Chapter 494:
A few days after their return from Jeucwell, her father informed her that her grandfather wanted to see her.
“If you’d rather not go, I can tell him you’re tied up and make up an excuse,” Hugh offered, concerned about putting her in an uncomfortable position.
Freya declined. “He’s family; I should go see him.” Seeing her resolve, Hugh didn’t speak further.
Before she left, he advised, “No matter what he says, don’t take it to heart. If it becomes too much, just remember I’m here for you.”
“Okay,” Freya replied.
After getting dressed, she was driven to her grandfather’s house. She arrived in the afternoon and saw Vivien there, evidently trying to win over her grandfather, Miguel Briggs.
Freya approached and respectfully greeted him. “Hi, Grandpa.”
Miguel looked at her with a touch of annoyance. “I thought you’d forgotten you had a grandpa,” he said sharply. “It’s been over two years since you’ve reached out to me or returned home for the holidays. Even now, since you came back, you haven’t come to see me.”
“I’ve just been really busy,” Freya responded calmly.
“Hmph!” Miguel scoffed, clearly not convinced.
Without beating around the bush, Freya asked, “Dad said you wanted to see me. What’s the issue?”
“Is that the only reason you’d visit—when there’s an issue?” Miguel expressed his displeasure. “Why can’t you be more like Vivien?”
Freya was silent.
𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗴𝘢𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗲𝗹𝘀﹒ⅽ𝗼𝗺
This conversation brought back memories of her time with the Shaw family, how Lionel often said similar things to others.
It made sense now why people had looked at her with such disdain back then. Those kinds of words were naturally divisive.
“Since your father began seeing Vivien’s mom, Vivien stops by every few days,” Miguel remarked. “She visits more in one month than you and Sheila do in an entire year.”
Freya simply listened, showing respect without reacting.
She and Ethel had never had a close bond with Miguel.
He was nothing like Lionel, who, despite his strict exterior, had a soft heart and allowed the youngsters to make their own choices. Miguel, on the other hand…
He expected complete obedience. He was used to having his orders followed without question.
Whenever that didn’t happen, his temper would flare, as it went against his patriarchal nature.
At times, Freya felt thankful that her father hadn’t inherited her grandfather’s rigid, old-fashioned mindset. After her mother joined the family, Hugh had always treated her with kindness and respect. Whenever Miguel tried to impose his will on her mother, Hugh stood up for her without hesitation.
Though her father often claimed that he and her mother had only built a peaceful, loving home for the sake of her and her sister, Freya didn’t fully believe that.
Could anyone really build a home so nurturing and genuine out of pure obligation? She doubted it. There must have been true love between them.
“Grandpa, please don’t be mad at Freya,” Vivien said in her most honeyed voice. “She just went through a divorce not too long ago, and she’s probably still feeling a bit low. She needs some time to get back on her feet.”
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