Chapter 649: Forgiveness?
However, Neil simply smiled bitterly. "I know what I’m asking sounds unreasonable."
His voice became increasingly hoarse. "But can you stop this?"
He looked at her almost pleadingly. "Delay the hearing for just one month."
His eyes reddened slightly. "Let me spend one more month with her."
He lowered his head.
"After I die, you can continue with everything. You can sue her. You can send her to prison for two years, or however long the court decides. But please be a little lenient."
Mira remained silent. After a long period of silence, Mira finally raised her head.
"I cannot make that decision alone."
Her voice was quiet. "I wasn’t the only victim."
Hearing those words, Max smiled weakly.
He nodded. Then he looked at her with tired eyes filled with gratitude.
"For everything I did for your mother, I only wish for one thing."
Mira looked at him.
"Please take care of your aunt."
His voice sounded exhausted. "Even if she struggles in the future... please help her."
Mira’s fingers tightened. However, she did not answer.
After leaving the meeting room, she found herself overwhelmed with conflicting emotions.
On one hand, she remembered every act of kindness her uncle had shown her.
On the other hand, she remembered every miserable thing her aunt had done.
As she returned to her room, she stood before the floor-to-ceiling window and stared at the city below.
She stood there for a very long time. Eventually, unable to sort through her thoughts alone, she decided to seek advice.
As she opened the door and stepped into the hallway, she nearly bumped into Adriana, who was walking toward her room.
Mira gave her a small nod. However, Adriana immediately noticed her troubled expression.
"What happened?"
Mira forced a smile. "It’s nothing."
Adriana frowned. "Mira."
Her voice became firm. "I’m your sister."
She stepped closer. "Tell me."
The simple words shattered the wall Mira had been trying so hard to maintain.
For the first time, her eyes became slightly red. A warm feeling spread through her chest.
Yes. She had an elder sister now. She was no longer alone.
Looking at Adriana, she spoke softly. "Do you have time?"
Soon, the two sisters were sitting together on the sun deck.
The faint fragrance of flowers drifted in from the garden outside. Mira slowly recounted everything that had happened.
From beginning to end. When she finished, she lowered her head.
"Would I look pathetic if I didn’t press charges against my aunt?"
Adriana remained silent for a moment. Then she looked directly at Mira.
"From my perspective, your uncle is trying to manipulate you."
Mira quietly nodded. "Yes."
A bitter smile appeared on her face. "He is."
She lowered her gaze. "He is using all the kindness he showed us in the past to protect his wife."
Adriana sighed inwardly. ’At least she’s not completely blind to it.’
However, Mira’s next words surprised her.
"But once upon a time, he genuinely didn’t know his wife would do something so horrible."
Tears slowly gathered in Mira’s eyes. "He helped my mother and me without expecting anything in return."
Her voice began to shake. "He never had any ulterior motives."
A tear slid down her cheek. "After all..."
She laughed softly at herself. "To him, back then, we were nothing more than orphans and weak. I had an absent father."
Mira lowered her head. "I always viewed Uncle as a father figure."
Her fingers tightened around the cup she was holding. "So when he asked me for this favor..."
She paused. "And when I found out that he only has one month left to live..."
More tears appeared in her eyes. "For a moment, I felt like letting go of all my hatred."
Adriana listened quietly. Then her expression became serious. "I won’t make the decision for you."
Her voice was calm. "This is your life."
She paused briefly. "But remember one thing."
Mira looked up. "If your aunt were truly a good person, she would have stopped after abandoning you at the orphanage."
Adriana’s eyes sharpened. "But she didn’t."
The atmosphere grew heavy.
"When she discovered that your life was finally getting better, she became jealous. She tried to destroy everything again."
Mira fell silent.
Adriana continued.
"And what happens after she’s released? What if she tries again? What if she never changes?"
Her words struck directly at Mira’s heart.
"More importantly..."
Adriana leaned forward.
"Do you honestly think your aunt feels any kindness toward you?"
Mira’s lips trembled. Adriana’s voice softened slightly.
"Even if you let go of your hatred, will she let go of hers?"
The question lingered in the air.
"Will you truly be able to forget everything she did? Will you be able to look at her without remembering all the pain, fear, humiliation, and loneliness she caused?"
Mira slowly lowered her gaze.
After a long silence, she finally whispered,
"Maybe not."
Her voice was barely audible. "When I look at her..."
She clenched her fists. "I remember every negative emotion."
Her throat tightened. "I remember every wound."
Another tear rolled down her cheek. "And sometimes..."
She looked toward the garden outside.
"I feel like I owe it to myself to finally repay the debt that I have been carrying in my heart all these years."
Adriana closed her eyes for a moment before speaking.
"If you want to repay that debt, there are a thousand different ways to do it."
Her voice was calm and steady.
"But if you want to repay it by forgiving your aunt this one time, then that is alright too."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"However, you need to make it very clear to your uncle that if your aunt ever tries to trouble you again, you will immediately pursue legal action against her. At that time, you will not be lenient, and nobody should expect you to be."
Hearing those words, Mira froze. Her eyes widened slightly.
"You... you’re not going to judge me?"
Adriana opened her eyes and looked at her sister. "Why should I?"
She smiled gently. "I wasn’t the one who lived your life."
Her voice carried a softness that instantly eased some of the pressure weighing on Mira’s chest. "I wasn’t the one who suffered through everything you suffered."
She reached out and lightly squeezed Mira’s hand. "So how can I possibly tell you what the right choice is?"
A faint smile appeared on her face. "The only thing I can tell you is this: make the decision you truly want to make."
She paused before adding, "And even if that decision turns out to be wrong, we will still be here to support you."
The moment those words entered her ears, Mira could no longer hold back her emotions.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. She suddenly threw herself into Adriana’s embrace. "Thank you."
Her voice cracked. "Thank you so much."
Adriana gently patted her back. "It’s alright."
For a long time, neither sister spoke. Only the quiet sounds of their breathing filled the room.
The next day, Mira contacted her uncle and explained her final decision.
She agreed to withdraw all charges. However, she also clearly stated her conditions.
If Gwen ever attempted to harm her again or interfere in her life, she would immediately pursue legal action, and this time she would not show any mercy.
When Neil heard the news, tears instantly welled up in his eyes. His hands trembled as he held the phone. "Thank you."
His voice was filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Mira."
He repeated those words over and over again. He readily accepted all of her conditions.
He also promised that if Gwen caused trouble again in the future, he would never expect Mira to forgive her or show leniency.
When Gwen learned that all the charges against her had been dropped, she was completely stunned.
She sat motionless in the living room.
Originally, she had been preparing herself for a long and exhausting legal battle.
She had expected Mira to fight her until the very end.
Yet who could have imagined that the girl would suddenly back down?
For a moment, Gwen couldn’t understand what had happened.
’Did she already tell Max everything? Did Max secretly help me?’
This possibility briefly crossed her mind.
However, she quickly dismissed it. Her husband would never do such a thing.
In fact, knowing his personality, he would probably have been the first person to tell her to accept responsibility for her actions.
As those thoughts ran through her mind, Gwen stared blankly at the ceiling. She had always prepared herself to view Mira as an enemy.
However, after receiving such unexpected mercy, she suddenly didn’t know how to face the girl anymore.
Meanwhile, Neil spent the final month of his life quietly. During that time, he arranged everything he could.
Most of his wealth was transferred to his wife and son. He spent his remaining days watching them from afar.
Seeing them living peacefully brought him a sense of relief. Eventually, his health deteriorated to the point where he could no longer leave his bed.