Joel was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "But your choice back then was also out of a sense of responsibility for your family and daughter."


    "Looking back, I was just being stubborn and making things harder on myself," Eleanor said with a bitterugh.


    "So,n strung Vanessa along... just to keep her willing to donate blood for his mother?" Joel asked quietly, his eyes thoughtful.


    Eleanor bit her lip and remained silent for a few seconds. "That was his choice. I understand his desperation to save his mother. If he had been honest with me back then, we would have faced the problem together."


    Joel looked at Eleanor intently. "If that were the case, Vanessa would have surely demanded the title of Mrs. Goodwin."


    Eleanor looked up at Joel, momentarily at a loss for words.


    Ifn had confessed to her, and Vanessa had approached her with the possibility of their daughter''s inherited condition, the oue would have been different. She would have undoubtedly given up her title as Mrs. Goodwin for her daughter''s sake, because back then, she didn''t have the courage or strength to say no to Vanessa.


    No matter what, she would always love her daughter more than her own life. She would make any concession andpromise for her.


    "So... do you still hate him?" Joel asked softly.


    Eleanor shook her head. "Hating someone is exhausting. I''d rather focus my energy on Evelyn and my research now." After a pause, she added with a hint of resignation, "Perhaps neither of us was wrong. We just weren''t meant to be husband and wife."


    Joel looked at her. It was true. The woman before him, with her calm and


    determined gaze, was no longer the submissive Eleanor who had endured so much in her marriage. She had clearly nned her future, and she was radiant and dazzling.


    This was how she was always meant to be.


    After the meal, as they were leaving, Eleanor gave Joel a reassuring smile in the hallway. "Joel, you really don''t need to me yourself. I''m doing very well now."


    Aplex emotion stirred in Joel''s heart. He could certainly see that Eleanor had moved on, but what aboutn?


    Would he choose to withdraw from Eleanor''s world and stop interfering in her life?


    Joel already knew the answer. Ifn had never truly betrayed Eleanor, he would never let her go so easily.


    He could see thatn was trying to


    re-enter Eleanor''s life in his own


    way-not as a domineering


    ex-husband, but as a business


    partner and as Evelyn''s fathe


    approaching her cautiously.


    Perhaps he would only give uppletely on the day Eleanor chose to remarry.


    At four in the afternoon, Eleanor''s


    phone buzzed with a message from


    Im


    Serena Ellie, going to bring Evelyn back to your ce with my


    brother tonight. Is that okay with you?"


    Eleanor was taken aback. Serena was showing a surprising amount of respect for her boundaries these days.


    "Okay," Eleanor replied.


    She had beening homete recently because of work, so having another family


    member spend time with her daughter was a good thing.


    At 8:30 p.m,, when Eleanor opened


    the door to her home, she heard ber


    daughter''sughter mingling with


    Serena''s fan


    shoes werent there


    So he must have left for some reason.


    "Mommy, look who''s here!" Evelyn ran over happily to report.


    Eleanor looked up at Serena, who greeted her warmly. "Ellie."


    "Huh? I remember you used to call Mommy ''sis''? Why do you call her Ellie now?" Evelyn asked, clearly confused.


    Both Eleanor and Serena were momentarily stunned.