Chapter 416
After that day, Emma never came to the company to look for Emily again, and she didn’t even try to contact Emily in private to ask for forgiveness.
According to Andrew, after Emma went back that day, she fell ill, kept having nightmares, and lost a lot of weight.
“No matter what, she’s still your mom, the one who gave birth to you and raised you,” Andrew said, frowning in disapproval. “You shouldn’t have talked to Mom like that. She’s really hurt.”
Emily rubbed her temples in frustration. “Whether she’s really hurt or not, what’s it got to do with me?”
Andrew hadn’t expected her to be so indifferent, and he felt a wave of helplessness wash over him. “Emily, she’s still your mother. Family doesn’t stay mad at each other for long. Are you really still holding a grudge?”
His voice was gentle, almost pleading, like a big brother trying to coax his favorite little sister out of a sulk.
But Emily just curled her lips in a mocking smile. “Mr. Bennett, if your memory’s that bad, I can always pull up those old headlines from when you called every reporter in Cloudridge just to announce my name change.
“Maybe that’ll remind you. I stopped being part of the Bennett family a long time ago. Now, my name is Emily Harper.”
Andrew’s brow furrowed, a flash of guilt in his eyes. “We’ve let you down these past few years, but honestly, we were influenced by others. It wasn’t really what we wanted.
“To be honest, even when the press conference was happening, we already regretted it. We thought if you would just admit you were wrong, we could call the whole thing off. But you were just too stubborn.
“Thinking about it now, you really do take after the Bennett family with that stubborn streak.”
Emily let out a mocking laugh. “Oh? Wasn’t it you who once called me vicious, saying that even after being raised by the Bennett family, I never picked up any of your so-called family traits? Doesn’t it sting a little, Mr. Bennett?”
Andrew’s face stiffened, looking a bit awkward as he clearly remembered his own words.
Andrew’s gaze grew evasive as he tried to justify himself. “I was manipulated. It wasn’t what I wanted. No matter what, you’ll always be my little sister to me.
“Emily, we truly realize we were wrong. Please come back to the Bennett family. We’ll do everything we can to make it up to you.
But Emily didn’t take in a single word. She just looked at him. “Mr. Bennett, if that’s all you came here to say, then please see yourself out and close the door behind you.”
Andrew, who had always been put on a pedestal, had never been shown the door like this before. Embarrassment mixed with a flicker of anger inside him.
But when he saw the cold indifference on Emily’s face, his anger faded, replaced by a weary sigh. Deceived by Lydia, they had done many things that hurt Emily. It was natural for her to resent them and not show them any warmth.
He thought to himself, ‘I’ll just take it slow. Once she’s let all that resentment out, I’ll bring her back to the Bennett residence. Maybe I can start over with Lila, too.’
He pictured the whole family being just like they used to be, warm, close, and full of love. As Andrew thought about it, all the anger in his heart melted away, and his gaze softened as he looked at Emily.
1/2
It felt like they could go back to the days before Lydia ever showed up, like all those years of pain had never even happened.
Andrew’s voice softened. “Emily, I came to see you today not just to apologize for everything that’s happened over the years, but also because I have something I want to ask you.”
Even though he had tried to keep the news under wraps, he’d seen plenty of those videos of Emily facing off with Emma, and of course, he’d heard every word she said.
