Sebastian's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the moment he opened his eyes, he felt something soft on his lips, followed by a warm breath entering his mouth.
"He's awake, he's awake!"
Simon, who was waiting by the side, was extremely nervous. Seeing his friend finally wake up, he sighed in relief.
"Thank you, thank you!"
He clasped his hands together and thanked Bertha Haines.
"Little girl, what's your name?"
"Leave a contact number, and we'll treat you to a meal sometime!"
Bertha directly refused. She squeezed the water out of her clothes a few times and was about to ride her bicycle home when Simon suddenly handed her a dry jacket.
"Put it on, don't catch a cold."
"This jacket belongs to my friend. If fate allows, you can return it next time we meet."
Bertha hadn't intended to take anyone's jacket, but as soon as she heard it was Sebastian's, she immediately changed her mind.
"Thanks."
Isn't Nancy Norris fond of Sebastian? If she found out the clothes Bertha was wearing belonged to her dear Sebastian, she might just explode with anger.
"Bertha, what's... why are you soaking wet?"
As soon as she got home, her biological mother came up to her, full of concern in her voice.
Seeing her 'good sister' following, she picked up her phone and started typing.
[Sebastian almost drowned, and I happened to pass by and saved him.]
Jerry Moore: "You saw Sebastian? Is he okay?"
Seeing Nancy Norris filled with worry, she deliberately wrote: [Performed CPR, he's awake now, but probably needs hospitalization.]
Nancy instantly became distracted, and when she saw the boy's jacket Bertha was wearing, she frowned slightly.
"The clothes you're wearing..."
Bertha typed an explanation: [Sebastian was afraid I'd catch a cold, so he lent me his jacket.]
Then, she watched as Nancy's gaze fell on Sebastian's jacket, her eyes like flames, as if she could burn holes in it if she stared any longer.
Jerry didn't notice the tension between the two sisters, and instead advised Bertha.
"Bertha, go upstairs and take a hot shower, soak for a while to get rid of the chill."
"I'll have Mrs. Wynn make you a bowl of ginger soup and bring it up later."
"I need to call Mrs. Mitchell and ask about the situation. If Sebastian is hospitalized, we'll have to visit him."
Bertha nodded with a smile and discovered that Nancy followed her upstairs and into her bedroom.
"You didn't pay any attention to what I said, did you?"
"I told you, you're not a good match for Sebastian. Why are you trying so hard to get close to him?"
"Do you think that just because you saved him, he'd repay you by marrying you? Stop dreaming!"
Faced with Nancy's harsh words, Bertha wasn't angry. She simply glanced at her and then took out paper and pen, writing two sentences.
[I know you don't like me, so you keep scheming against me.]
[But everyone has a limit. If you provoke me again, don't blame me for being rude!]
Nancy was stunned for a few seconds, then sneered.
"Oh, so you've been pretending all along, acting weak, acting pitiful!"
"Let's make a deal: as long as you stop bothering Sebastian, I'll ask grandpa not to 'kick you out'!"
Bertha couldn't help but snort coldly at this.
This home, didn't she already not want to stay even a moment longer?
[Please leave, I need to shower.]
*
Bertha went into the bathroom for a hot bath, and when she came out, she found the jacket she had thrown on the sofa had several holes in it.
She didn't need to guess who did it.
This kind of behavior was just too childish.
Just as she was contemplating how to repair the jacket, her biological mother suddenly entered, holding a tray which presumably contained the ginger soup made for her.
"Here, drink the ginger soup first."
"I've already called Mrs. Mitchell, she said Sebastian is still undergoing tests, and the results aren't out yet."
"...Hey, why is this jacket torn?"
Bertha picked up her paper and pen, intending to file a complaint as well.
[Sister likes Sebastian, she told me not to go near him.]
Jerry's expression darkened visibly.
"How could Nancy..."
Bertha continued writing: [She always sees herself as Sebastian's fiancée. Now that I'm back and have taken her place, it's normal for her to feel unbalanced.]
Jerry got even angrier after reading this.
"What do you mean you took her place? Clearly, she occupied yours for eighteen years!"
"No, I need to have a serious talk with her!"
Watching her biological mother walk away, Bertha's lips curled into a slight smile.
Initially, she was averse to tattling to solve problems, but to deal with someone like Nancy, she had to repay in kind.
*
After leaving Bertha's room, Jerry Moore went directly to Nancy Norris's room, and upon entering, directly questioned her.
"Did you cut up Sebastian's jacket?"
Nancy had already prepared herself to be scolded by her adoptive mother. She immediately knelt in front of her, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at her.
"Mom, before you brought Bertha back, you promised me, you said you'd treat us equally, but did you?"
"You're too biased, you always favor her!"
"I know I'm not in a position to ask you for anything, but we've lived together for eighteen years, to me, you're my real mom!"
"But it's clear you don't feel the same way!"
"Mom, when it comes to Bertha, I can let go of anything, but not Sebastian!"
"Since I can remember, you've always told me that I'd marry Sebastian when I grew up, so I always thought I'd be his bride!"
"But since my sister came back, everything's changed!"
"Mom, I really like Sebastian. I beg you, please don't let him marry Bertha, okay?"
Jerry's heart wasn't made of steel. Looking at the daughter who had called her mom for eighteen years, she suddenly realized she had indeed neglected her too much lately.
However, she had to admit she was biased toward Bertha, after all, Bertha was her own flesh and blood.
"Bertha suffered a lot out there, I just want to make it up to her more."
"When you were wearing branded clothes and dining on delicacies, Bertha was starving and freezing in the Haines Family."
"When you were learning piano today and dancing tomorrow, Bertha couldn't even afford basic tuition."
"When numerous bodyguards were protecting you daily, Bertha was kidnapped to a mountain and bullied until she became mute."
"When you spent hundreds of thousands of pocket money each month, Bertha was scavenging for corpses and picking up trash just for three meals a day! Do you still feel unbalanced?"
Nancy knelt closer, hugged Jerry's legs, and cried even harder.
"But her misfortune wasn't caused by me!"