Rufus did not answer but asked, but he could not be straightforward, so that Isobel could be well
prepared.
"Isobel, it’s been more than 20 years, do you have something to hide from me?"
Rufus asked. At first, Isobel was puzzled. It took her a while to realize that she was hiding something
from Rufus. But she did not believe that Rufus could know it, so she denied it directly.
"No, there’s nothing I hide from you. There is nothing between us."
"Isobel, look at what I have in my hand."
Rufus finally handed the file bag in his hand to Isobel.
Isobel was stunned and opened it without hesitation. She wanted to know what secret was inside.
But when she saw the DNA test report, she could not calm down, she was completely messed up.
"I don't know what it is."
Isobel's premonition was right. It seemed that the secret she had concealed for more than 20 years
could not be concealed again.
With that, she put the file bag and report into the hands of Rufus, turned around and was to leave, but
was stopped by Rufus.
"Isobel, you could not conceal the fact for a lifetime."
"I think you know what this report is about. I am Vanessa’s father."
As Rufus had finished his words, Isobel could not control her anger. She did not want to accept the fact
to be exposed.
"Stop, it doesn't matter. It just brings pain to more people."
"This child..."
"This child is ours. I know I will cause her pain, but she is my child and I have right to know that she
exists."
Rufus did not give Isobel the opportunity but interrupted her words directly.
To him, the child was his guilt, but also the love fruit between he and Isobel. He wanted the child even if
it meant pain to her.
“No, neither of us has the right. I have given her to my brother and she has a happy love. I don’t want
her to be in pain because of you and me.”
“Rufus, pretend you know nothing. in the past 20 years, you did not know her, but she had a good life.
You have two children, so you are not lack of her. The things related to the children has been messed,
so don’t cause troubles to them.”
Isobel was kind of begging. She did not want the annoying days became worse because the identity of
Vanessa.
“No, I don’t have a good life. Since I lost you, I had never been good. For 20 years, I did not know that I
have another, I could not watch her grow up. Do you know how depressed I am?”
Rufus did not with the statement of Isobel. It was the fact, even if it was wrong, it had to be corrected. It
would bring much pain to others, but it had to be corrected.
He continued.
“Isobel, it has been more than 20 years, I thought I would never see you again, but you are back, you
came back to my life and brought back my kid and my grandkid. This is destiny, no one could escape.”
“Make Vanessa’s identity public and we face it together and fix all the problem. We …”
“Your feeling? Don’t be selfish and only considered your feeling. My kid stays with me every day, but I
can only be her aunt. What do you think my purpose is?”
Isobel was unconvinced and did not agree with Rufus’ statement. She would rather endure it alone
than hurt the kid.
“You think simply. Don’t try to make her identity public. Think on her food, she was sick and could not
be stimulated. She had to been my brother’s daughter in the past 20 years, and now if you say she is
your daughter, she would not stand it.”
At this, she shed tears, for her persistence and grievance of many ears.
She had to say it even if she was in tears.
“And Winwin, she had lost her parents. If the identity of Vanessa was told, she would become an
orphan and she would be lonely.”
“They had been supporting each other for years, just like two legs supporting each other. if you break
one of the legs, the other leg would be difficult to stand.”
Isobel raised her heard and questioned Rufus. She wanted to tell him that his persistence would be
rude, Winnie and Vanessa could not accept it.
Seeing that Isobel was in tears, Rufus felt unbearable pain in heart like stuck by a bee.
He could not help but reach his hand to her shoulder and comforted her.
Isobel did not refuse his comfort. She put her heard against Rufus’ chest and cried out loud without any
wild thought.
She had been suppressing for more than 20 years. She had never released her pain in heart when she
broke up with Felix, but she could not bear it anymore maybe it happened suddenly or she was old.
She could not control her emotion at this moment, just wanted to cry out loud and relaxed her heart
which had been tensed for more than 20 years.
“Cry out, don’t hold it back, you have been tough for too long.”
Rufus comforted her. He did neglect her thought, but he felt it would be exposed sooner or later.
Isobel cried for a while and calmed herself down.
She realized the situation was wrong, so she raised her head from Rufus’ chest.
“Sorry, I even cried at this age..”
“Don’t say that, Isobel, I feel indebted to you. If I had not been into your live, you would not have been
single all your life.”
Rufus interrupted her. Everything happened during the 20 years has nothing to do with anyone but him.
“Have a seat, let’s have a talk. Even if the identity of Vanessa is not to be made public, I have the right
to know how she lived.”
Rufus pulled Isobel who was wiping tears to the seat and he moved a chair over and sat opposite her.
Isobel took a deep breath, truing to smooth her breath, since Rufus knew about it, she had no need to
conceal.
“Vanessa is our kid. Since I broke up with you, my brother and sister-in-law asked me to have abortion,
but I did not want to, so I left alone and did not come back one day before she was born.
“My brother and sister-in-law were angry, but they could nothing about it. They were afraid that I lost my
job and I could not get married with a kid, so they had her since she was born.”
“I thought it was good for her, it was a complete and steadiest family after all. I could not stay in this city
at that time, there seemed to be your breath everywhere I went to in those days. I felt hurtful and could
not stand it.”
At this, her tear flowed down. She was still in pain recalling the past.
“So I gave the kid to my brother and sister-in-law after she was born and I left.”
“At the moment I left, I had never intended to come back and had been engaged in medical aid in
remote places. I seldom came back in those years. I did not come back until my brother and sister-in-
law had a car accident.”
At this, she stopped and took the tissue Rufus handed her and wiped tears before she continued.
“I had wanted to tell Vanessa her identity, but she was badly sick and she was to break down. If I told
the truth, Winwin would break down.”
“And I told myself not to be selfish. They relied on each other, encouraged each other, and held on
bravely.
Her tears stopped as her voice fell. She wanted to give her kid her warm, but her love had been from
her brother and sister-in-law, how could she deprive it from her?
“I have nothing to say. I am guilty to you and Vanessa and I have neglected Winnie’s feelings. Why has
it become so complex?”
Rufus did not want to do now. He felt his thought at the beginning was impulsive and selfish, but he
wanted to think about it and found a solution to get his daughter back.
“I did not expect it out two families would be connected in a complex way. Now I am worried that I will
see your son and daughter, if I see then, nothing could be fixed.’’
“Rufus, pretend you know nothing about Vanessa and don’t fight for Winwin and Brain. You take care of
two children, and I go for medical aid, so that I will never see your so, and they can have a quiet life.”
It was the best way she could come up with, she wanted to hide it for a lifetime and escape for a
lifetime.
“Isobel, avoiding is not the best solution. Do you want to stay away for a life time? Can you avoid it all
the time?”
“Let’s face it together. No matter the result was, we try out best and there will be no regret. As long as
the thing was resolved, we can spend our life peacefully.”
Rufus had different idea as Isobel. They both were old and the things to be solved could not be
dragged. They could not die with guilt and regret and left the problem to the next generation in an
irresponsible way.”
“But how can we fix it. There are many people we will hurt, how can we have a peace of mind? Listen
to me, conceal it. When I die, you son would not hate me, and he would not be angry at Winnie and
Vanessa.”
Isobel said. She wanted to solve the problem and then spent the rest of life with peace, but it was easy
to say, hard to do it.
“Even if we die, the problem would not be solved. Do you want us kids continue the hatred because of
us? Isobel, I have something to tell you, you be prepared.”
Rufus did not want to mention it, but he had to. If he did not say it out, Isobel would think death could fix
everything.
“What is it?”
Isobel had bad feeling.
“In the car accident of your brother, the death was Brian’s driver and Brian got injured.”
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