Entangled in Midnight: Mrs Grant wants a Divorce-Chapter 149: Baby, Don’t Blame Yourself

"Zia, what, what do you mean by this?" Melody Nash’s face turned pale.

"These are your dowries from back then. You loved them very much, so they should rightfully be returned to you."

Eleanor Winslow once again pushed the jewelry box forward.

This was a gesture urging the other party to accept it.

Eleanor’s words were reasonable, but Melody vaguely felt that once she accepted those things, many aspects would change, many things would become irreversible, and many emotions would be irretrievable.

Melody managed a difficult smile, "Zia, this was left for you by mommy. You just keep it; it was originally meant for your dowry."

Speaking of dowries, Melody couldn’t help but glance at Adrian Grant, the son-in-law she had never really considered from the start.

Adrian stood silently by Eleanor’s side, raising his eyebrows at the mention.

"Left for my dowry?" Eleanor suddenly looked up at her and asked, "Then what about Zoe?"

Melody didn’t expect Eleanor to bring this up, and couldn’t help but reveal a slightly relieved smile, "You don’t have to worry about that. Zia’s father will prepare those things, and over the years, I’ve prepared other items for her as well..."

As Melody spoke, she noticed the increasingly cold gaze from Adrian falling on her.

Only then did she belatedly realize that her words might have hurt Eleanor—

Over the years, not only had she prepared a dowry for Zoe but also offered her companionship.

In contrast, it was her abandonment of Eleanor.

"Are you thirsty?" Adrian, at some point, retrieved a cup of warm water and brought it to Eleanor’s lips.

The cup was so close, leaving no room for refusal, that Eleanor’s mind tensed up, and she instinctively took a sip.

The plain water spun into a sweet flavor in her bitter mouth, relaxing her nerves.

Eleanor gratefully glanced at Adrian.

"We can talk later. Mommy will make you a meal first!" Melody sensed her incongruity with the surrounding, trying hard to find something to occupy herself with.

"No need." Eleanor stopped her.

Melody looked at her, eyes full of hurt.

In middle age, her eyes still carried a youthful allure and vulnerability, softening people’s hearts.

Eleanor felt her eyes sting slightly, as if something was irritating them, making them hard to open.

For a kind person, being the bad guy is a torment.

Then let him be the bad guy!

"Mrs. Thornton," Adrian suddenly spoke, looking at the fruits and vegetables Melody had brought, "she only eats carrots from the radish family, likes only mangoes and lychees from tropical fruits, doesn’t eat green onions, cilantro, or onions, and from chicken, only the wings and legs, doesn’t like fish..."

Adrian, usually a man of few words, rattled off a long list, each sentence contradicting Melody.

Over half of the ingredients Melody bought were things Eleanor didn’t eat.

Eleanor looked at Adrian in surprise.

He knew her preferences so well?

Melody’s face darkened even more, almost pleading as she looked at Eleanor.

After nearly ten years apart, she had forgotten her daughter’s tastes and preferences. Although her daughter seemed picky about food, every preference was clear in Adrian’s mind...

In an instant, the stark contrast left her feeling profoundly embarrassed.

"There are some things I’ve always been curious about." Eleanor held a cup of warm water, steam blurring her features.

"Zia, what do you want to ask mommy?" Melody felt as if she had been granted a reprieve.

She thought to herself, if only she’d known her daughter’s taste earlier, she wouldn’t have bought wrong...

"Back then, the news I got was that you committed suicide, but now, you’re standing before me, alive and well. I want to know the story and the truth."

Eleanor spoke each word slowly, as if she were merely a lawyer questioning a client about the case.

Struggle appeared in Melody’s eyes as she looked at Eleanor, several times wanting to speak but unable to start.

"Is it that hard to say?" Eleanor looked at Melody unusually calmly, "How about if I ask, and you answer, is that okay?"

Without waiting for Melody to agree or refuse, Eleanor continued: "These years, how has your health been?"

Melody’s tears instantly flooded, nodding emotionally: "I-I’ve been quite well."

"And how was your health when you left?"

"It was also quite good, Zia, you don’t need to worry about me..."

Adrian’s face was exceptionally cold.

Because he knew that Eleanor’s questions were not out of concern.

But rather to confirm if Melody’s absence all these years was due to poor health or amnesia, making her neglect unavoidable.

And the answer was, no!

Eleanor tugged at the corner of her mouth and asked, "Your current husband is Daniel, right? When did you meet?"

"Zia, mommy doesn’t want to lie to you. I met him when I was fifteen, much earlier than I met your daddy."

When Melody mentioned Daniel, there was undeniable tenderness and affection in her eyes.

She really loved her current husband, Daniel.

It should be said that most likely, even before she left, there was an ongoing relationship with Daniel.

From pain, Eleanor’s heart turned numb as she continued to ask, "Is Zoe your biological daughter?"

"Zia, she—"

"Seems like she is."

Eleanor observed Melody’s expression to discern the result, and besides, Zoe’s looks bore resemblances to both Melody and her.

"I’m the same age as Zoe; it shouldn’t be possible for us both to be yours."

"Zia, don’t misunderstand, I’m definitely your mommy!" Melody finally sensed Eleanor’s odd attitude, hastily explaining, "Before marriage, I donated an egg, and biologically, I’m Zoe’s mother. Daniel happened to use that egg for IVF, resulting in Zoe."

So biologically, Zoe was indeed Eleanor’s half-sister via the same mother but different fathers.

Eleanor found it utterly laughable.

By chance?

In such a vast world, for Daniel’s IVF, to just happen to use Melody’s egg?

It was merely Melody covering for Daniel’s actions and subsequently, both enjoying the outcome of his decision!

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have cared for Zoe so meticulously over the years, while easily abandoning her own daughter!

"Thank you, I’m done asking." Eleanor looked at Melody coldly, "I don’t like any of these dishes, and I don’t need supplements, please take them away."

"Zia!" Melody’s tears kept falling non-stop, "Zia, are you blaming mommy? Mommy didn’t intentionally avoid you before, and didn’t intentionally speak ill of you. Mommy didn’t know it was you, mommy... mommy is sorry to you!"

Melody cried uncontrollably, looking extremely distressed.

Eleanor looked at her sorrowfully, not feeling that Melody was pretending.

Yet, to this day, she didn’t even know why she was sad!

"Take this jade with you. After all, it’s your favorite piece of jewelry."

Eleanor turned away from her, her refusal firm.

—Take everything you love with you, leave no trace behind.

Melody trembled as she took it, feeling the jewelry box was particularly heavy.

Melody, somewhat thin-skinned, had never been repeatedly rejected in all these years of living in luxury, and could only say through her tears, "Zia, then Mommy will visit you next time."

She glanced at the tall Adrian standing beside and couldn’t help asking, "Zia, are you happy? I heard... he’s not good to you."

’He’ himself, Adrian Grant, looked at Eleanor, his eyes darkening slightly.

He knew his image wasn’t good on Eleanor’s side, otherwise she wouldn’t be so adamant about the divorce.

If her dissatisfaction with him escalated in front of her biological mother, would it become even more difficult to salvage this relationship?

Eleanor also looked at Adrian, but just for a fleeting moment before averting her gaze.

"He’s quite good to me."

The woman’s voice was crystal clear in the quiet room.

Adrian was startled, a hint of surprise in his eyes, but then he realized Eleanor was just trying to sidestep Melody.

Melody opened her mouth, having nothing to say.

"Mrs. Thornton, I’ll see you out," Adrian offered, opening the door for Melody.

There was no way to stay; Melody couldn’t do anything undignified.

Adrian escorted Melody all the way downstairs.

A driver was waiting respectfully downstairs.

Melody suddenly stopped and said to Adrian, "To be honest, if I were here, I wouldn’t have agreed for Zia to marry you."

Adrian chuckled, "But the truth is, you’ve never come back all these years."

Melody’s face darkened, and she argued, "I did come back! In the second year after I left, I came back secretly, but I saw Zia happily playing with Eugene Winslow’s illegitimate daughter, not missing me at all, and not minding at all that the girl was proof of her father’s infidelity!"

Melody clutched her chest, crying, "I was so heartbroken then, feeling like I shouldn’t interfere with her life anymore, especially when there was a girl of the same age who yearned for motherly love and relied on me completely."

"Later on, when Zoe was about fifteen or sixteen, she wasn’t well, and her schedule was quite full, with many activities and competitions each month. I had already missed her childhood, I... I wanted to make it up to her."

"Fifteen or sixteen?" Adrian was very sensitive to this timeline.

Fifteen or sixteen was precisely when Mia Winslow’s injury caused an uproar, when Eleanor admitted to injuring Mia, and after that, Eleanor was quietly sent to a mental hospital by The Winslow Family as a guardian.

That was the loneliest time for Eleanor!

"Saying all this, you’re just trying to give yourself a justified reason for ignoring her all these years." Adrian ruthlessly exposed her small excuse.

"No, it’s not like that, it’s not..."

Melody kept shaking her head, and someone who didn’t know might think Adrian was bullying her.

Adrian was puzzled about one thing: "Back then, you left under the guise of suicide; how did Eugene Winslow agree to cooperate?"

"My husband promised to sell a company’s shares to Eugene Winslow at seventy percent below market price."

Adrian almost couldn’t grasp who "my husband" referred to from her.

He took out a pack of cigarettes, flicked one out, and held it between his fingers without lighting it.

"Mrs. Thornton, since you chose love and Zoe Nash back then, I hope you won’t rashly disturb Eleanor."

...

Adrian originally thought he would see Eleanor curled up, quietly wiping tears when he returned home, but instead, he found her calmly packing her bags.

"Planning to run away from home?" Adrian made a seemingly easygoing joke.

Eleanor didn’t want to pay him any attention, but thinking about how he stood up for her earlier, she was silent for two seconds and replied, "This is her house, since I’m returning it, I might as well return it all."

This truly hurt her heart.

Adrian squatted beside her, brushing her hair: "Zia, you don’t want any of my assets from the divorce, and you’re mad at Mrs. Thornton to the point of returning her belongings and house. Is this your way of protesting?"

Eleanor knew this act was meaningful, noble, and somewhat foolish, as her refusal of their things wouldn’t incur any loss to the other party.

Yet she found it repulsive.

"Where do you plan to move?" Adrian patiently inquired.

"I can buy a house myself."

Melody left some cash back then, Eleanor made investments by herself, and Blake Lockwood’s parents helped her with finances when they were alive, so over the years she accumulated a little fortune, more than enough to buy a house.

"Looking for and buying a house takes time, where do you plan to go during that period? Over to Blake’s?" Adrian analyzed the pros and cons with her, "If you go live with her, your concerns about being discovered will rise when you worry she’ll figure out the conflict between you and Mrs. Thornton."

How can they let a pregnant woman worry?

Eleanor also found it wasn’t an option.

She vaguely felt that Adrian said all of this as a prelude.

Indeed, he stated his true purpose: "Zia, come back and live with me, okay? No one can guarantee others won’t come looking for you if you stay elsewhere."

Adrian paused, adding emphasis: "You’re still Mrs. Grant, living there is your right."

The resolute refusal on Eleanor’s face gradually turned into hesitation.

She knew Adrian was digging a pit for her.

But maybe every reason he stated resonated with her heart, maybe his tone was unprecedentedly gentle, and she was soft-hearted, susceptible to kindness, or perhaps his actions over recent days gradually swayed her...

Eleanor’s head nodded uncontrollably.

Adrian felt a surge of joy, but showed no expression, though his body was quite honest, beginning to help Eleanor pack her suitcase.

In less than ten minutes, a suitcase was packed, and Adrian said, "Let’s go, we have everything else at home."

"Why are you so swift? Afraid I’ll change my mind?"

Adrian sighed silently, half giving up, saying, "Isn’t it obvious enough?"

Eleanor stood, looking around the house she painstakingly decorated.

"All these years, I always thought Eugene Winslow wronged her, cursed him countless times in my heart, calling him a despicable man who couldn’t control his body and mind, haha..."

"Zia, this isn’t your fault."

"I know." Eleanor laughed self-deprecatingly, "Zoe Nash and I are both her daughters, I was the one she carried for ten months, why did she abandon me and choose her?"

"Baby, don’t always blame yourself."

Just like Selene Keane always loved Jonah Grant, Adrian had also often asked himself in his nightmares if he did something wrong, wondered what he could have done better.

The answer was, no.