Chapter 1522
Ben never expected Jamie to take the blade for him.
Caught off guard, he stared in shock as Jamie clutched his arm, her voice trembling with desperation. "Ben, please... save my child..."
*
When Jamie woke up, she found herself in a hospital room. Pain shot through her body, but her thoughts were only of Charlie. She quickly sent a message to Winnie.
"Winnie, if someone has to pay, let it be me. A life for a life. Please don't hurt Charlie. He's innocent, and he loves you so much."
Jamie hoped to appeal to Winnie's emotions, trying to remind her of the bond they once shared. But Winnie's heart was hardened.
Her child was gone, lost before ever seeing the light of day. And yet, Jamie's and Ben's child was safe and sound. To Winnie, it was an unbearable injustice.
If Jamie had ever truly thought of her as a sister, she would have told her the truth from the very beginning. She would have revealed Ben's identity and his intentions. But Jamie had said nothing, standing by as Winnie fell deeper and deeper for him. Now, Winnie had nothing. Her baby was gone, and Ben couldn't care less about her. To Winnie, it was all Jamie's fault.
If she had to die, she would make sure Jamie experienced the same unbearable pain she was feeling.
"Aunt Winnie, how long are we staying here? I miss Mom. Did I do something wrong? You've been so distant lately." Children are often the most perceptive.
From the moment Winnie brought Charlie here, he could sense her growing distance.
Her small pang of conscience was stirred.
Children are innocent.
"Charlie, if your mom and I fall out completely, who would you choose? Would you still talk to me?"
Winnie could be ruthless to Jamie, but in front of Charlie, her resolve wavered.
He was her favorite nephew.
Back when she was in school, she would rush home after class to buy Charlie snacks and take care of him.
Whenever she had money, her first thought was to put it toward his medical bills.
Charlie was like a little angel..
She remembered how he once lay on her stomach, fantasizing about the baby she was carrying.
She had expected him to say he hoped for a little sister.
But instead, with a face full of hope and determination, he said, "Aunt Winnie, I hope it's a little brother. That way, he can grow up and protect you."
It stung to think about the hardships she and Jamie had endured. It was always just the two sisters, without brothers or any real support.Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.
Their mother passed away from illness, their father turned to gambling and alcohol, leaving them to fend for themselves.
If Jamie hadn't dropped out of school, Winnie wouldn't have made it to where she was today.
But despite everything, Winnie had only ever loved one man, Ben.
She loved her sister, but the anger burned within her. Why hadn't Jamie told her the truth from the start?
If she had known, she could have stepped aside.
"Don't be upset, Auntie," Charlie said gently. "I know more than you think. I don't want you and Mom to bedike this. If you have hatred in your heart, I'm willing to-"
"Stop right there!" Winnie interrupted sharply, her tone firm. "Charlie, I would never, ever let anything happen to you."
Before Charlie could finish his sentence, Jamie cut him off. She noticed tears welling up in his eyes.
Unexpectedly, Charlie reached out his tiny hand to wipe away her tears. There wasn't even a hint of blame in his innocent gaze.
"It's okay, Aunt Winnie," Charlie said
softly, wrapping his little arms around her neck. "I just want you to be happy. Mom wants that too.
Don't cry, okay?"
Winnie held him close, her heart aching. "But Charlie, I won't have that little brother in my belly anymore. And your mom and I, we can never go back to how things used to be. I don't know how to be strong anymore."