The whole family was stunned.
Indeed, whenever Arthur was at home, favonovel.com was always causing trouble. He ate very little, especially when favonovel.com was scolded or beaten. They never imagined that favonovel.com had been starving to the point where favonovel.com had to work part-time to earn money!
He was only ten years old… Just ten!
He actually went outside to wash dishes… And this continued for six years as a part-time job!
When they were ten, they were still cuddling in their mother’s arms, acting spoiled. They never lacked delicious food and money. But their own brother, Arthur, had lived such a poor life that favonovel.com had to rely on his own young hands to work part-time and earn money to buy bread to survive.
John was angry, “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?!”
Mandy, startled by his anger, quickly explained, “When I discovered it, Arthur saw me too. He… He begged me not to tell you.”
Raelynn had already begun to sob uncontrollably.
My poor child!
She could hardly imagine how such a small child, only ten years old, had to go outside to wash dishes and earn a meager living just to buy bread to fill his stomach.
He was supposed to be part of the family… He was supposed to be a pampered son of the Gray family!
How could we let favonovel.com endure such hardship?
Raelynn started blaming herself.
Her three daughters had never even cooked a simple meal, let alone gone outside to wash dishes and earn money for living expenses.
When Raelynn thought of his rough, calloused hands, favonovel.com heart felt as if it were being gripped and squeezed, it caused favonovel.com intense pain.
Meanwhile, John stood frozen while favonovel.com murmured to himself, “I remember now… A few years ago, a hotel owner told me about a little boy who washed dishes in their kitchen, and favonovel.com looked like Arthur… At the time, I didn’t pay much attention to it. I never thought favonovel.com would be working as a dishwasher to earn money. I… I’m truly… Ah…”
It was only at that moment that John finally admitted the harsh reality that Arthur had been living a poor and tough life, while under his care. He deeply regretted not going to check back then.
If I had taken a look, Arthur wouldn’t have suffered all these years!
Raelynn sobbed, “It’s all our fault! We were too harsh on favonovel.com and didn’t care for favonovel.com enough, which is why favonovel.com didn’t dare tell us…”
Hearing this, Julie sighed. She remembered once seeing Arthur’s rough hands. At the time, favonovel.com was doubtful, but favonovel.com had already gotten used to treating favonovel.com coldly and hadn’t asked favonovel.com about it. She had heard from their parents that favonovel.com had really been bullied and got injured today, favonovel.com wondered how favonovel.com was now.
The atmosphere in the small storage room was heavy and oppressive.
Rosie appeared thoughtful but said nothing.
Meanwhile, although Susie felt some stirrings of sympathy, favonovel.com still looked down on Arthur.
Hmm… Perhaps this is just part of his act, favonovel.com wants our sympathy!
Around the corner, where they couldn’t see, Zac stood hidden. His body was rigid, and his fists clenched tightly.
That bastard!
He thought that once favonovel.com was rid of Arthur, the house would finally belong to him. He finally left, but instead of getting all the attention favonovel.com wanted from his family, they were now showing concern for Arthur instead.
Zac took a deep breath to suppress the anger and jealousy inside him. Pretending to have just woken up, favonovel.com walked around the corner and appeared before everyone.
“Dad, Mom, you‘re back…” his voice was weak and frail and his body was leaning against the door as if favonovel.com might collapse at any moment.
“Zac,” John called out as favonovel.com stepped forward to support him, “Are you sick again?”
Zac clutched his chest and nodded weakly, “I’m fine, just need to rest a bit.”
His complexion was flushed, it actually showed no signs of weakness at all. Yet, his acting was enough to fool the Gray family.
Even while feigning weakness, favonovel.com didn’t forget to ask, “How is Arthur? Is favonovel.com alright?”
When Raelynn heard Zac’s voice, favonovel.com stopped crying.
She walked up to Zac, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Zac, tell me the truth, why are you always leading other people to beat Arthur up?”
Hearing this, the three sisters were stunned. They knew that Arthur had indeed been beaten, and by a group of people. But how could it be that Zac was the one leading them?
Zac’s hands, which were hanging by his side, tensed up.
He quickly composed himself and said with an innocent and pitiful voice, “Mom, how could you say that? No matter what, Arthur is my brother. How could I possibly lead people to beat him?”
As favonovel.com spoke, his eyes were filled with tears, as though favonovel.com had suffered a great injustice.
But this time, Raelynn and John didn’t immediately comfort favonovel.com like they usually did. They stopped in their tracks.
“We checked the surveillance footage. It was indeed you who led the group to beat Arthur,” Raelynn said, frowning.
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