If he didn't use the Rojas family, should he have come forward himself? If he'd done it himself, it wouldn't be the Rojas family in trouble - it would be our own family! You should praise him for being careful, not scold him."
Leonard couldn't believe it.
"He made a stupid mistake and I should praise him?"
Alton sighed and said, "Leonard, from childhood to now, Francis has only made this one mistake. Why are you so angry? If Leo had done this, would you still be angry?"
Leonard froze at these words, unable to speak.
Because he knew the answer. He definitely wouldn't be angry. Instead, he'd praise Leo, praise him for finally learning to scheme.
Even if the scheme failed.
Seeing him speechless, Alton sighed again and said, "I know it's hard to be fair in a family, but at least don't be too unfair. Francis may not say it out loud, but he definitely resents it. When he comes back, find a chance to have a good talk with him. Don't wait until his 'resentment' turns into 'hatred' before you regret it."
"I'm his father. Can he really betray me?"
"I'm your father, and aren't you disobeying me right now?"
"Do as I say! Stop favoring Leo from now on! Otherwise the family won't be peaceful, and don't expect your career to go smoothly either. Leo can't handle big responsibilities. In the future, you'll still have to rely on Francis to take care of you in your old age."
Leonard agreed on the surface, but had no intention of doing what Alton said.
In his heart, only Leo came first.
It wasn't that Francis didn't do well - it was just that he didn't like his first wife.
His first wife was a very calculating woman.
His marriage to his first wife was a business arrangement. They didn't have much feeling for each other.
When Leonard was young, he was just like Leo - he loved fooling around with women.
After marrying his first wife, he didn't change this habit, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
Didn't every wife turn a blind eye to what her husband did outside?
But his first wife wasn't like that.
That year, one of his mistresses got pregnant and they found out it was a girl.
He loved daughters and planned to have the woman give birth, then bring the child home to raise.
But he never expected his first wife to secretly take the woman to the hospital and make her abort the child.
From then on, the couple turned against each other.
Later, his first wife got sick with cancer. In less than half a year, she passed away.
Less than a year later, he married his second wife.
His second wife was someone he actually liked. She quickly gave birth to Leo.
His second wife was very considerate, not like his first wife who was always controlling him.
At first, he treated Leo and Francis fairly, until Francis grew up and his face looked more and more like his first wife.
He didn't like looking at him.
This dislike continued to this day.
But thinking about it carefully, he had indeed taken out too much of his feelings about his first wife on Francis.
When Francis came back, Leonard would still have to put on a show, to prevent Francis from really developing other intentions.
On the other end of the phone, Francis's face was also extremely ugly.
Not because of Leonard's unfairness, but because of himself.
He was angry at himself.
He considered himself someone with strong patience. All these years of being neglected by Leonard, he'd been able to endure it, but this time.
He didn't know what happened - he just exploded in anger.
Maybe the failed plan had disturbed his normally calm state of mind.
Or maybe it was emotions he'd suppressed for so long that finally couldn't help but burst out when he heard Leonard say he wasn't as important as the Rojas family.
He lit a cigarette, smoke obscuring half his face.
The last plan to deal with Amelia was already taking shape. He was just waiting for the day to come.
He would calculate Leo into it too.
When that day came, no matter how unfair Leonard was, he couldn't kill him too.
He only had these two sons.
If Leo died, Leonard would have no choice but to count on him.
Francis's eyes were cold.
And someone chose this moment to barge in without knocking.