NovelEnglish"Face it, Uncle Charles is not coming around anytsoon. It might just be tfor a little tough love. Ignore him, give him the
cold shoulder. Let him figure out just how much he needs Aunt Harriet. She's been pampering him too much, making his life cushy
while he is playing the field."
Those words struck a chord with Harriet, who had been sighing deeply at the thought of groveling to win back Charles’ affection, a
notion she found utterly suffocating.
"I'm done with it all," Harriet declared, her voice firm and resolute, "After the bash, I'm heading overseas to visit my son and take a
well-deserved break."
Lisbeth, who had been quietly listening, let out a heavy sigh, "Tolstoy once said, 'All happy families are alike, and each unhappy
family is unhappy in its own way." Even two people deeply in love can't predict the trials ahead."
Aurelia offered a wry smile, "That's why you can't dwell on it. Live each day to the fullest. No use crying over spilled milk, and no
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtpoint in worrying about what might never happen."
"But if it's my favorite milk that's spilled, how can | not cry?" Lisbeth's gaze fell, and her long lashes cast shadows of sorrow on her
pale cheeks, "If I'd just been more careful, more tender, maybe it wouldn't have broken." If only she hadn't deceived Raines, if only
she'd told him the truth sooner, he and Elfreda might not have been kidnapped.
It was her fault, and now she was paying the price. Raines had forgotten her, wiped his memory clean of their connection, and
treated her with a cold indifference that was almost too much to bear.
Understanding Lisbeth's remorse, Aurelia wrapped an arm around her, "Love isn't like milk, and it can be salvaged, not always lost
forever. What's crucial is to keep faith. If you really love him, don't give up. Touch his heart with your sincerity. A true conviction
can break through the hardest barriers."
Lisbeth sniffled, determined not to give up on Raines.
Aurelia's words had touched a raw nerve in Harriet, who had once chased after Arnold with reckless abandon. Though he was
decent to her, he couldn't resist his wandering eye.
"You said it yourself, didn't you? Pampering men gets us nowhere. What good does it do to hold on? Does it really change their
hearts? Men always want what they can't have. Once they've got it, they don't value it. And all that talk about a woman chasing a
man is an easy task. But | think it's more like a barbed-wire fence. | might have him, but not his heart. He'll still do whatever he
pleases."
Aurelia suspected that Beverley's habit of flitting from one boyfriend to the next, quicker than changing outfits, was influenced by
her family's dynamics. Charles and Harriet might seem affectionate, but their children, keenly aware of the underlying respect
without warmth, were deeply affected.
A troubled marriage cast a long shadow over the children, leaving scars that couldn't easily be erased. Aurelia hoped her own kids
would be spared such shadows.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
She worried less about Kane and more about William, who, despite his carefree exterior, was sensitive and thoughtful, sometimes
even more so than Kane.
The mystery surrounding William's parentage weighed on her mind.
She longed for him to acknowledge Leopold as his father, but she wouldn't pressure him, not wanting to add to his burdens. She
felt like the ham in a sandwich, caught between two slices of bread.
"Aunt Harriet, your situation is different from Raines and Lisbeth's," Aurelia said, trying to lift the mood, "Raines is hurt and has lost
his memory. He needs Lisbeth's care now more than ever. With a little extra attention, they can rebuild what they had and rekindle
the warmth between them."
Patting Lisbeth's shoulder, she gave her an encouraging nod.
Lisbeth hung her head, wordlessly absorbing the advice.
Harriet spoke up, her voice a cautionary note, "Learn from my experience. Never let your guard down. Take good care of your man,
and the slightest neglect could cost you everything."
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