Chapter 1742 A Tale

• Gently, Sebastian picked up the glass placed on the stone table and took a sip. He then began to speak slowly. “My friend once had a blissful and perfect family. His parents were kind and loving, his wife was beautiful and virtuous, and they had a smart and adorable son. It was truly an idyllic life. However, one day, their blissful home was shattered. Why was it shattered? That was because he had a younger brother. His family name was Dabbs, so let's just call him Tom Dabbs, and we'll refer to his younger brother as Bob Dabbs. Tom was five years older than Bob. The year when Tom's son turned three, Bob got married. He married a... Ah, I forgot to provide some background information. Tom's family could be considered affluent; they were quite wealthy. Bob married a daughter from a moderately rich household. The so-called 'moderately rich household' was one that owned a small business, relying on the Dabbs family for their livelihood. They were considered an affiliate of the Dabbs family.
• Originally, Tom's parents were against this marriage, but Bob, being in love, insisted on marrying the woman and bringing her into the family. The reason why their parents disapproved of this marriage was not only due to the mismatched social statuses but also because the woman's mother had been a homewrecker. Although the woman was the daughter born after the mistress took over the wife's position, Bob's parents still disapproved. Even though Tom and Bob's parents were against it, Bob simply went ahead and committed himself to the woman. He then told his parents that she was pregnant. Bob's parents couldn't resist him any longer. For the sake of the child in the woman's belly, they had no choice but to consent to their marriage. However, in reality, the woman was not pregnant. The woman bribed a doctor, falsely claimed that she was pregnant, and she married Bob. She had gotten her wish to become part of the Dabbs family. However, her pregnancy was a ruse. She had to feign a miscarriage, deceiving the Dabbs family about her false pregnancy. Although she had married into the Dabbs family, she was still unsatisfied. She was envious of Tom's wife, who had a harmonious marriage, was highly valued by her in-laws, and had a smart and adorable son. Furthermore, Tom was set to become the heir of the Dabbs family, while his son would be the next after him. Their branch of the family was slowly being marginalized. Once she had a son, the lives of her child and the son of the main branch would be worlds apart. She was envious of the first branch of the family, so she made a decision. She planned to pin the blame for her 'miscarriage' on Tom's son.”
• Sebastian continued, “And so, one day when there was no one else in the living room, only Tom's three-year-old son, she deliberately scolded him. She chastised the child until he cried, even going so far as to slap the child. The child struggled, and she feigned a fall to the ground. Her cry of pain drew the attention of the busy housekeepers from the kitchen. They wanted to call an ambulance, but she refused, insisting that she just needed to lie down for a bit. She had the housekeepers assist her back to her bedroom, and immediately called her mother, asking her to come pick her up from the Dabbs residence. Her mother took her to the hospital, seeking out the doctor who had previously provided her with a false pregnancy certificate. This time, they obtained a miscarriage certificate. After leaving the hospital, she didn't return to her in-laws' place. Instead, she went straight back to her mother's house. Once there, she called Bob. She told him that there was something important she needed to discuss and asked him to come over to her parents' house. Once Bob arrived at her parents' home, she tearfully confided in him. She recounted how Tom's child had been playing around and intentionally pushed her to the ground, resulting in her miscarriage. She was quite the actress, shedding tears as if her heart was breaking. She told Bob that there was no one in the living room when Tom's son purposely pushed her. In her opinion, what could a child possibly understand? It must have been taught by an adult.”