Chapter 480


    Jeff fanned himself and raised his head to look at the sky. “Let me ask you a question. What would I get


    if I forced her to stay?”


    Olivia fell silent.


    Jeff added, “All I would get is resentment. She wouldn’t yell at me for it, but she’d ignore me and hate


    me for the rest of her life. She’dment the unfairness of the world. Her eyes would be lifeless,


    and her lips would never smile.


    “Even if I had her with me in person, I’d never have her heart. The rtionship would look fine on the


    surface but would actually be in ruins. That would’ve resulted in you having to walk on eggshells during


    your childhood.


    “I’ll never forget how you tried so hard to make her like you. You were still so young. Kids your age had


    no worries, but you were trying your best to win her favor. And despite your efforts, she still didn’t warm


    up to you.


    “Sooner orter, you would’ve be like her if we had remained a family torn by such internal


    conflicts.


    “A peacock is only beautiful because it has enough space to roam freely. It wouldn’t even disy its


    feathers if it was stuck in a cage unhappily. Its beauty would be concealed.


    “I let her go so that there wouldn’t be hate, even if there was no love. She’d get the happiness and


    freedom she wanted, and I’d be satisfied spiritually. The only regret was that you lost your mother.


    “The truth is, nothing is guaranteed to work out in this world. Sometimes, you won’t get anything in


    return even if you worked hard. It all boils down to how we make our choices.”


    Olivia understood how Jeff felt. It was simr to what she was going through with Ethan.


    “You must love Mom a lot, right, Dad?”


    “Of course, I do. I fell hopelessly in love the first time I met her. Your mother was elegant and dignified.


    She was perfect in every way. The sad thing was that she never loved me. She married me due to


    circumstances, and I tried my best to love her during our years together.


    “I was never able to change her mind, though. So, I set her free. Knowing she got the happiness she


    sought, I feel my hard work didn’t go to waste.”


    Olivia asked, “You never remarried after Mom left. Is it because you never met anyone else you liked?”


    Olivia saw that Jeff’s expression changed when she brought that up. His face lost its glow immediately.


    Jeff looked at Olivia with a sigh. He decided to tell her the truth.


    “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. You were still too young then. I wanted to wait a


    couple of years before telling you. Then, all those things happened…”


    Jeff shook his head and continued, “It’s alreadye to this. I think you deserve to know the truth.


    There was a woman I liked a few years back. She was slightly older than you. She was pretty, lively,


    and her eyes always glowed. She was a student whose education I funded. It’s such a pity…”


    Jeff’s expression became worse as he said, “I had thought she was just a kid when she first confessed


    her feelings to me. What would people think if an old man like me got together with a young woman like


    her?”


    Olivia knew that Jeff was talking about Jodie. She didn’t expect Jeff to be the one to bring it up.


    She asked, “What happened next?”


    “It’s not like I didn’t n on getting married again. But you know how serious I am regarding marriage


    and rtionships. I’d never settle with someone I didn’t have feelings for. So, I didn’t pay her any mind.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    “She was smart and excelled in her studies like you. She skipped grades multiple times and started


    working at a young age. She tried her best to appear more mature in front of me. She was frustrated


    that I treated her like a child.”


    “Did you like her, Dad?”


    Jeff looked at the clouds, starting to space out.


    ???


    guess I had feelings for her. She had the liveliness and youthfulness of a young woman. Initially, I took


    care of her because I felt bad for her. Then, we began to get in touch more. I felt happy when I was with


    her. I felt younger. So, I started to take her feelings more seriously.”


    Jeff turned to look at Olivia’s face. “I fell in love with your mother when I was still a boy. I could love


    unreservedly. At my current age, I had to think twice before acting. I was afraid that you wouldn’t like it.


    Also, I was worried about what people might say about us.


    “My hesitance ended up bing the reason she left. She was already pregnant when I found her


    again.


    Olivia’s eyes widened in surprise. “Her baby wasn’t yours?”