Rebirth to take revenge
Chapter 156: Getting married

Chapter 156: Getting married

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"Why did you come to find me?" Claire asked.

Mr. Celine hesitated, then sighed. "Well, I hope you can come back to the Greg family."

Claire was stunned, her eyes turning slightly red. Though she had prepared herself for this, hearing the words still made her heart ache.

"Do you not want to?" Mr. Celine asked when Claire remained silent.

Claire shook her head. "It’s just..."

"I understand. You’re doing this for your mother. Don’t worry, I won’t stop you. I just want to tell you something: your mother is actually still alive. She just hasn’t wanted to show herself these past few years. I think she must have her reasons," Mr. Celine said.

Claire widened her eyes, unable to believe it. "My mother is alive? I want to see her!"

"Yes, she is. I believe you’ll be able to see her soon. Your mother loves you very much and doesn’t want you to live such a hard life," Mr. Celine said.

Claire’s tears brimmed. "She’s here? I want to see her!"

"Let me take you to her," Mr. Celine said, standing up. "Come on, let’s go see her together."

"Okay!" Claire wiped away her tears and followed him outside.

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The Backyard of the Greg Villa

A middle-aged woman in an apron was busy in a pavilion, surrounded by various exquisite dishes. Beside her, an elderly woman with white hair was helping her.

"Dad, hurry up! Claire will be here soon, and we haven’t even finished preparing the meal yet!" the woman said.

"You’re so impatient!" the old man scolded, though he continued to help.

These two were Claire’s mother, Sophia, and am old woman.

"Okay, okay, it’ll be ready soon," the two joked and laughed when suddenly Claire walked in. She froze, seeing her mother alive and well before her eyes.

She unconsciously walked toward the stone table in the pavilion, her eyes on Sophia, who hadn’t noticed her yet.

Tears welled up in Claire’s eyes, and she ran to her mother’s side, hugging her tightly around the waist.

"Mom..."

Sophia stiffened before quickly turning around. When she saw Claire, tears immediately filled her eyes.

"Claire!"

"Mom, you’re alive!"

Claire’s tears fell like broken pearls, soaking her mother’s shoulder.

"Silly girl, why are you crying?" Sophia asked softly, patting her daughter’s shoulder.

"Mom, what’s going on? Why didn’t you come find me?" Claire asked, her voice choked.

Sophia sighed and gazed deeply at her daughter.

"Child, you’re the daughter-in-law of the Miller family. That’s a fact."

"I don’t care!" Claire burst out. "I just want to know why you’ve been avoiding me! Did I do something wrong?"

"No." Sophia shook her head with a heavy sigh.

"Claire, sit first," she urged, gently pulling her toward the table.

Claire looked to Mr. Celine. "If you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll leave."

Mr. Celine sighed. "Claire, you’ve been wronged all these years."

"Love, let me tell her," he said, turning toward her mother.

Sophia nodded hesitantly and approached Claire.

"Claire, back then... it was my fault. This is all my sin," Sophia confessed.

Claire stared at her, confused.

"That day, I faked my death just so I could stay with your biological father."

"Faked your death?" Claire’s mind spun.

"What about Mariah? Didn’t she poison you?"

"She did, but your biological father saved me," She admitted.

"My father?" Claire gasped, the truth dawning on her like a storm.

"Yes. If not for him, I wouldn’t be here now," Sophia explained.

Claire looked between her and Mr. Celine, finally beginning to understand the tangled web of lies, love, and sacrifice that had defined her life.

"It’s been so many years, and Miss. Smith still hasn’t forgiven me, so..." Sophia trailed off.

"I won’t let you suffer," Claire said firmly.

Sophia sighed.

"Mom, don’t worry. No matter what happens, I won’t give up," Claire reassured her.

"Okay, as long as you can think like that, your mother will be relieved," Sophia said with a nod.

"Don’t worry," Claire said again, smiling lightly.

"Claire, I have a favor to ask. Can you promise me something?" Sophia asked.

"Of course. What is it?" Claire replied curiously.

Sophia hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Celine before speaking. "Mr. Celine and I are planning to get married."

Claire froze upon hearing the words. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.

"What’s wrong, Claire? Are you unhappy?" Sophia asked.

"It’s not that I’m unhappy," Claire replied cautiously, her expression complicated as she looked between the two of them. "It’s just that you two..."

"I know you might still find it hard to accept Mr. Celine," Miss Sophia said gently. "But I hope you can help me convince Madam Greg to support our marriage."

"I heard Madam Greg has been under your care," Sophia added.

Claire nodded. "I understand. I’ll do my best to persuade her."

"Thank you so much," Sophia said sincerely.

"Mom," Claire called softly.

"Yes?"

"You and Mr. Celine have such a close bond. I truly envy that."

"If you find a man who loves and cherishes you as he does me, I’ll be very happy for you" Sophia said warmly.

Claire’s eyes welled up, tears glistening. She struggled to understand why her mother had hidden the truth from her for so many years. What was the secret? And why was Mr. Celine, who always appeared so composed, also withholding something from her?

Looking directly at him, Claire asked, "Mr. Celine, are you hiding something from me?"

Mr. Celine smiled and shook his head. "No matter what, Claire, I will always be here for you. You can think of me as a father."

Claire stared at him, her thoughts clouded in confusion.

"Mr. Celine..." she began, her voice shaking.

"Call me Dad," he encouraged gently.

"Mr. Celine!" Claire retorted, her emotions bubbling to the surface.

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. Claire closed her eyes, letting her tears fall as he stroked her hair.

After some time, he released her and said, "There now, stop crying."

"Okay," she murmured.

Mr. Celine wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked at Miss Sophia. "See? I told you she’d come around," he said smugly.

Miss Sophia rolled her eyes at him, her lips curling into an amused smile.

Claire looked at them both, her emotions a whirlwind. Rising, she said, "Mom, I have something to take care of, so I’ll leave you to rest."

"Go on, dear. Don’t worry about us," Miss Sophia said gently.

Claire waved goodbye to them and walked out of the garden. At the entrance, she bumped into Josh, his face mirroring her turmoil.

Josh approached her and said, "Claire, I overheard everything my dad said to you."

Claire sighed but nodded.

After a pause, Josh asked hesitantly, "Are you really okay with all of this?"

"Yes," Claire said with determination. "I’m willing."

"Alright," Josh said after a moment. "If that’s the case, I’ll help you. I’ll do everything I can to support you."

"Thank you," Claire said sincerely.

"You don’t have to thank me," Josh replied quietly, his eyes betraying a storm of emotions.

They exchanged a long glance before Claire lowered her head and walked away. Her mind was in chaos. The revelations had been overwhelming.

She had just learned that Mr. Celine wasn’t just an acquaintance—he was her biological father. That meant she and Josh shared blood ties.

Adding to her confusion was the realization that her grandfather and mother had long hidden these truths.

She didn’t know what to think. Her family’s entangled relationships felt like an impenetrable web.

As Claire wrestled with her thoughts, a servant appeared and stopped her.

"Miss Claire, the master has instructed me to take you to your room," the servant said politely.

"My room?" Claire asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," the servant confirmed. "You’re part of the Greg family now. You have a right to your place here."

After a moment’s hesitation, Claire nodded. "Alright. Lead the way."

She followed the servant upstairs to a spacious, elegantly furnished room on the second floor.

"Miss Claire, please wait here. I’ll inform Madam Powell," the servant said before departing.

A short while later, the servant returned. "the old Madam Greg is ready to see you now."

Claire followed the servant into the bedroom.

"Claire, you’re here! Come sit with me," the old greeted warmly, motioning for Claire to sit on the bed beside her.

"How are you feeling, Claire? Have you recovered well?" she asked.

"Yes, I’m much better," Claire said with a faint smile.

"Are your wounds still bothering you?"

"No, they’ve healed. old madam Greg, I’m so sorry for delaying your treatment while I was in the hospital," Claire said apologetically.

Madam Greg reached out to pat Claire’s hand. "Don’t speak of such things. I’m just relieved to see you safe. Besides, if it weren’t for your actions, I might not even be here today."

Claire glanced at her quietly, not knowing how to respond.

"If you ever face difficulties, remember to tell me. I’ll do everything I can to help you," she assured her.

"Thank you, Madam. I will," Claire said softly.

The old woman’s expression turned serious. "The reason I called you here is to discuss something important. The relationships between your mother, Celine, and you are complicated. This will affect your life in ways you might not yet understand. Have you really thought about your mother marrying into the Greg family?"

Claire hesitated, her heart weighed down by the implications.