My Birthday, My Downfall novel Chapter 53

After returning to the country, as I walked out of the airport, James was there holding a bouquet of flowers to greet me.

While celebrating his birthday at a restaurant, I noticed that the entire place was empty.

It was only after James asked the manager that we learned the restaurant had been booked by the Parker family.

He looked at me with a guilty expression.

“Charlotte, I didn’t tell anyone you were coming back, and I don’t know how your parents found out we were here.”

I smiled and reassured him.

“I believe you. With their financial power, it’s easy for them to gather information about me.”

Sure enough, at that moment, my mother walked into the restaurant.

“Dear daughter!”

Her cry made my heart tighten, and I felt a strong urge to cry.

But as soon as I remembered how they had treated me, the heart that had slowly started to heal once again died within me.

She hurried over to me, and when I looked at her, her once jet-black hair now had many strands of white, and there were more wrinkles on her face.

She reached out to hug me, but I stepped back quickly.

My mother froze in place, staring at me.

Finally, with a face full of regret, she cried out.

“Dear, after a year, you still can’t forgive your father and me?”

I coldly responded.

“Sorry, I’m not your daughter. Your beloved precious daughter is Mia.”

“Dear, don’t say that. She may not be our biological daughter, but you carry our blood, you are our real daughter!”

I stood up, took James’s hand, and prepared to leave when my mother suddenly knelt down.

“Charlotte, your father and I were wrong. We shouldn’t have treated you that way. Please come back. Your father doesn’t have much time left. His biggest regret is not being able to see you!”

“When you were born, your parents believed in fortune-telling, saying you were unlucky for us and that you wouldn’t have great wealth. They even said we had to find someone to take on your misfortune, or you would die young. That’s why we treated you the way we did and adopted your sister. None of this was what we truly wanted!”

“Mia has already been kicked out of the family. You are the only heir to the Parker family now. If you accept us, you can inherit the family business.”

Watching her cry as she revealed everything, and then offered these tempting conditions, my heart stirred not at all.

Family is not a transaction, and I calmly refused.

“Sorry, I’m used to a hard life. The lifestyle of the rich is something I’m not used to. You should find someone else.”

I nodded.

After several years and becoming a parent myself, I had learned to let go of many things.

We took our son to the hospital, and when I saw my father lying in the hospital bed, his initial shock quickly turned to tears.

“I… I’m so sorry! Can you forgive me, Dad?”

I was about to shake my head, but my baby held my hand and shook his head, looking at me with innocent eyes.

“Mom, is Grandpa sick? Can you forgive him?”

My mom cried as she hugged the baby, anxiously looking at me.

I remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

“Dad, Mom, Happy New Year.”

In the hospital room, the sound of joyful crying filled the air.

A month later, after taking care of my father’s affairs, I naturally inherited the family business.

My mother said that my father had worked tirelessly his whole life without ever going on a trip. She would carry his ashes and travel the world on her own.

When I sent her off at the airport, the sunset was just perfect. I held hands with my husband and our baby, letting the golden light of the sunset bathe us.