Chapter 209
Keira ended the call and looked toward Lewis, her eyes astonishingly bright after just shedding tears. “Mrs. Olsen is awake p>
Lewis subconsciously turned to glance in the direction of the bedroom, hesitating, “I p>
“You stay here and take care of Grandma. I’ll go back and see her p>
Keira didn’t want to make it difficult for him and simply left those words before walking out.
Lewis didn’t insist and said to Tom, “Take Keira there p>
Sitting in the car, Keira was extremely anxious. She, who always drove at a steady thirty miles per hour, now wished the car could go faster.
Half an hour later, the car arrived at the hospital’s inpatient building.
Just as Keira was about to run upstairs after getting out of the car, her steps faltered slightly, and she instinctively glanced toward the parking lot.
She saw that the spot where Uncle Olsen’s car had been parked was now empty.
Presumably, Uncle Olsen had already returned to Clance?
This thought merely flickered by, and Keira entered the building and sprinted to the third floor.
Standing breathlessly at the doorway, she saw Taylor both crying and laughing as he fed Mrs. Olsen water, while Mrs. Olsen looked at him in resignation.
Hearing footsteps, Mrs. Olsen slightly turned her head, looking toward the door.
For a moment, their gazes locked.
Keira felt as if she were rooted to the spot, unable to move.
She stared blankly at Mrs. Olsen.
Her emotions were indescribably tumultuous and complex.
As a child, every time she saw Mrs. Olsen speak gently to Isla, she was envious. She had often thought, how wonderful would it be if Mrs. Olsen were her mother?
She had never imagined that one day this dream would come true.
At this very moment, the look in Mrs. Olsen’s eyes carried sorrow, pity, and the same tender warmth and deep affection she had for Isla!
Keira’s nose began to tingle again, and her eyes gradually filled with tears.
She wanted to say something, but her mouth opened and closed without knowing what to say that could express her feelings at that moment p>
As she struggled and even felt the situation was somewhat awkward, Mrs. Olsen suddenly smiled at her. Her cheeks were flushed with a healthy red, perhaps from having had a good sleep after just awakening.
She said softly, “Keira, why are you standing there? Come over here p>
Keira couldn’t restrain her emotions any longer and walked stiffly over, standing by her bed.
Mrs. Olsen pointed to the side of the bed, “Sit p>
Keira sat down like a puppet, still staring blankly at Mrs. Olsen.
Everything in front of her felt like a dream p>
Happiness had come too fast, overwhelming her after 22 years of misery.
As she pondered what to say, Mrs. Olsen spoke first. “Keira, I need to start by saying I’m sorry to you p>
Keira was startled. “Why p>
“I failed to protect you, and you were secretly swapped at birth. Even though you were always in front of me, I couldn’t recognize you. I watched you getting suppressed and insulted p>
Mrs. Olsen’s voice was choked with emotion. “Keira, I don’t ask for your forgiveness. I just want to say, everything is my fault p>
Mother p>
Keira’s tears, having just been suppressed, began flowing again. She suddenly stepped forward and hugged Mrs. Olsen tightly. “I’ve never blamed you. I— I’m so happy. You have no idea how delighted I was when I found out I’m your daughter p>
Mrs. Olsen, however, started to cry. “Silly girl, are you still calling me ‘Mrs. Olsen’ now p>
Keira hesitated, then opened her mouth and called out, “Mom p>
“I’m here p>
Hearing her reply, Keira felt it was surreal, fearing everything in front of her was but a bubble. So, she said softly again, “Mom p>
“I’m here p>
Keira tightened her grip and called her again. “Mom p>
“I’m here p>
Keira suddenly felt very sad.
She felt aggrieved for the past 22 years. Her nose tingled, and as she was about to say something more, Taylor said, “Keira, your mom just woke up. We shouldn’t get too emotional p>
Keira then subdued her own emotions.
She quickly wiped away her tears, stepped back from Mrs. Olsen, and then looked at her with a smile, “Are you alright p>
Mrs. Olsen, seeing her red-rimmed eyes, reached out to touch her face. “I’m fine. I just couldn’t help feeling emotional when I thought of all the hardships you endured… I never imagined Poppy Hill would be such a person! I shouldn’t have been kind-hearted at that moment, to have wronged my own daughter p>
As Mrs. Olsen said this, she coughed.
Taylor immediately started gently patting her back. “Alright, alright, Shirley, don’t be upset. She has now received the retribution she deserves! I heard her legs were both broken, and one of her arms was fractured, too. She’ll rot in the hospital for the rest of her life, never to escape p>
When Keira heard this, she looked toward Mrs. Olsen. “Mom, there’s also Isla p>
She hesitated, not knowing how to convey Isla’s fate as Mrs. Olsen had raised Isla for so many years and truly loved her.
At her words, Mrs. Olsen’s eyes did soften a bit.
But she quickly regained her composure. “Your dad already told me her fate. She took the wrong path herself. At this point, nobody else is to blame p>
Mrs. Olsen said this and then lowered her head to cough again.
Seeing this, Taylor hurriedly brought her some water.
After Mrs. Olsen took a couple of sips, she couldn’t help but look at him. “Taylor, go home and rest. You’ve been up for so long. You’ll get sick p>
But Taylor shook his head, “Shirley, I’m not going. I want to stay with you all the time p>
Mrs. Olsen gave a wry smile. “Staying here? You didn’t take a shower yesterday, did you? You smell a little p>
The weather in Oceanion was humid and hot, and Taylor felt sticky without taking a shower.
Upon hearing this, Taylor immediately sniffed himself, then took a step back. “Then, I’ll go home for a shower and come back to keep you company p>
He stood up to leave.
Mrs. Olsen added. “Ask Aunt South to make something mild for you. You need to eat, and bring the rest with you when you come back p>
Taylor nodded and then reluctantly left the room.
His demeanor was as if he were part of a newlywed couple, making Keira feel almost embarrassed to watch.
After Taylor left the ward, Mrs. Olsen took Keira’s hand. “Keira, please don’t be angry with Taylor, okay? All these years, he truly believed Isla was my daughter, which was why he neglected you p>
Keira cast her eyes down. “I don’t blame him, but I don’t feel anything for him p>
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Olsen didn’t insist. “Oh well, you two have no connections, and besides, he’s not your father p>
As Mrs. Olsen brought up this point, Keira took the opportunity to ask, “Mom, then who is my biological father? Is it Uncle Olsen p>