The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 677

Citrine understood what Herschel was thinking, but she didn’t agree.

She shook her head. “Grandpa, I think Uncle Nigel would rather know that you all love him than see you blame yourselves. Don’t you agree?”

It hit Herschel like a thunderclap.

Of course. Compared to guilt, making the boy believe his family never cared for him was far crueler.

He’d been so wrong. All these years, he’d gotten it all wrong.

The realization washed over him. He let out a long, heavy sigh. “Citrine, I must be getting senile. You’re right. It’s not the guilt that hurts most—it’s letting him think we never loved him. That’s what’s truly cruel.”

Citrine smiled warmly at him. “Grandpa, it’s not too late. Right now is the best time to set things right.”

Herschel’s mind cleared; a sense of hope lifted his spirits. But then he suddenly remembered something, and his face darkened. “Even if I want to clear things up, Nigel might not even give me the chance. You probably don’t know this, but today is only the second time since everything happened that Uncle Nigel has come back for a family dinner.”

“The first time, he just came to pack his things and to let us know he’d quit his job at the hospital.”

“After that incident, he blocked every single one of us—deleted our numbers, erased all contact. He never came home. We have no way of reaching him.”

Citrine tried to reassure him. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. If you’re willing to wait, the chance to explain will come.”

“Wait?” Herschel echoed, surprised.

“After that incident, you said he stopped talking to the family for a long time, then moved out. Is it possible he’s struggling with something like autism?”

“Autism?” Herschel was taken aback.

“People with autism often shut themselves off, avoid communication, and don’t listen to others. They get lost in their own world. Maybe Nigel left his hospital job because his symptoms got so severe it was affecting his life.”

“I noticed Uncle Nigel’s behavior was a lot like someone with autism.” From the moment she met him, Citrine had sensed something different about Nigel. The more she observed, the more convinced she became. Now, her words reflected her careful, quiet deductions.

Herschel was stunned. He’d never realized his son might have developed autism because of what happened. If he’d known, he would have done everything in his power to make things right.