Gabriel innocently tilted his head, casting a curious stare at the three people who had entered his room. They hadn’t knocked to announce themselves, opening the door and walking in as if they owned the place.
In the middle of the group stood a middle-aged woman. Her long, curly brown hair was tied in a loose bun, revealing a beautiful face enhanced by delicate makeup. Her clothes, which were neither classy nor casual, were impeccable, without a single wrinkle. She wore a gentle smile that warmed the heart, but the greed glinting in her eyes betrayed her inner thoughts.
Standing on her right side was a tall teenage boy whose emerald eyes were similar to Gabriel’s. The perpetual grin on his face gave him a haughty look, making people want to slap him on both cheeks. His clothes were from famous brands that cost an arm and a leg, and he proudly exhibited them like a peacock, whereas his hairstyle followed the fashion trends.
The third person was a young boy under five years of age. He had big, expressive eyes and a small, round face. He wasn’t as frail-looking as Misha but nonetheless looked like a little angel. His tiny hand loosely held his mother’s as he took in his surroundings, his chocolate brown eyes darting everywhere.
They formed an odd yet balanced trio.
After entering the room, the eldest son and Gabriel’s stepmother blatantly ignored the nurse. It was as if she was part of the background, not even worth a glance.
‘Honestly, Jake,’ Gabriel silently ridiculed, ‘if you were to pay more attention, maybe you’d realize it’s that hateful nurse who slapped you. What a shame you’re not even bothering to read her nameplate.’
But perhaps even then, he wouldn’t realize. The nurse’s appearance had slightly changed over time, and at first glance, Yuki looked like another person altogether—at least to those who weren’t familiar with her. The mother and son duo only met her once and didn’t remember her well. They certainly wouldn’t recognize her without putting in the effort.
Within four years, Yuki had lost a few pounds and grew her hair, which was at first relatively short. She could now pull it up into a high ponytail, revealing her white forehead and slender neck. The Asian features she inherited from her mother had also become more distinctive after losing weight.
But although she was a beautiful woman, Jake, that playboy, didn’t so much as peek at her. Instead, he walked alongside his mother to Gabriel’s bed. After taking a look at his bruised face, he scoffed, then sat on a chair. Meanwhile, the woman extended her free hand to hold Garbiel’s upper arm, asking in a soft, loving voice, “Sweetie, how do you feel?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Shivers crawled down Gabriel’s spine, and goosebumps spread on his skin. He had the urge to slap her dirty hand away but somehow restrained himself.
“Helaf kfii,” tf obgmfv j rwlif yfobgf qjerlcu. Lf rffwfv ab tfrlajaf yea fnfcaejiis jrxfv jkxkjgvis, “P’w rbggs, yea ktb jgf sbe?”
“Tbeg wbatfg, bo mbegrf!” atf kbwjc gfqilfv, tfg ojmf oliifv klat ojxf rbggbk. “Ccv atlr lr sbeg ygbatfg, Ajxf, jcv sbeg ilaaif ygbatfg, Kglrajc. Glv sbe gfjiis obgufa jybea er?”
“I’m very sorry, but I have no memories of you. And…” Gabriel chewed on his lower lip before adding, “I heard that my mother died four years ago.”
“Yes, your biological mother had a tragic accident, and she is now resting in Heaven. Although we are not related by blood, I do care for you as if you were my own son,” the woman gently comforted, stroking his arm. “Even if you don’t remember us right now, I’m sure the precious memories we share will come back to you bit by bit.”
‘What a white lie. You must be hoping that it won’t happen,’ Gabriel inwardly snorted while outwardly, he smiled timidly. “In that case, I will do my best to remember you, mother.”
When the woman heard him call her “mother”, her mouth twitched slightly. Meanwhile, Jake couldn’t hide his scorn, glaring at his step-brother so much that Gabriel felt like his gaze was about to drill a hole into his face.
Despite noticing the changes in their expressions, Gabriel pretended to be clueless, foolishly smiling. Still, he couldn’t help but find the situation somewhat funny. They wanted to present themselves as a loving family, but they couldn’t hide their disgust for him. Did they honestly think that he wouldn’t notice the revulsion in their eyes? What did they take him for? A brainless fool?
Well, since that incident years ago, Gabriel had been portraying himself as a kind soul who was easily deceived. And even after being tricked, he wouldn’t hold a grudge. As a result, these two thought he could forgive everything. In their minds, he only used his brain to study, and his EQ was close to non-existent.
Stuck between these two was the poor little boy, who seemed utterly lost, unable to understand what was going on. Didn’t his mother forbid Gabriel from calling her mother? Didn’t she say that he was a parasite, a disgusting bug that didn’t deserve to be her son? For as long as Tristan could remember, she had always told him that he shouldn’t speak to Gabriel no matter what. He was a bad person, so he should stay away from him as much as possible.
So why was he his mother’s son now? Did he gain a second brother? Could he talk to him now? What was he supposed to do? Before they arrived at the hospital, his mother did say that he should be kind to Gabriel today, so did it mean that he could smile at him and even hug him? Did it mean that he could act the same way he acted with Jake?
The little hamster was running hard, and Gabriel could almost hear the gears turn in his small head. Tristan was frowning as if he was in the middle of solving a complex puzzle, and the teenager couldn’t help but feel amused.
Children of this age were more often than not innocent, only mimicking what they saw. And since his mother was a cunning witch and his brother was a snotty brat, he didn’t have the best examples around him. If Tristan were born into another family and didn’t have Angela as a mother, he would have undoubtedly grown into an honest man. Gabriel could tell he didn’t have a wicked heart, unlike Jake.
“So, tell me, what do you remember?” Angela asked with a sweet smile coated in poison.
“Nothing, really. I didn’t even remember my name when I woke up, and truthfully, I still don’t. If the medical team didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t know.”
“And do you know how you ended up in a coma?”
‘Here we go,’ Gabriel inwardly sighed as he hesitatingly shook his head. He knew her following words would anger him to death, so he mentally prepared himself to stay stoic. He just hoped that Yuki wouldn’t lose her calm and punch Angela in a fit of rage. That nurse’s temper was as bad as Misha’s.
“You see, you have a girlfriend. And I really don’t mind if you’re in love, it’s normal at your age, but I must say that this girl is not right for you. She’s only after your money, and her family is a little bit, you know? Barbaric? And that’s why you ended up in such a sorry state.”
Angela tightened her grip around his arm as if what she was saying pained her. She showed grief and anger on her beautiful face, and if Gabriel didn’t know any better, he would most likely have been fooled by her acting. It was too perfect.
After taking a deep breath, Angela continued with a sorrowful voice, “Her little brother pushed you down a slope. But after pushing you, he lost balance, and you, who are too kind, still decided to protect him with your body, knowing that the boy was too frail to survive such a fall.” She sighed before raising her hand, gently stroking his cheek. “No matter what that family says, don’t believe in their words. They are trying to save face and protect their son. I know what I just said is difficult to believe, but I want you to be on guard. Ok, sweetheart?”
The dumbfounded look on Gabriel’s face wasn’t even faked. Today, he learned that he had misjudged Angela; her twisted personality was even worse than he thought. That woman was shameless like no one else, enough to imply that Masha’s family was trying to cover up an attempted murder. Did she believe they were in a soap opera? Although Gabriel must admit that his crappy life could be mistaken as one, there was still a limit!
Not too surprisingly, Yuki was about to explode. Her face, which was usually expressionless, was now distorted with anger. When she was about to take a step forward and grip that woman’s collar to shake some sense into her diseased brain, the door opened, interrupting her. Then a familiar voice traveled to her ears.
“What? There are other visitors today?! Gosh, it was about time!”
Mini theater
MC: Aren’t I the MC?
Author: Yeah?
MC: Then, why is my screen time so short?!
Chapter revised on 2022-05-11
Edited by Clozed! ♥
Haha Misha, sometimes you have to sacrifice your screentime for the sake of the plot~
Thanks for the chapter~
Misha is still not happy. And pouting. What a brat.
Thanks for reading! ~
😂 Gabriel, you gotta sacrifice some of your screentime to appease wifey~
UGH what a horrible lady! to lie on my beloved Misha and act all sweet with Gabriel. UGH how gross can some women be?
thanks for the chapter <3
Waaaaw, this is disgusting. 😊🔪
Yuck. No wonder he hates crawly things. I’m waiting for him to look sincerely curious and ask that woman why she was there when he fell.