Chapter 216: Chapter 213: Heart-to-Heart
Nighttime.
Elliana Lyle was summoned to the old lady’s room.
To be honest, it was her first time in the old lady’s room, and the layout was not complicated, with even half the room empty, making it appear especially frugal.
"Sit down." The old lady gestured for her to sit by the bed, and she had no choice but to comply.
Then, the old lady walked to the bedside table, felt for a key on her body, and opened the drawer of the bedside table.
Out of the drawer came a box, a red and black brocade-patterned wooden box, small and exquisite.
The old lady sat down beside her and, while speaking, opened the box: "This was something I brought when I got married, just a pair. I gave one to your little aunt when she got married, and this one is for you."
As the box opened, inside lay a bracelet, purple with an excellent shine, clearly of great value.
She was somewhat surprised, not understanding why the old lady was giving her such an important item, and thus politely declined, "No, Grandma, this is too valuable."
Unexpectedly, the old lady forcibly placed it in her hand, slightly embarrassed, saying, "I said take it, so take it. You’re the youngest, and you got married earlier than the others; you need to have something on you."
"Grandma." For a moment, she didn’t know what to say, but she truly didn’t want to accept this bracelet.
She wouldn’t just forget what the old lady said at her mother’s funeral just because of a sudden gesture of kindness. She didn’t hate the old lady, but she couldn’t forget past events.
"You have grievances in your heart, I know, and I resented your mother too, always thinking she was after the Bennett Family’s wealth. Phoebe Lyle talked to me a lot this afternoon, and even an old stubborn person like me can come to understand."
"...Grandma, since it’s a misunderstanding, it’s good that it’s resolved. I really can’t accept this bracelet." Perhaps she was just stubborn and didn’t want to pretend nothing happened because of a few words.
The old lady let out a heavy sigh, swallowed her anger, though reluctant, and finally said, "Take it, don’t put me in an awkward position."
Silence.
Then came a deathly quiet.
Both grandmother and granddaughter had their own thoughts, neither willing to back down.
"Elliana, I’m sorry to Bella on my behalf. All these years, it’s been my mistake. Since your grandmother wants to relocate the grave, let it be."
Elliana’s hand, holding the box, trembled lightly. The old lady, known for being unemotional and listening to slanders, admitted her mistake.
This was something she thought impossible, yet the facts were right in front of her.
When did the old lady come to clarity? Perhaps it was due to what Hannah Collins mentioned, along with Elliana not talking back to her these past few days.
In the stillness of night, when alone, the old lady would also think about many things, some deeply ingrained in her mind.
Maybe she had long realized the truth but never admitted it due to pride and stubbornness.
With age, it became easier to anger, unable to tolerate any malicious gossip, lighting up like a firecracker at the slightest spark.
"Grandma, I don’t want to bring up past issues."
The old lady showed no other reaction, instead pulled up her sleeve, revealing the bracelet within.
She remembered this bracelet; it was the one she had gifted to the old lady on her birthday, and Ada Lee had been given it!
"This bracelet was your gift to me, right? At the time, young Ada said you didn’t give me anything. Later, Wu Ma said the bracelet on Ada’s hand was your gift to me, so I got it back."
The old lady sighed, "All these years, I just wanted you to give in a little, but every time you..."
The rest went unsaid, but Elliana knew. Each time, she stubbornly talked back, rendering the old lady speechless.
At the time, she believed she was right and thus didn’t need to apologize.
Even now, she still felt that way.
However, hearing these words from the old lady stirred a mix of emotions within her.
"Grandma, my mom said that before I was four, you were quite fond of me, but later, due to some superstition, you started to dislike me."
The superstition, of course, was that she had jinxed her brother to death.
At this, the old lady felt immediate shame, only saying, "Those are just feudal superstitions; I don’t believe in that stuff anymore."
In reality, it was Shawn Lyle who first suggested that Elliana had jinxed the unborn child.
Shawn couldn’t face that his son couldn’t be born, and everyone was mourning while four-year-old Elliana remained unresponsive, playing with her clothes.
In his grief, Shawn was furious at his daughter’s indifference, and he slapped Elliana in anger.
While informing the old lady, he didn’t forget to mention that Elliana was the jinx, so the old lady believed it too, as the Lyle family was eager for more male heirs.
Of course, Elliana knew nothing of these matters, and the old lady only knew fragments herself.
Confused people, for the sake of face, may remain confused even when they realize the truth.
But today was different; the old lady fully realized that Elliana had grown up and married.
She had become part of another family.
They likely wouldn’t meet often in the future.
"People can’t be confused their whole lives. I was planning to introduce you to a good match today, though your little aunt suggested it, he is indeed a fine fellow."
"I could see that marrying the Bennett family boy was mostly your own decision."
Elliana did not hide it, answering plainly, "Yes."
"How is it? Are things going well?" the old lady asked.
She replied, "Yes, they are."
"As long as things are going well, that’s all that matters," sighed the old lady. "Take all the dowry I gave you tomorrow; be a good wife at the Bennett family. I hear your mother-in-law is a stepmother; if you can’t get along, so be it. She can’t outlive you anyway?"
In that moment, the atmosphere seemed to ease a little, less stifling than before, but she still wasn’t used to interacting with the old lady like this.
And so, she couldn’t bring herself to speak her true feelings.
The old lady indeed seemed much better than before, but she also appeared more frail, not just in aura, but in person.
The light in her eyes had faded, leaving only a sense of loneliness and regret, which brought Elliana to the brink of tears.
Perhaps, from this moment on, the mountain of misunderstandings between grandmother and granddaughter would begin to gradually crumble.
"Alright then, aren’t you leaving tomorrow? Go get some sleep."
Seeing this, Elliana didn’t linger, only saying as she left, "Grandma, I didn’t return for your birthday this year. I promise to come next year."
"Hmph, not coming back for the New Year? You’re truly..." The old lady stopped herself there, perhaps out of habit.
She quickly corrected, "Whether you come back or not, it doesn’t matter."
"I’ll come back for New Year."
"Got it, off you go then."
The old lady turned her head, slightly impatiently urging her.
After people left, Elliana’s grandmother fell silent.
Murmuring to herself, "Getting old, becoming useless."
At first, she had been quite satisfied with Bella Hue as a daughter-in-law.
But then, the Hue Family wanted shares, and her son denied it, leading her to look down on the Hue Family, thinking they were a family of petty people.
Now it seemed her son was the petty one.
There were many things she had been able to discern, but chose to turn a blind eye.
Only now did she understand her second son was the real villain, and it was from listening to Phoebe Lyle’s recording of her son’s and little daughter’s conversation that she came to realize.
The second son and little daughter were the wolves raised within the family, scheming not only against their nephews but even their own daughter.