Filed to story: Revenge Marriage Sweet Love Novel Free Online (Cate & Shaun) >>
Cate was shocked. “Wasn’t my mom… dead a long time ago?”
“Yes, I thought she was dead all along too.” Joel said emotionally, “But that person really looked very similar to your mom. Her eyes, nose, and lips. I wouldn’t have been mistaken. Moreover, thinking about it carefully, your mom encountered a typhoon that year, but the Cox family never found her body.”
Cate’s heart trembled upon hearing his words.
Indeed, they did not find Sheryl’s body that year. Without a corpse, it could not be 1oo percent sure that the person was dead.
Cate asked hastily, “Dad, did you talk to her?”
“I was very agitated at that time and asked if she was Sherry. However, she looked as if she didn’t know me and said I confused her with someone else. After that, a bodyguard came forward and pushed me away. ” Joel said bitterly, “After all, it had been more than 20 years. I was afraid I was muddled, so I found your mom’s photo. The more I look at it, the alike I think they are. The only difference is that she looks older and more mature.”
Cate could not control herself from feeling emotional too. Although she had never met Sheryl before, Sheryl was the one who founded Hudson Corporation.
Her mother was the woman she admired the most.
However, Cate was calmer compared to Joel. ” Dad, since you think she looks similar, let’s investigate it. Maybe it’s like those scenes on the television where my mom might’ve lost her memories. After all, if she was still alive, how could she have abandoned my grandparents and her company?”
Joel was stunned. “You’re right. Sherry was such a filial person. If she was alive but didn’t come back, there must be some reason for it.”
“The most urgent matter now is to find that woman. ” Cate asked, “Where did you see her? Check the security footage. What car did she get into when she left? Where did she go?”
She believed that with Joel’s capabilities, investigating those things would be quite easy.
Joel nodded. He stood up immediately. “I met her at the mall. She must’ve been shopping. I’ll go to the mall myself now.”
“I’ll go with you.”
Cate went with him.
Joel contacted the mall’s general manager and asked him to check that evening’s security footage.
However, when they were at the security room, the employee said, “This evening’s security footage has been deleted.”
Joel and Cate were stunned. Joel asked in a hurry, “What about the footage of the mall’s entrance?”
” It’s all gone.” The employee shook his head. “I don’t know what happened, but the security footage from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. are all gone.”
The general manager glared at him fiercely. “You work here, and yet you don’t know the footage has been deleted?”
The employee was embarrassed by being scolded. “I really don’t know. I went to the bathroom in the middle, and it was gone when I came back.”
“Can I have a look at your computer? ” Cate asked politely.
“Of course.” The employee immediately gave way to Cate.
After Cate sat down, she checked the system’s information and said, “General Manager, don’t blame him. It should’ve been a hacker’s doing. The hackers planted a virus through the mall’s public network, hacked into the security room’s computer, and deleted the footage.”
The general manager was shocked. “That hacker couldn’t possibly have hacked into the company’s account, right?”
“Don’t worry. This hacker just wanted to delete the security footage. Moreover, a hacker like this should be one of the top internationally. Your mall’s competitor still doesn’t have the capability of hiring such a person.”
Cate left the mall after thanking the general manager.
Joel’s expression was solemn. “Cate, how can it be a coincidence? To think that the security footage was deleted at such a timing.”
Cate did not say anything. She had a lot on her mind.
However, Joel was not willing to give up. He said, ” There must be security cameras by the roadside.
Let’s go to the traffic police department.”
“Dad, don’t you think the other party has thought o f that as well? I reckon even if you go, it might’ve been deleted too.” Cate looked toward her father with helplessness and disappointment. ” What you said just now was right. It’s too much of a coincidence.”
Although Joel was desperate, it did not mean he was a fool. His elegant face was filled with confusion and disappointment.
Cate was disappointed too. Nevertheless, she said, “In fact, if we came to investigate and the security footage was still there, that meant that person might not be my mom. However, since the security footage is gone, it means that they don’t want you to continue investigating them. Why is that? It’s most probably because… your guess is right. That woman is really my mom. She recognized you this evening but didn’t want to have anything to do with you or let you investigate this matter.” Joel looked defeated. He was very lonely and in agony. “You’re right. What I did back then was inhumane. The fact that Nicola was cheating on me even became public knowledge. Everyone is mocking me and scolding me as an idiot. Your mom is such a prideful person, so she must despise and hate me. It’s fine if she doesn’t acknowledge me, but you’re her biological daughter. Doesn’t she want to acknowledge you?”
His words pricked Cate’s heart.
She used to think Jeffery and Sally were her parents, but it turned out they were not.
Cate consoled herself that her mother did not abandon her on purpose. Her mother was gone because of an accident.
However, did she not yearn for motherly love too? She did.
Nevertheless, after tens of years of going without motherly love, she could not force it if the other person was unwilling.
After all, Cate had gotten through more than 20 years without one, and she was more resilient than average girls her age.
“Dad, she has been missing for more than 2o years, not five or six years, or one or two years. A lot of things can happen in 2o years, like building a family and a career and giving birth to a child. You said it yourself that she had a bodyguard with her, so she must have an unusual identity. Moreover, you’ve never met her before despite having lived in Canberra for so long. This means that she has only come to Canberra recently. Maybe she had been living overseas all along.” Cate mercilessly exposed some facts.
Joel laughed bitterly. “You’re right. I even got married and divorced too. If your mom is still alive, how could she still be unwed? I remember when I met her in the evening, there was a girl by her side. I didn’t look carefully, but the girl did look somewhat similar to her. Maybe that was her daughter.”
“Is it? Then it’s definitely her daughter.” Cate smiled calmly.
However, in actuality, she felt very uncomfortable. She had a mother too, but her mother had another family and child.
How could she put it into words? If she suddenly showed up and called her mom ¡®Mom’, she might be the ¡®extra baggage’ that people meant, right?
“Dad, forget it. Maybe she doesn’t want to have any more ties with her past. What if we insist on investigating and end up meeting her husband?
He’d surely be bothered with the fact that she had a child before. Perhaps that’d even affect her current marriage. Let’s just take it as if my mom died more than 20 years ago.”
Only by thinking that way could Cate overcome it.
Joel’s heart ached, and he felt guilty. His daughter was too sensible. She would never trouble her parents, and she did not ask for anything from her parents either. However, that made him feel like he owed her more. “Cate, your mom isn’t that kind of person. She definitely loves you. Maybe it’s just as what you said. She doesn’t remember.”
“If she doesn’t remember, why would she come back and delete the security footage?” Cate’s lips curved. “Dad, people will change.”
Suddenly, Joel did not know what to say. He was just lost.
Was Sheryl really married?
In order to hide her past for the sake of her other family, she would much rather not acknowledge her child and the Cox family?
Looking at her father’s absent-minded look, Cate said, “Actually, there’s still a way to confirm whether she’s my mom or not. It’s very simple. Since she’s back, maybe she’ll go to Melbourne to visit and clean the grave of my grandparents if she still has some conscience. We’ll know if there are signs that the grave has been cleaned.”
Joel’s eyes lit up, and he remained silent. Cate did not talk either.
In fact, she did not want to find out. If she knew more, she would feel that her mother had abandoned her.
However, Cate did not blame her either. As a mother, Sheryl had already left Hudson Corporation to Cate and fulfilled her obligations. Cate could not request too much of her.
“Dad, I’m going back to the Lyons family’s manor. ” Cate said, “Lyons Corporation’s situation hasn’t been good these days.”
” I’ve heard of it too.” Joel sighed. ” If you ask me, you shouldn’t have made up with Shaun in the first place. You wouldn’t be facing such immense pressure now. Cate, your life is tough.”
“Dad, Lyons Corporation is actually being targeted because of me. It’s an enemy that I’ve offended. ” Cate explained bitterly, “Lyons Corporation is involved in this because of me.”
Joel was astonished. “How did you offend people with such complex backgrounds?”
“It’s my cousin, Rosabella. She escaped overseas previously and somehow got acquainted with some people. ” Cate reminded Joel, ” I suspect after Lyons Corporation meets its downfall, the next will be me. Dad, you must… be careful lately.”
“Cate, I’ll think of a way to help you.” Joel became anxious.
“You can’t help me. She has the executive council backing her.” Cate shook her head. “Don’t make a move either. Don’t be involved in this because of me. The most important thing is to keep your power. Shaun has said that if he can’t hold out anymore, he’ll choose to leave Australia with me and live in Country Y.”
Joel nodded. “Shaun’s idea is correct. Staying alive is more important than anything. If you want to start a business again there, I can sell some of my shares for your startup capital. With both your capabilities, you should be able to start over again no matter where you go.”
“Thank you, Dad. You don’t have to worry about us. If you really don’t want me to worry, then just stay out of this.”
After Cate consoled Joel, she drove her car out and left.
