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Chapter 176 Overnight Doorman
Aunt Mary, whose full name was Mary Jenkers, was a close friend of my mother’s from her
younger days. Although they did not live in the same city as adults, they stayed in touch.
When my mother took me back to her hometown in Lorell to visit relatives, we often
visited Mary. She was a very beautiful woman, and it seemed like beautiful women often
had challenging fates.
Mary’s life was just like that. As a teenager, she fell in love with a senior from her school
and got pregnant early. Being an unmarried teenage mother was particularly unacceptable
thirty years ago, especially in a small town. Moreover, the boy she loved was irresponsible.
In order to have her child, Mary dropped out of school early. After breaking ties with her
parents, she gave birth to her daughter alone. Later, to support her child, she never
considered marriage again. I used to think she would never marry, but surprisingly, she
decided to get married in her fifties or sixties.
I nodded at my mother and said, “Go ahead, I’m fine now. But how many days will you be
gone?”
After a moment of thought, my mother said, “At least three or four days. Little Sanchez
mentioned his hometown is around there, so I thought we could visit together.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtI was a bit surprised and looked at Maxwell. “Your hometown is in Lorrell?”
Maxwell nodded nonchalantly. “I was over ten when I entered the orphanage, so I still
remember some things. My parents died in a landslide accident. At that time, the
orphanage in Lorrell was overcrowded, so I had to be sent to Lake City. Aunt Deb said she
was going, and I thought it would be a good chance to visit.”
A landslide!
I could not help but feel a sudden jolt in my heart. I did not know much about Maxwell’s
past, only that my father had sponsored his education. I never asked about other details.
I did not expect him to bring it up suddenly.
Seeing that I was momentarily speechless, he tapped my forehead and said, “Don’t look at
me with pity. My life has been good, not at all miserable.‘
I pouted, pretending to be casual. “Who’s pitying you? I was thinking about the landslide
you mentioned. I seem to remember my dad talking about it.”
My mother sat down next to us and added, “That incident happened over ten years ago. It
was all over the newspapers back then. There was a mountain in Lorrell called Snakehead
Mountain that partially collapsed overnight due to tectonic movements. It was a natural
disaster, but a tragedy for those who were buried under the mountain.”
Snakehead Mountain… the Youngs.
My heart felt a bit tight for a moment.
Mr. Zachary’s words still echoed clearly in my mind. It was not due to geological
movements, but a mining disaster that claimed over three hundred lives.
The twists of fate in this world were always so strange. I had never imagined that Maxwell
was
Chapter 176 Ovemight Doorman
a victim of that mining disaster or that his parents were among those three hundred
people,
Seeing him stuffing his mouth with toast, a sense of inexplicable heaviness filled my heart.
He could have grown up
like me,
with parents by his side, without needing to go to an orphanage or relying on someone
else’s sponsorship for education. However…
“What’s wrong with you?” Maxwell frowned at me, noticing my gaze. “You’re not feeling
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmbetter yet?”
I shook my head, diverting my eyes, and forced a smile. “I’m fine. By the way, do you
have any relatives left in Lorrell?”
He shook his head indifferently. “If I had relatives, I wouldn’t have been sent to the
orphanage. This trip with Aunt Deb is just to visit the site. After the disaster, half of the
mountain collapsed, and their bodies were buried under it. The rescuers couldn’t find
them, so I’ve never been able to pay my respects.”
I hummed in response and did not continue the conversation.
I really did not know how to tell him about the past. If he knew that the disaster was not a
natural calamity but a man–made one, I wondered how he would react…
The topic itself was already quite heavy. Even though Maxwell seemed indifferent, I could
still sense his discomfort and chose not to probe further.
”
Instead, after swallowing his food, he looked at me with a gossiping expression and said,
Last night, there seemed to be a doorman guarding the Scotts all night. He only left at
dawn. Did you know about this?”
Knowing he was referring to Idris, I responded indifferently, “Oh?” Then I quickly changed
the subject by complimenting my mother’s cooking skills. Noticing my diversion, he
pursed his l*ps and fell silent.
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