“Ashton, I have to go now. Goodbye,” I said hurriedly.
Without waiting for his response, I hung up the call.
Upon hearing the horn, Isabelle glanced over in my direction. When she entered my car, I couldn’t help but notice her swollen and reddened eyes. It looked like she had just finished crying.
Although I was clueless about the issue between Rachel and Isabelle, it seemed like it was far more complicated than I initially anticipated.
“Let’s go find something to eat,” I suggested, “It’s already close to dinner time anyway.”
“Thank you!” Isabelle exclaimed gratefully as she rubbed her hand over her face.
I nodded and started the car.
Even if I did not question her about the issues, she revealed them through her solemn gaze. Isabelle must have kept these troubling thoughts to herself for a very long time.
Although I did not speak up, Isabelle revealed it to me in a self-deprecating manner.
“Back in the ’80s, the country had a program to increase the population’s birth rates. My mother was raised in the countryside as a farmer and did not have the luxury of receiving an education. Due to her lack of knowledge, she assumed that her worth as a woman would be fulfilled if she gave birth to a son. After she had me, she continued to get pregnant in hopes of bearing a son.”
Isabelle paused for a moment as she sighed hopelessly before continuing her story. “She gave birth to almost eight children. Although there were boys amongst her children, they seemed to suffer from a horrible curse. None of them could survive beyond their teenage years. A decade later, she gave birth to another girl- Rachel. Because of Rachel’s gender, my mother decided to abandon her. Fortunately, Rachel was adopted by a kind couple who had suffered countless miscarriages. Their business grew to become very successful too. As a result, they decided to send her overseas for better education and future.”
“Isn’t that great?” I asked with a furrow of my brows. She was adopted into a wonderful family and raised in luxuries. Why would she harbor such a great hatred when she managed to escape her past misfortunes?
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