CHAPTER 106: CHAPTER 106: COULD SHE BE YOUR MOTHER?

Shannon Quinn thought Julian Yardley was just a clueless little brat, but she didn’t expect him to make such a sacrifice.

"Your brother is thinking about you so much, you should study hard, earn money, and let the whole family live a good life, that’s the only way to be worthy of your brother."

Sheila Yardley lowered her eyes and sighed softly, saying worriedly, "I’m just afraid my mom..."

"It will get better."

The surgery was scheduled for tomorrow morning, and it was after four in the afternoon when Mrs. Yardley finished her check-up and returned to the ward. Shannon Quinn followed Sheila Yardley to see how things were.

Mrs. Yardley was younger than she imagined, looking just over thirty, with slightly curly long black hair, reminiscent of a female lead in old Hong Kong dramas; one could imagine how beautiful she must have been when she was young, even though now her face was pale, it couldn’t hide her grace.

"Mom." Sheila Yardley walked to the bedside and asked, "How are you feeling? Any better?"

Mrs. Yardley lay on the bed, nodded gently, then moved her gaze from Sheila Yardley to Shannon Quinn. The moment she saw Shannon Quinn, a hint of surprise flashed in Mrs. Yardley’s eyes, as if something was strange, but nobody noticed.

After looking at Shannon Quinn for a moment, Mrs. Yardley asked Sheila Yardley, "A friend?"

Sheila Yardley nodded and happily introduced Shannon Quinn to Mrs. Yardley, pulling her forward, "Yes, a very good friend."

"Hello, Auntie." Shannon Quinn greeted politely and took a careful look at Mrs. Yardley, also feeling something strange but couldn’t pinpoint what was odd.

The doctor came in at that moment, holding some kind of form, glanced down, and said to Shannon Quinn, "You’re Catherine Yardley’s daughter, right? Here’s her bill."

Sheila Yardley stepped forward to take the form, smiling as she corrected him, "I’m her daughter."

The doctor gave an apologetic smile, then looked closely at both Shannon Quinn and Catherine Yardley, compared them, and said, "They look quite similar, I thought she was."

Suddenly, Shannon Quinn realized, finally understanding what was strange. With the doctor’s words, she indeed felt she and Catherine Yardley bore some resemblance.

But it’s not unusual for two unrelated people in the world to look alike; she just smiled and didn’t think much of it.

The doctor then instructed on some things to prepare for tomorrow morning’s surgery, discussed Catherine Yardley’s condition, then left.

"Elaine."

"Hmm? What’s up, Mom?"

"Take the cup by the bedside to wash, and then bring a pot of hot water over."

Sheila Yardley nodded and obediently did as told immediately.

Shannon Quinn initially wanted to help, but seeing no one else in the ward to keep company, she stayed. Besides, she sensed Catherine Yardley deliberately sent Sheila Yardley away, seemingly wanting to say something to her.

"Are you Natasha’s classmate?" Catherine Yardley asked, looking at Shannon Quinn.

Shannon Quinn shook her head, "More like colleagues."

"Mind telling me your name?"

"Shannon Quinn."

Catherine Yardley, with a hoarseness in her voice, asked again, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two."

Hearing this, a rigid expression appeared on Catherine Yardley’s face, with a little wavering in her eyes, but she explained nothing.

Shannon Quinn hadn’t thought much of their resembling appearance, but seeing Catherine Yardley’s reaction, she felt odd, "What’s wrong, Auntie?"

Catherine Yardley pursed her lips, smiled, and shook her head, "Nothing, Elaine is simple-minded, please take care of her at work."

"Sure, she works quite hard."

Catherine Yardley nodded and asked nothing more; not long after, Sheila Yardley returned.

Seeing it was getting late, and needing to drive to meet Erin Bishop, Shannon Quinn left early.

After Sheila Yardley sent Shannon Quinn out of the ward, she came back to hear Catherine Yardley, staring at the ceiling, mutter, "She’s indeed twenty-two."

"Mom, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, go back to school, you don’t need to come to the hospital tomorrow while I have surgery."

"How could that be?"

"Your brother is here, it’s not you doing the surgery for me. If you come, you’ll just wait outside, don’t let it delay your studies, focus on what you should be doing."

"Mom, I can manage my time myself."

"Just listen and don’t come, go have dinner, then go back to school."

"No need, Ryder Griffin will bring food over later, after you’ve eaten, I’ll go back with him."

"You’re lucky to meet Ryder Griffin, but unlucky to have a mom like me."

While pouring water into the cup, Sheila Yardley said, "Having a beautiful mom like you is great."

On the way back, Shannon Quinn talked to Erin Bishop about today’s events.

Erin Bishop’s mind always had some bold ideas, and once Shannon Quinn mentioned she looked like Catherine Yardley, Erin Bishop said, "Could she be your mother? Didn’t you say you were adopted from the orphanage? Maybe your biological parents are still alive."

Waiting at the traffic light, Shannon Quinn thought deeply for two seconds before saying, "I don’t think it’s that much of a coincidence, right? I see she’s very good to her children, she’s a good mom, so if I were really her daughter, why would she have abandoned me back then?"

"Perhaps something happened at that time, forcing her to abandon you."

"Then why give birth to me?" Thinking about it, Shannon Quinn felt a twinge at the tip of her nose, saying, "I’ve never thought of finding my parents; honestly, I somewhat hate them."

"The orphanage director once told me that when I was little, I was abandoned at the orphanage, with a letter and a jade bracelet, it showed my parents didn’t want me."

If they hadn’t abandoned her, she wouldn’t have been adopted by the Quinn Family, she wouldn’t have become a tool for use, unable to control her own life, living such a chaotic life.

"You’re all talk, but you wouldn’t be able to hate them if you really found them."

So she didn’t plan to look for them; everyone had their own lives, and if she was just extra to others, why should she warm the cold shoulders of others with her enthusiasm?

What if, after putting in so much effort to find them, they had perfect lives and didn’t want to acknowledge her as their daughter, where would she go to cry then?

She might as well just consider herself as if she came out of a crack in the rocks.

Thinking about these things again, Shannon Quinn couldn’t help but worry about the child in her womb.

If she couldn’t calm the chaos of her life, should she bring this child into the world?

Would her child also resent her then? Hate her for bringing it into the world?

Shannon Quinn didn’t want to think too much, always clinging to her illusions, but the malice of those around her was worse than she imagined.