Chapter 99 I Was Blind
The news about Arthur and Evelyn quickly reached Elizabeth.
As soon as Elizabeth heard about it, she called Arthur, saying she wanted to meet Evelyn.
Arthur couldn't quite gauge Elizabeth's intentions, unsure if she meant to give Evelyn a hard time.
After all, six years ago, Elizabeth didn't think much of Evelyn, always treating her with disdain.
After a moment of hesitation, Arthur decided to ask Evelyn for her opinion.
"Grandma wants to see you. If you don't want to, I'll cancel it. No need to feel pressured."
Arthur now put Evelyn's feelings first in everything. If Evelyn didn't want to do something, he would never force her.
Evelyn sat on the couch, thought for a moment, and softly said, "It's okay. Since she wants to see me, I should go. After all, she is an elder, and it's right for me to visit her."
She hadn't forgotten the past, but she didn't want to hold grudges forever.
Elizabeth was quite old now, and maybe she just missed her grandson and great-grandchildren. Evelyn didn't want to be the villain here.
Seeing Evelyn agree, Arthur then relayed the message to Elizabeth.
Two days later, he took Evelyn back to the Collins family estate.
As soon as they walked in, Elizabeth quickly came up to them, warmly taking Evelyn's hand. "Evelyn, how was the trip? Was it tiring? I told Arthur to send a car for you, but he said it wasn't necessary."
Her attitude had completely changed, catching Evelyn off guard.
She glanced at Arthur beside her and politely replied, "It's fine, Grandma. It wasn't far."
Elizabeth looked her up and down, then softly asked, "Would you mind accompanying me for a walk in the garden? I have some things I'd like to say to you alone."
"Grandma, is that really necessary..." Arthur seemed worried and tried to intervene, but Evelyn calmly said, "Of course, Arthur. Why don't you sit for a while?"
She was prepared for whatever Elizabeth had to say.
Although Arthur had concerns, he didn't interfere further after hearing Evelyn's words.
Elizabeth nodded in satisfaction and led Evelyn to the garden.
As soon as they reached the garden, Elizabeth sighed and smiled wryly. "Evelyn, I was blind back then. I always thought you weren't good enough for the Collins family and made you suffer a lot."
Six years ago, she constantly belittled Evelyn, always thinking she wasn't as good as Seraphina, and often made cutting remarks.
Now she deeply regretted it, but knew that what was done was done. No matter how much time passed, it couldn't erase her past actions.
"Grandma, that was so long ago..."
"I am truly grateful to you," Elizabeth said, holding Evelyn's hand with teary eyes. "I never thought you'd be willing to forgive Arthur and the Collins family and get back together with him. I was so foolish, deceived by Seraphina, thinking she was the right match for Arthur. Evelyn, I owe you an apology."
Elizabeth choked up, unable to continue, and wiped her tears.
Seeing her like this, Evelyn felt a mix of emotions.
She had harbored resentment before.
Elizabeth had not only crushed her self-esteem but also caused many misunderstandings between her and Arthur.
Elizabeth played a significant role in their breakup.
But now, Elizabeth was sincerely repenting and apologizing. Evelyn didn't know how to respond.
"Grandma, I understand your feelings."
After a long silence, Evelyn gently patted Elizabeth's back and said softly, "Arthur and I have long since let go of the past. You don't need to dwell on it anymore."
She believed that through their interactions, she and Elizabeth would get to know each other better and become a family again.
Hearing this, Elizabeth nodded tearfully.
After their heart-to-heart in the garden, they sat down for a pleasant dinner.
Arthur wanted to ask Evelyn about their conversation several times, but was met with her nonchalant responses.
After dinner, as they were chatting in the living room, Louis came over and handed Arthur an invitation.
"Mr. Collins, there's a charity gala related to the arts fund. They hope you and Mrs. Collins can attend with the children."
There were many invitations for Arthur, but Louis knew he wouldn't miss an arts fund event.
"With the children?"
Arthur took the invitation, looked it over, and asked Evelyn, "Evelyn, what do you think?"
The invitation mentioned that the children could be featured as angels of the arts fund, adding to the gala's charm.
"Since it's for charity, we should attend," Evelyn agreed immediately. "I'm sure the kids will be excited."
"Absolutely," Elizabeth chimed in. "A whole family together, how wonderful!"
Evelyn had guessed the children's reaction. When they got home and told them about it, the kids jumped with joy.
"A charity gala? We definitely want to go!"
"Charity means helping others, right? Mom and Dad always said we should help other kids, so how can we miss this?"
Seeing the children's enthusiasm, Evelyn and Arthur couldn't help but smile. "Alright, since you want to go, you must play your roles well and not mess up. This is a serious event, not just for fun. We need to raise funds for those in need."
The kids listened intently and promised, "Don't worry, Mom and Dad. We'll make you proud and won't let you down!"
Seeing their determination, Evelyn and Arthur felt reassured.
They were ready to take on responsibilities, and they could do so.
"Evelyn."
Arthur had another thought and looked at Evelyn with a smile. "You'll need to dress up for the event."
Dress up?
"I'm not the star of the show. Why should I dress up? Arthur, what are you planning?" Evelyn was puzzled by Arthur's intentions.