Exposing the Charade of Deep Affection (PDF)
Chapter 24

Chapter 24 How Do You Know?

Odin was a bit confused. He looked at me and said, "Mrs. Hinton..."

"Yes, she did," Dale said. He had just come over from Carley's yard. He looked at me and said, "Mrs. Hinton wants to see you."

I was stunned for a moment. Then I nodded at him, let Odin go do his business, and followed him toward Carley's yard.

Following Dale, I had some doubts in my mind, and could not help but say, "Dale, can I ask you some questions?"

Dale nodded. "You may ask me whatever you want."

I paused and said, "Did Ashley and Walter meet each other at the border?"

Dale nodded and turned back to me. He said, "Yes. Back then, Mr. Hinton had an accident and was seriously injured at the border, and he accidentally met Ms. Conner. She risked her life to bring him back from the border, where she received a gunshot wound. Luckily, it was not fatal. Mrs. Hinton would have wanted Mr. Hinton to marry Ms. Conner if Ms. Conner hadn't suddenly married someone."

I pursed my lips, took a deep breath, and asked, "So, Grandma agreed to help the Conner Group and let Walter marry me two years ago so as to repay Ashley?"

Dale pondered for a moment and then said, "Partly, but not entirely. After all, it's an alliance by marriage, and it's good for the Hinton

Group. Mrs. Hinton will not compromise the Ilinton Group's interests just to repay her."

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That made sense.

I fell silent. No wonder Walter cared about Ashley so much back then. She had been hurt for him more than once. If I were a man, I would be moved to tears.

Relationships formed in the midst of danger and hardship were unique, and so were Walter's feelings for Ashley.

I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't. I could only pull my dry lips bitterly and asked Dale, "Was Ashley there with Walter to heal his eye?"

He nodded. "Yes. Back then, after Ms. Conner and Mr. Hinton returned, she has been staying with him for his treatment. Mr. Hinton's eye injury was very severe at the time, and he was not very emotionally stable during the treatment. It was Ms. Conner that accompanied him all the way through."

He sighed heavily and said to me, "Ms. Conner and Mr. Hinton have gone through a lot. Now things have come to this, Mrs. Hinton's hands are tied. I hope you won't blame her for being too harsh on you." What could I say? If I were to choose between my grandson's beloved who had saved his life and the woman who married over because of a marriage alliance and was with nasty history, I would choose the same as Carley. It had been hard for her, too.

I looked at Dale and smiled, "Dale, I'm not blaming Grandma. I understand her arrangements."

Dale smiled and sighed slightly.

We were in Carley's yard, so he let me go in by myself. I nodded and thanked him.

Before I could take a few steps, he suddenly stopped me, saying, "Mrs. Hinton."

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I turned back. "What is it, Dale?"

He looked at me in confusion and said, "How did you know Mr. Hinton had an eye injury back then?"

I was stunned for a second, unable to come up with an answer. Luckily, I reacted shortly after and said, "I heard it from Ashley."

What Ashley liked to emphasize most was Walter's feelings for her. Pinning this on her shouldn't arouse suspicions.

Hearing my answer, Dale nodded. Then he frowned. "Back then, Mrs. Hinton specifically instructed us to keep it a secret..."

I didn't listen to the rest of his words. I just stepped into Carley's yard.

In the courtyard, Carley was sleeping in a rocking chair by the window. When I walked in, she didn't respond. Her eyes remained closed. About half an hour later, my calves turned a little numb because of the long time standing, and she slowly opened and looked at me. Her eyes were calm as she said, "You are here."

I nodded, still standing quietly.

She looked at me. Instead of beating around the bushes, she cut to the chase and said, "Tabatha, I don't like Ashley. She is scheming and isn't a nice woman. Yet that doesn't mean you can do things to her as you please, just because you're the granddaughter-in-law of the Hinton family. Understand?"

Obviously, she was reminding me not to make things difficult for Ashley.

I nodded and opened my mouth, saying, "What happened today is my fault. It won't happen again."

She nodded. "You're young, and it's understandable that you may hold

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a grudge. Yet you've got to understand that Walter doesn't love you. What are your purposes for staying here? You and I are partners now, and I hope that after a year, our harmonious cooperation can successfully come to an end. Ashley's baby belongs to the Hinton family. You must get your hands off it."

She stared at me while saying word by word at the end of her speech. She was warning me.

O