Chapter 33
Janet’s Point of View
I was touched by my brothers’ story about how I was separated from the family. I never knew that was what happened. My mother was sick? I had no idea. The whole room was silent for a while before Jasper spoke up.
“You never told us anything about your adoptive family,” he said gently. “How were they to you? Do you remember anything when you were little? How did you end up in the orphanage?”
I hesitated for a while. I never remember much of what happened or how I landed at the orphanage. But still have some memories of how Mr and Mrs Redmond started showing up at the orphanage. And from there I was adopted and they have been
all I know as family.
“It’s fine Janet, if you don’t want to talk about it”. Williams said as he touched my shoulder. He said softly. “We never wanted to check your past without you knowing. We’d like to hear from you, if you’re okay to share.”
I was still caught off guard. Most rich men would have done this by themselves, even before they reached out to me. But my family was different.
“I didn’t remember much when I was still at the orphanage,” I began, my voice quiet. “But I remember being adopted by the Redmond family.”
I saw pity wash over Jasper’s face, and I watched my other brothers’ faces fall. They all looked filled with guilt and regret as I spoke.
“Mr. Redmond was a kind man,” I continued, As the memories came back like it all happened yesterday. “He worked at a small accounting firm. Nothing fancy, but he loved me like I was his own daughter.”
“What happened to him?” William asked gently.
“He passed away when I was only twelve,” I said, feeling the old pain resurface. “Heart attack. One day he was helping me with my homework, and the next day…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Dickson’s hands clenched into fists. “You were just a child.”
“After he died, my mother couldn’t handle the grief. The trauma was too much for her. She fell into a coma-like state, and she’s been that way ever since.” I wiped my eyes. “I’ve been taking care of her alone all these years.”
“Oh, Janet,” Peter whispered, tears in his eyes. “Our little sister has been carrying this burden since she was twelve years old.”
“We’re so sorry,” Jasper said, his voice breaking. “We should have been there. We should have found you sooner.”
“It’s not your fault,” I said quickly. “You didn’t know.”
Jasper smiled sadly and reached for my hand. “We are your family now Janet, whatever bothers, bothers all of us. You’re not alone now. You need to rest. It’s been a long night. Do you want to sleep?”
Feeling exhausted after sharing my past, I nodded. I didn’t want anything but to sleep.
Jasper walked me to my room and closed the door behind me. I couldn’t help but feel the emotions rushing back. So my birth mother was sick, and my father had been searching for remedies? I had nearly believed I was abandoned just because I was a girl. I never knew this was what really happened.
As I lay on my bed, my mind went back to my adoptive mother. I felt guilty because since my brothers moved her to a new hospital, I hadn’t had time to visit her, even though I promised I would visit her regularly. I made visiting her my first priority for tomorrow morning.
The next morning came quickly, and I was awakened by my alarm. As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I noticed several missed
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calls on my phone-it was the hospital trying to reach me. The call came in again.
I jolted upright and answered immediately.
“Hello, Ms. Janet, it’s Dr. Jessica. Sorry for calling so early,” her voice came through before I could even speak.
“It’s fine,” I replied, still rubbing at my eyes.
“I’m calling to update you on Mrs. Redmond’s condition. After yesterday’s treatment and tests, she began showing signs of awakening. This morning, she was able to move her fingers.”
“You mean she shifted her fingers? That means she’ll wake up soon, right?” My voice trembled, the joy impossible to hide.
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