Love Burnt Baby Stayed (by Nina R.Calder) novel Chapter 333

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Chapter 333

That evening, Vivian just got home and was about to close the door when from outside.

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eone suddenly pushed it open

Vivian was startled, and when she saw who it was, she stood there, stunned. “Nina? What are you doing here?”

‘Nina hates me, doesn’t she? Why would she come here?‘ Vivian thought, confused. ‘Why would she come looking for me?‘

Ever since she moved to Betrico, she hadn’t seen Nina again.

After more than half a year apart, Nina seemed to have changed.

“Just bored, so I came to check on you,” Nina said, hands shoved in her pockets. She didn’t bother asking for permission and just walked right in.

Vivian snorted. “Since you came out of me, I know you better than anyone. Are you really here out of the goodness of your heart?”

Nina raised an eyebrow. “Totally.”

Vivian gave a sarcastic chuckle, closed the door, and walked inside. She poured Nina a glass of water. “Alright, cut to the chase. What do you want?”

Seeing Nina again, Vivian didn’t feel that usual dislike she used to whenever she saw her.

She had been keeping tabs on Nina lately.

Her daughter, the one she’d abandoned, just kept getting more impressive.

‘Too bad, Vivian thought. “There’s no medicine for regret in this world.’

Nina smirked, the corner of her mouth quirking up. “So, Mrs. Swanson, you already know what I’m up to, huh?”

Vivian took a sip of water, meeting her gaze. “I wouldn’t have survived this long at Betrico University if I didn’t have a brain. Ever since you came back to the Swanson family, all of this was your doing, wasn’t it?”

Nina just shrugged, saying nothing.

Vivian set her glass down on the table, lounged back on the couch, and looked at Nina with a lazy expression. “Nina, we never really had that mother–daughter bond.

“I know you hate me, and I never tried to make things right. But if you need my help with anything and I can manage it, I won’t say no.

“Think of it as paying you back for those nine months you spent inside me.”

Back when she was pregnant with Nina, she had actually looked forward to it.

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Chapter 333

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But after Nina was born, the Lowell family had her take Lily in and raise her, and made them all take IQ tests.

All the other kids passed, but Nina not only failed, but she also failed miserably.

With the Lowell family fanning the flames and Lawrence stoking the fire,

just couldn’t help but feel that

having a child with a low

was a disgrace to her.

So, she abandoned Nina.

If she really thought about it, she honestly never gave a damn about her kid’s IQ.

It was just that, over the years, people around her kept drilling it into her head, and she ended up internalizing the idea that she couldn’t accept having a kid who wasn’t smart.

That was how her surroundings could mess her up.

Vivian stopped mid–thought.

Maybe blaming everything on one’s environment wasn’t totally fair.

Nina grew up around nightclubs, but she still turned out way better than most.

So, in the end, whether someone was good or not depended on themselves, not so much on what life threw at them.

Nina lifted her gaze, meeting Vivian’s eyes.

‘Did I really hate Mrs. Swanson?‘ Nina asked herself. ‘Was it really hate?‘

Maybe, back when she was a kid.

But as she got older, Nina realized hate was just pointless. If one didn’t care anymore, there was nothing left to hate.

She might’ve missed out on a mother’s warmth, but Scarlet, the Foster family, and her friends all stepped in to fill that gap for her.

She wasn’t missing anything after all.

Nina had originally planned to play hardball with Vivian before negotiating, but at that moment, things were much simpler.

“I want the Nicholson family’s map,” Nina said.

“Alright,” Vivian agreed instantly, not even hesitating.

Vivian’s quick answer caught Nina off guard. “Not even gonna think it over? Or ask for something in return?”

“Nothing to think about. Lawrence and Rylie have been lying to me for years. I was already planning to get even with them. So, don’t think I’m doing you any favors,” Vivian replied, totally unfazed.

14:37 Wed, Mar 25

Chapter 333

Nina arched her brow, not bothering to say anything more. “Contact me once you have the map.”

With that, Nina stood up and walked out.

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She was only here for the Nicholson family’s map. Vivian was easy to deal w hanging around any longer

so there was no point in

Just as Nina was about to step out, Vivian suddenly got up. “Nina.”

Nina paused and glanced back. “Is there something else?”

Vivian hesitated; the question she wanted to ask caught in her throat. In the end, she just said, “No, it’s nothing. You can go.”

Nina didn’t say another word and walked out.

After Nina left, Vivian sat numbly on the couch, gazing out at the pitch–black night sky, her face clouded with

sorrow.

If she’d truly loved her back then, maybe she was the one Nina cared about most.

But in the end, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Some questions didn’t have answers.

There were no do–overs, no rewinds, no “what ifs.”

She’d had four kids in her life, but the two who actually had her back, the ones who really mattered, were the ones she disliked the most.

It was all her own doing, and she had no one to blame but herself.

*****

Nina walked out of the Betrico University Apartment building. A chilly wind hit her, so she pulled her coat tighter and glanced up at the empty street.

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t calm down inside.

As she was leaving, Nina had a pretty good idea what Vivian had wanted to ask, but just couldn’t say out loud.

‘So, Vivian really does regret it now,’ Nina thought to herself.

Usually, making Vivian regret would’ve felt great, but Nina just couldn’t enjoy it.

If time could rewind, if Vivian hadn’t tossed her aside, no one knew if she still would have turned out like this.

Maybe if she’d grown up with the Swanson family, she’d have ended up just like Martin.

Or maybe she’d still be herself, always knowing exactly what she wanted.

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Chapter 333

But there was just no way to tell.

This was just right. She wouldn’t change a thing.

Once Samuel was out of the picture, she and Vivian would never cross pat!

¡ain.

And that was exactly how s. wanted it.

27

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Nina drifted down the deserted street, not really knowing where she was going.

Simon followed her in his car, keeping quiet and making sure she didn’t notice him.

He didn’t bother her.

He thought his boss could really use some time to clear her head.

She was just way too tired.

Simon blamed himself for not being strong enough. If he could, he’d handle Samuel himself and give Nina a chance to finally relax.

Nina walked for a while, then suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Simon’s car pulled up right beside her.

The window was rolled down, and Nina turned to him. “Your mom ditched you and ran off with someone else back then. Did you ever hold it against her?”

Simon pressed his lips together. “Sure, I blamed her. I hated her, too.”

Nina lowered her gaze. “But why were you still willing to take her back?”

Simon’s dad was a drunk and a gambler, and he lost everything he had. One day, the debt collectors showed up, things got ugly, and he ended up dead.

The debt collectors got hauled off by the Justice Bureau.

As for Simon’s mom, she didn’t even stick around for the funeral.

She packed her bags and disappeared in the middle of the night, leaving Simon, barely two years old, to fend for himself, surviving on scraps and the kindness of strangers.

As time went on, the elders in the town passed away one by one.

The younger generation all left for the city to chase their own dreams.

Simon couldn’t even count on handouts from the villagers anymore, so he had no choice but to beg for food.

When Nina first met Simon, he was twenty years old.

At twenty, he couldn’t even recognize a single letter.

14:37 Wed, Mar 25

Chapter 333

But there was just no way to tell,

This was just right. She wouldn’t change a thing

Once Samuel was out of the picture, she and Vivian would never crow pa an

And that was exactly how swanted it.

Nina drifted down the deserted street, not really knowing, where she was going,

Simon followed her in his car, keeping quiet and making sure she didn’t notice him.

He didn’t bother her.

He thought his boss could really use some time to clear her head.

She was just way too tired,

Simon blamed himself for not being strong enough. If he could, he’d handle Samuel himself and give Nina a chance to finally relax.

Nina walked for a while, then suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Simon’s car pulled up right beside her.

The window was rolled down, and Nina turned to him. “Your mom ditched you and ran off with someone else back then. Did you ever hold it against her?”

Simon pressed his lips together. “Sure, I blamed her. I hated her, too.”

Nina lowered her gaze. “But why were you still willing to take her back?”

Simon’s dad was a drunk and a gambler, and he lost everything he had. One day, the debt collectors showed up, things got ugly, and he ended up dead.

The debt collectors got hauled off by the Justice Bureau.

As for Simon’s mom, she didn’t even stick around for the funeral.

She packed her bags and disappeared in the middle of the night, leaving Simon, barely two years old, to fend for himself, surviving on scraps and the kindness of strangers.

As time went on, the elders in the town passed away one by one.

The younger generation all left for the city to chase their own dreams.

Simon couldn’t even count on handouts from the villagers anymore, so he had no choice but to beg for food.

When Nina first met Simon, he was twenty years old.

At twenty, he couldn’t even recognize a single letter.

W

at, Nina stood up and walked out.

you have the map.

She was only here for the Nicholson family’s map. Vivian was easy to deal with, so there was no point in hanging around any longer.

Just as Nina was about to step out, Vivian suddenly got up. “Nina.”

Nina paused and glanced back. “I here something else?”

Vivian hesitated; the question she wanted to ask caught in her throat. In the end, she just said, “No, it’s nothing. You can go.”

Nina didn’t say another word and walked out.

After Nina left, Vivian sat numbly on the couch, gazing out at the pitch–black night sky, her face clouded with

sorrow.

If she’d truly loved her back then, maybe she was the one Nina cared about most.

But in the end, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Some questions didn’t have answers.

There were no do–overs, no rewinds, no “what ifs.”

She’d had four kids in her life, but the two who actually had her back, the ones who really mattered, were the ones she disliked the most.

It was all her own doing, and she had no one to blame but herself.

*****

Nina walked out of the Betrico University Apartment building. A chilly wind hit her, so she pulled her coat tighter and glanced up at the empty street.

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t calm down inside.

As she was leaving, Nina had a pretty good idea what Vivian had wanted to ask, but just couldn’t say out loud.

‘So, Vivian really does regret it now,‘ Nina thought to herself.

Usually, making Vivian regret would’ve felt great, but Nina just couldn’t enjoy it.

If time could rewind, if Vivian hadn’t tossed her aside, no one knew if she still would have turned out like this.