Gia Sheng was Henry's biological mother. She grew up in a welfare house as an orphan.
She lost her virginity to a drunk Howard when she was eighteen. He left her pregnant and helpless. She wanted an abortion, but she couldn't go through with it. So, in the end, she gave birth to a son and raised him all by her lonesome.
She never married because she was afraid the man would mistreat her son.
In time, Henry grew up. When he finally went out into the world on his own and started taking care of himself, his mother thought that it was time to find a husband.
Henry was a loyal, loving son. Most of the money he earned, he gave to his mother and only ever kept little bits for himself. Gia always dreamed of travelling the world and having all sorts of experiences. He did everything he could to allow her to do that.
She hadn't been traveling long when she bumped into a handsome charming stranger. He was a foreigner about the same age as her.
Like her, he was traveling and he was also keen to experience the world's cultures and regions.
His name was Todd Allen, a construction designer to whom money meant little. He was also single, and hadn't met the right girl until Gia caught his eye. After meeting her, work was the last thing on his mind. All he longed to do was spend his money and travel.
Now that Gia had found herself a good man, Henry felt relieved. Todd liked travelling and he was going to take her on his journeys. It was perfect.
"Hug me." Cherry reached out her fair arms and leaned forward.
Henry held his sister in his arms.
His sister, Cherry, was a test tube baby. When he came out to his mother, she was quite flustered for a while. Eventually, she promised she would give birth to a daughter for him to raise as his own, in case he and Adrian had no one to take care of them in the latter years of their lives.
Henry thought she was joking, but ten months later, Gia told him she had given birth. Cherry was brought into this world.
Cherry was four years old now, and Henry's relationship with Adrian was still going strong. The two loved each other as much as a couple could. Gia made the decision that they'd live in the same city with Henry.
Henry had become Cherry's favorite person very quickly. The first word she learned was "brother." When Henry heard her say it for the first time, he was so moved that he actually shed a tear.
Adrian was not immune to her charms either. His eyes would flood with tears as well when she said that magical word. Adrian and Henry raised her as their own, teaching her everything she needed to know.
"Where's Adrian?" Cherry looked this way and that, but couldn't see Adrian at all.
"He's busy right now. You can see him later." Henry patted his sister's head and looked at the two people in front of him, "Mom, Uncle, welcome home."
Gia and Todd smiled at Henry and it looked like quite a loving meeting.
"Son, do you know her?" Gia looked back and forth between Nina and Henry.
Nina finally knew why Gia looked familiar. It was because she looked like Henry.
A great deal lovelier, of course, but the familiarity was uncanny.
"Mrs. Shi, didn't you tell Mr. Shi you were back?" If John knew this, he would have met her at the airport. Since Henry didn't see John there, he figured that John didn't know.
Nina nodded and warned him, "Don't tell him either."
He froze for a while and then slowly nodded. "It's a surprise, I take it?"
"Well, sort of." Nina smiled and led her children forward to meet Henry. "Van, Don, this is your uncle Henry, a good friend of your father's."
"Uncle Henry." Van sweetly called his name as he looked up with his amber eyes. He was a smart one. It could be seen just by the way he carried himself.
His intelligence was going to take him far in life. The child had so much potential that he would probably grow into a man that would be even better than his father.
He had inherited his mother's coldness and reason, but none of John's narcissism, which was a good thing.
Luckily he inherited the best from both his parents.
Henry smiled, "You must be Vance, right?"
"Yes, Uncle," Van replied calmly.
A tiny, confused voice suddenly chipped in. "Cherry calls you her brother. We're all the same age so why should we call you our uncle?
Shouldn't we call you our brother as well?" Don asked as he jumped off the suitcase and landed perfectly. He puffed up his chest and proudly strode forward.
Perhaps Don was the one who inherited his father's narcissism.
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