CHAPTER 3: CHAPTER 3: CAN MOMMY GIVE YOU A HUG?

The black Bentley stopped in front of a villa.

Vincent Hawthorne carried Tanya Sinclair out of the car, placed her in a wheelchair, and pushed her forward.

Tanya Sinclair scrutinized the villa through her sunglasses.

This was her and Vincent’s marital home, separated for five years, and seeing it again felt like a lifetime ago.

"Tanya, we’re home." Vincent whispered gently in her ear, "Do you smell them? The tulips you planted for me, I’ve taken good care of them over the years."

Tanya looked indifferently at the garden in the front yard full of blooming tulips, standing elegant and beautiful under the moonlight.

Each one was planted by her own hands for Vincent.

Just because he had once said, tulips were his favorite.

Back then, she was wholeheartedly devoted to Vincent; he liked them, so she planted hundreds, thousands without ever asking why?

Until she became a vegetable, Cindy Lynn brought a bunch of tulips every time she visited.

She whispered in her ear with a smile: ’Sister, did you know? Tulips are my favorite flower. Thank you for planting so many in the garden. Every time I visit your and Vincent’s marital home, I am delighted.’

...

A surge of hatred grew in Tanya’s heart, and the tulip beside her was snapped off with force.

She didn’t regret loving Vincent all these years. Tanya Sinclair could afford to give love and could afford to lose, but her love couldn’t be trampled in such a way!

Vincent had already pushed her to the front door.

This villa, meant to be their new home, was designed by Tanya from inside out, including the fingerprint recognition door lock she personally selected.

From the height of her wheelchair, Tanya reached for the fingerprint door lock instinctively, but her attempt was intercepted by Vincent’s long and strong hand.

She could feel Vincent’s slightly clammy palm, indicating he was nervous.

Vincent: "Tanya, let me open the door."

A flash of coldness passed through Tanya’s eyes, her heart clear.

He even erased her fingerprint to come home...

Tanya wanted to laugh, but her chest ached terribly.

Calmly and quietly, she drew her hand back and watched as Vincent pressed his fingerprint to unlock the door. Just before the door clicked open, a slender and beautiful hand belonging to a woman pulled the door open.

The woman opening the door was none other than Cindy Lynn, who had clearly taken over as the lady of the house!

Tanya’s hand on her knee clenched tightly to control her nearly losing emotions.

Could it be that during the past five years when she struggled painfully on the bed as a vegetable, Cindy Lynn lived in her marital home, slept with her husband, and took over her two children?!

Cindy Lynn initially smiled as she opened the door but was stunned to see not only Vincent outside but also Tanya seated in a wheelchair.

Cindy Lynn’s smile froze.

Tanya spoke up now: "What’s wrong, Vincent? Why aren’t you pushing me in?"

She saw through the mirror on the opposite wall that Vincent gestured for Cindy Lynn to be silent, realizing Tanya couldn’t see!

Quietly and obediently, Cindy Lynn stepped back a few paces, allowing Vincent to push Tanya inside.

Tanya coldly eyed the hand Cindy Lynn had resting on the door frame through her sunglasses.

"Vincent, I’m a bit cold, could you get me a shawl?"

"Sure, there’s a throw blanket on the sofa, wait for me a moment." Vincent walked toward the sofa.

Cindy Lynn’s gaze subconsciously followed, and Tanya took the opportunity to forcefully close the door behind her.

’Bang——’

Cindy Lynn didn’t have time to withdraw her hand, which was painfully caught by the door, prompting her to cover her mouth silently to avoid screaming in pain,

"Vincent!" Tanya feigned panic, grasping awkwardly in the air, trying to touch Vincent, "I just tried to close the door, but I didn’t know it caught something, I’m so scared!"

Vincent initially intended to head towards Cindy Lynn but was caught chaotically by Tanya’s grasp, compelling him to first comfort her.

"It’s alright, it was just the children’s toy ball. You can’t see, I’ll close the door next time." His tone seemed warm and considerate, but Tanya could clearly see the impatience in his eyes.

"Vincent, where are Caden and Joy? Where are they?" Tanya asked eagerly.

Back when she was pregnant, Tanya had already named the two children.

At this moment, she couldn’t care less about Cindy Lynn, the intruder; she was desperate to see her two precious children, to hug them!

She endured these five years sustained by her love for her children until she finally woke up!

Vincent whispered: "They have school early tomorrow, they’re already asleep. Your eyes haven’t recovered yet; there’s no rush."

Tanya’s eyes dulled beneath the sunglasses.

She knew very well that she couldn’t appear too anxious now, or it would raise Vincent’s suspicion.

"Then..." Tanya was about to speak when suddenly she heard the sound of footsteps coming from the stairs. Instinctively, she turned her head and saw Caden and Joy holding hands as they descended.

The two little ones were clad in pajamas, slippers—a blue one, and a pink one.

Tanya was almost moved to tears.

"Dad." Caden called out, his eyes landing on Tanya in the wheelchair as if guessing her identity, nervously clutching his clothes, unsure of what to do.

Joy, however, looked at Cindy Lynn with adoration in her eyes.

"Lin..." She opened her mouth to call but saw Cindy Lynn shaking her head slightly; although Joy didn’t understand, she obediently closed her mouth.

"Is it Joy and Caden?" Tanya held back her heartbreak, reaching out towards them, "I’m your mom, come... let mommy hug you, okay?"

Joy not only didn’t approach Tanya but shrank back in fear. Only Caden hesitated a moment, slowly moving toward Tanya.

He tentatively stretched out his hand, lightly touching Tanya’s face as if confirming that she was real.

"Are you really mom?"

"It’s me, darling, I’m your and Joy’s mom." Tanya replied gently.

She desperately wanted to hug Caden tightly, but feared frightening her precious one.

After all, to Caden and Joy, she was probably just a stranger who slept for five years...

Vincent spoke: "Alright, it’s getting late. Caden, take your sister to your room to sleep; about mom, I’ll explain everything to you after school tomorrow."

Caden gave Tanya several looks before turning to head upstairs.

Tanya finally couldn’t help but speak: "Darling, can mom hug you?"

Her nearly humble posture, a tear slipping out from beneath the sunglasses.

Caden hesitated for quite a while, turned back and was about to walk towards Tanya, when Vincent’s voice came, carrying the authority of a father: "Caden, go back to your room."

He placed a hand on Tanya’s shoulder, softly reassuring her: "Don’t worry, the kids lost you their whole lives, they need time to accept."

Tanya’s heart felt cold wave after cold wave.

Vincent did it intentionally!

He didn’t want her to get close to the children!

Caden had already led Joy upstairs, Joy reluctantly looking back at Cindy Lynn, blowing her a secret kiss.

This scene Tanya caught with her eyes closed, bitterness filling her heart.

Trash like him she could discard for the third party, but her children, her flesh and blood, no one could take them away!

After the children went upstairs, Vincent carried Tanya back to the bedroom and placed her on the bed.

The original wedding photo of her and Vincent on the wall had been taken down, casually thrown in a corner and covered with a cloth that perfectly hid her face.

Tanya internally sneered.

It seemed Vincent was already so disgusted with her, he couldn’t even tolerate her photos anymore.

"Tanya, get some rest, I’m going to the study to handle some work." Vincent said gently.

Tanya showed her usual serene smile: "Alright."

As soon as Vincent turned away, and the room door closed, the smile vanished from Tanya’s face.

She certainly didn’t believe Vincent was going to the study.

With difficulty, Tanya placed both legs on the ground, supporting herself against the wall to slowly stand and move her legs towards the window.

Every inch moved was heart-wrenching pain.

A mere ten meters took Tanya a full five minutes, she sweated from the pain.

Once at the window, she saw the scene of Cindy Lynn and Vincent embracing downstairs in the moonlight...