?Chapter 1638:


    “My grandma and my mom were in a car ident. Both were critically injured and rushed to the hospital, but we could only afford treatment for one of them.”


    He paused for a moment. “My dad couldn’t bear losing my mom. Your mom pleaded to save my grandma, sparking a massive fight. In the heat of it, my dad, ovee with emotion, struck your mom and ordered the doctors to save my mom. My grandma bled out and died from her wounds. That broke your mom—she could never forgive my dad. When the new semester started, she returned to college and cut ties with us. She didn’t even tell us about her marriage. My dad was crushed when he learned from someone else that she got married, knowing she resented him.”


    As he recounted the story, he couldn’t decide who was right or wrong.


    “A few yearster, that incident sort of faded from everyone’s memory. Then, Aunt Miah’s world copsed—her son was diagnosed with leukemia, needing a bone marrow transnt. We all got tested forpatibility. It turned out my dad was a match, and Miah believed her boy had a chance to survive.”


    “Did Wesley donate the bone marrow?” Brenna asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes.


    Jalen shook his head. “No. My mom said it could wreck his health, and my dad believed that too. On the day of the operation, he just bailed—didn’t show up, ignored Miah’s calls. Miah begged him on her knees, but neither he nor my mom budged. Miah’s son never got the transnt, and he didn’t make it. She’s never forgiven my dad for that—cut him offpletely. When your mom found out about the matter, she stormed into my dad’s office and tore into him in front of everyone. His boss heard the whole thing and thought he was heartless, too.”


    He sighed. “My dad was in line to be mayor, but after your mom’s outburst, that dream went up in smoke. He got knocked down from deputy mayor to district manager and stayed there till now. He’s about to retire. He still thinks that your mom wrecked his career. Says she’s got money and connections because of your dad, but never lifted a finger to help him climb up.”


    He rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, I know my dad messed up. Ever since that fallout, our family has been scraping by—nothing has gone right. If we weren’t struggling like this, my dad probably wouldn’t have shown up today.”


    gα?ησν????s, home to unforgettable stories


    Brenna nodded slowly. “I see. I won’t say a word. Whether my mom forgives him or not… that’s her decision.”


    But inwardly, she felt disgusted. What kind of man lets a child die like that? Her uncle’s selfishness ran bone-deep.


    Jalen could tell right away from Brenna’s frosty expression that she wasn’t about to y peacemaker. He had hoped pouring out the story might tug at her heartstrings, maybe get her to nudge Giselle toward forgiving Wesley, but clearly, it wasn’t working.


    In his mind, the old grudges between their parents had dragged on long enough. Now that his dad was aging, finally eating humble pie and admitting his fault, he believed Giselle should forgive him.


    “Brenna,” he said, “my dad came to make peace. He knows he was selfish back then—he’s eaten up with guilt. Can’t you talk to your mom and get her to forgive him?”


    Brenna blinked, caught off guard. She had thought Jalen was one of the good ones—fair, level-headed, nothing like her self-absorbed uncle. But after hearing that, she felt her opinion shift. In her eyes, he was just like his dad—self-serving, with no sense of right and wrong.


    “I’m not getting dragged into their mess,” Brenna said coldly.


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