Fortunate to Have You This Lifetime

“Master Xander truly lives up to his reputation, really impressive!”

While Zack was lamenting his lack of effort in learning, Alexander was feeling melancholic.

The inevitable had to be faced sooner or later. Although he was very reluctant, the meeting between Purple Summers and Lily Howard needed to be scheduled.

Many things have to be laid out face to face in order to be made clear.

Every time he thought about Lily Howard, Alexander felt a headache coming on.

How could Damian Howard, a man of steel, have a sister like Lily Howard?

…

In the afternoon, Alexander called home to tell Atra Blanc he would be home for dinner.

He was going home to eat; why make a special call? He never used to be so conscientious.

Purple had a feeling he was hinting at something: “Wait for it, I’ll talk to you when I get home tonight.”

If he hadn’t mentioned it, it would have been another matter, but now that her son had, Atra felt she should make a few more dishes.

With an increased number of dishes to prepare, Purple helped out with things like washing vegetables and peeling, helping Atra with some of the workload.

While busy in the kitchen, Purple asked Atra what Alexander’s favorite dishes were.

Atra thought for a moment, then shook her head, “From a young age, your brother wasn’t picky about food. He would eat whatever was available at home, without fuss.”

After saying this, Atra remembered some past events and couldn’t help but show a sad expression, sighing, “In fact, what child isn’t picky about food? He did have a few favorite dishes when he was little, but each time he would take a few extra bites, Mrs. Summers would say unpleasant things. After a while, your brother slowly stopped eating those foods… Later on, I started cooking separately, and life became a bit more bearable when everyone ate separately.”

Purple held back but couldn’t keep her long-held confusion at bay, “Mom, if Mrs. Summers is so harsh on us, why do we still live here? We could completely move out and live on our own.”

“Your brother has the blood of the Summers Family, he is the young master of the Summers Family. If I take him away… his identity will become unclear.” Atra’s eyebrows furrowed with worry as she continued, “I don’t care for the Summers’ wealth or influence, but I don’t want him to follow me and become a child of unknown origin… unable to ever stand tall and proud.”

Atra had her own principles.

Mrs. Summers once refused to acknowledge Alexander’s identity and even forced Atra to take her son for a paternity test. Atra would endure being mistreated to death if it would keep her son in the Summers household. Otherwise, people might see him as an illegitimate child, kicked out of the Summers home for not being welcome.

Atra didn’t leave, and Mrs. Summers couldn’t force her out because the deceased Old Master Summers had siblings who wouldn’t let the woman and child of Old Master Summers suffer outside.

So Mrs. Summers could only continuously humiliate and bully Atra, as well as her two children.

Atra lacked the power to retaliate. She could only endure… and endure.

She felt every day was a bitter struggle, but as she struggled through the days, one day she actually persevered— that harsh woman died in a car accident!

Atra was a kind person who wouldn’t easily wish death upon anyone. But when she heard the news, she truly felt a weight lifted from her shoulders.

Thinking of the past, Atra gently touched her daughter’s head with a thoughtful expression and softly said, “You’ve suffered a lot over the years, Purple. You should have been a spoiled and pampered young miss, but instead, you had to suffer with me. Alas, it’s Mom’s fault.”

Purple was surprised, “Eh, were my original parents very wealthy?”

Atra’s face stiffened, realizing she had said something wrong, and sheepishly said, “I’m not too sure… they should have been, uh, fairly well-off, I guess.”