Chapter 552
Baffled, Olivia looked at Penny. Wrinkles adorned Penny’s face, and her eyes were murky.
Her wrinkle-surrounded mouth was shaking due to vehement emotions.
“Mrs. Durst, are you speaking to me?”
“Yes, you!” The excited older woman held Olivia’s hand, rubbing her rough hands against the back of Olivia’s hand so much that it stung.
Penny’s reaction took Olivia aback. They didn’t know each other, but why was Penny getting so excited?
“Mrs. Durst, did you get the wrong person?”
“How could I possibly get the wrong person? Miss, I’ve never expected myself to be able to meet you again. You look exactly the same as you were that year! You barely changed.”
Penny sized her up. “No, you seemed skinnier. Something’s different about your face, too.”
Megan quickly said, “I think you got the wrong person. Olivia has never come to this village before. This is her first visit.”
“Olivia?” Penny circled Olivia while pointing at her at times. “Something’s off. You’re taller and skinnier than her. You look quite different, too. But you resemble her a lot.”
Olivia and Ethan exchanged glances, wondering if Penny knew her family.
“Have a seat and take your time to remember. Who do I resemble?”
“Ms. Nat.”
Olivia had never encountered that name before.
Considering that Penny could be the only lead to find her real family, Olivia asked urgently, “Who is she? Where does she live? What kind of relationship do you have with her?”
“She’s…” Penny wanted to say something, but her mind went blank.
She handed the blanket to Megan. “Megan, your daughter’s death is such a tragic one. She was such a nice kid.”
“Mrs. Durst, you haven’t told me who Ms. Nat is yet.”
Penny turned to look at Olivia, only to be surprised again. “Miss, you’re back…”
Olivia was rendered speechless.
Ethan patted her shoulder, providing comfort. “She must be forgetful because of her age. Be patient.”
Megan added, “Yeah. She’s in her 80s this year. Her hearing and eyesight are good, but she can be forgetful sometimes.”
“Mom, does she have a family?”
“No. Her partner pa*sed away a long time ago. She doesn’t have kids, either. She has lived in the village since I was young. She never left this place once.”
“Do you know her past?”
“I don’t know the details, but I heard something that happened seven decades ago. Wars were on the rise at that time, hence
the natural disasters and casualties.
“A lot of people died of starvation at the time. Many people went to the cities to work. She went to the city to work as a nanny for a rich family before.”
Olivia spoke to Penny for a while, realizing that the latter’s circumstances weren’t that good. Her memories would come and go, too.
After discussing with Ethan, Olivia decided to bring Penny back to Aldenvine.
2/2
Olivia could guess that she resembled Ms. Nat, whom Penny had served before.
She made a rough calculation of Ms. Nat’s age. Even if she were still alive, she would be at least as old as her own grandmother. They didn’t return to the seaside villa. They went to a loft instead.
Penny barely spoke throughout the journey back home. Nervousness and marvel filled her eyes.
After 70 years, the country progressed into a developed country. There was no trace of its past at all.
The moment they entered the house, warm air welcomed them.
With her slightly hunched back, Penny stood respectfully in reflex. “Welcome home, Miss.”
It seems Ethan only ever married Olivia to take revenge for what happened to his little sister. While Olivia is plagued by her sickness, he holds her chin and says coldly, “This is what your family owes me.” Now, she has no family and no future.
Her father becomes comatose after a car accident, leaving her with nothing to live for. Thus, she hurls herself from a building. “The life my family owes will now be repaid.” At this, Ethan, who’s usually calm, panics while begging for Olivia to come back as if he’s in a state of frenzy …
