Presumptuous | Jenlisa Adaptation SLOW UD

Chapter 23

The woman on the sofa was so skinny that she looked like a puppet when she nodded.

Jillian clamped her hands over her mouth, a muffled cry escaping her lips.

For a couple of seconds, Jennie was stunned. Then, she turned around and left without saying a word.

She was dreaming—she must be dreaming—how could this person be her sister?

Jennie staggered out of the door. Nobody chased after her. She wandered aimlessly around the neighborhood, head tilted towards the sky as tears silently streamed down her face.

Even after she returned home, it took her several months to accept reality.

Up until Ella's birth, she clung to her own version of reality. 

This is only a long and drawn-out nightmare, she thought, Once she wakes up, everything will be okay. Janelle would still be the proud daughter blessed by the heavens. 

She would still be the dazzling star employee working at the best biological research institute in the world.

She would still be working alongside other amazing people on projects that greatly benefitted all of mankind. She would still be receiving and accepting the admiring gazes of the masses.

.

.

.

In the photo on her tombstone, Janelle smiled peacefully, her elegance remaining. She was still the older sister that Jennie had known for years and years.

She forever remained at the age of twenty-nine, resting eternally.

Suddenly, a warm little hand wrapped around her index finger.

Jennie wiped the corners of her misty eyes and looked down.

Ella held onto her index finger with red eyes, her little face full of worry.

"Mom is crying."

Lifting the corners of her mouth, Jennie said almost inaudibly, "Mom isn't crying."

"Liar." Ella pouted, eyes full of tears, and sobbed. "Mom always cries every time she comes here."

Ella kept what she was thinking in her mind. She wanted to say that if Jennie cried when she came here the next time then she wouldn't visit first mom anymore, but she knew she couldn't.

Once, Ella had said something bad about first mom. She remembered it very clearly because Jennie's face had paled and spanked her.

Ella had never been spanked before, so she got very angry and talked back, only to be spanked even harder. 

Ella had run to complain to Jillian in tears, but Jillian, who had always doted on her, said nothing and walked away silently.

After Ella had been spanked, Jennie hugged her closely again and coaxed her, telling her that her first mom was the most important person to her, so she shouldn't ever insult her.

After that, Jennie changed her parenting style, only talking about how kind her sister was to her.

Since Ella liked her mom, she grew to like Janelle as well, just as one grows to love the crow that comes with the house.

"I didn't cry that much."

Jennie laughed as the tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. She raised her hand to wipe Ella's tear-stained face and said, "Mom is happy. Do you know what crying tears of joy is?"

Ella shook her head.

Jennie gave her a lesson on idioms in front of the tomb.

The childish language brought some warmth amidst the chill of the wind nipping at their faces.