novelxo Chapter 1549
Mrs. Lucas came by.
Jamie hadn't expected her visit, and judging by Mrs. Lucas's expression, she wasn't thrilled to be there either.
Years ago, Mrs. Lucas had stood in the way of Ben and Jamie's relationship. She had believed that by providing Ben with a fresh start under a new name, he would rise to greater heights, free from the ties that bound him. But after everything that had happened, she had come to a realization.
Ben could never let Jamie go. And Jamie, despite all these years of hardship, had never betrayed Ben. In fact, she had selflessly raised Ben's only son, Charlie, without complaint.
Even though the one million dollars that Mrs. Lucas had given Jamie to leave, had long since resolved her family's financial troubles, Jamie had never come back asking for more. She had stood her ground and upheld her promise. Jamie was remarkable.
Mrs. Lucas found herself begrudgingly admiring Jamie. But Jamie spoke first, cutting to the chase. "There's no need for you to persuade me. You should talk to Ben. He's the one who refuses to let go."
Jamie had willingly played the role of the ruthless, money-driven woman, but despite that, Ben still refused to let her go.
If Mrs. Lucas wanted to completely sever their ties, she realized she needed to address the root of the problem and the root was Ben himself.
What surprised her was that Jamie, even after everything, still cared about respecting her wishes.
"You could have told Ben the truth a long time ago. Why haven't you?" Mrs. Lucas asked, puzzled.
Jamie lowered her head. "I have my reasons, just as you had yours. If you hadn't wanted me to leave him, you wouldn't have given me a million to disappear from his life."
She had taken the money, and with it, she had bound herself to that promise. Jamie believed in keeping her word. Besides, she knew she couldn't compete with someone like Mrs. Lucas. Fighting her would have been a losing battle, so why waste her time?
Jamie's words summed it all up, leaving Mrs. Lucas momentarily speechless. For the first time, she saw Jamie's resilience and Ben's unyielding determination.
"When you took that one million and vanished, Ben searched everywhere for you but couldn't find you. He fell into a deep depression," Mrs. Lucas said softly. Jamie froze. She hadn't known any of this. Ben had never mentioned it to her, but she could tell from his hatred that she had hurt him deeply.
She had tried to avoid him multiple
times but had always failed. Now things had escalated to this unbearable state. Sometimes, she blamed herself, feeling like a sinner.
Mrs. Lucas noticed the sadness in Jamie's eyes, Coupled with Ben's unwavering resolve, it hit her just how wrong she had been. She had
no right to stand in the way of two people who truly loved each other.
QUMS
"Jamie, be honest with Ben. I won't stop you two from being together anymore."
Jamie looked at her in disbelief. She even pinched her palm to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It hurt. This was real.
Still, it didn't make sense. Mrs. Lucas had always hated her. Why would her attitude suddenly change?
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Jamie asked, her voice laced with confusion.
"I wanted Summer for Ben. She's everything I could hope for in a daughter-in-law, but no matter how perfect she is, Ben doesn't love her By keeping you here and opposing me at every turn, he's made it clear that he's staking his claim. He loves you. The deeper the love, the deeper the pain. He's my son, Jamie. I can't keep making things harder for him."
"As expected, parents everywhere are the same," Jamie thought with a bitter smile.
But then, there was Winnie.
Winnie loved Ben too. What was Jamie supposed to do?
Should Jamie give Ben up to Winnie? That would only make Ben furious. He wasn't some possession to be handed over.
Besides, Jamie was being perceived by Winnie as someone who had selfishly and recklessly swooped in and stolen the man she loved.