I've Been There Before

“Mrs. James, to where do you want me to return?” Grace hid away the affliction she felt and stared blandly at her mother who had given birth and raised her. She had clarified the kinships between them when she addressed her as ‘Mrs. James’.

An indiscernible awkward look appeared on Mrs. James’s face and vanished in the blink of an eye. She grasped Grace’s hand and intended to drag her toward the direction of the James’s household’s entrance. “Grace, stop messing around, I beg you. Please stop messing around at all costs for an occasion like this. Leave, please?”

As if being struck by lightning, Grace gave a shudder and her heart hurt as if being torn apart. She slowly recollected herself and her eyes landed on the middle-aged woman before her.

The woman before her had smooth skin like pottery which was maintained by exorbitant skin products and there was only slight trace of wrinkles at the corner of eyes when she smiled. She was wearing a gown worth more than a hundred thousand and a set of jewelleries which was a limited edition sold by a luxurious brand recently. Her makeup was exquisite and she looked elegant. Yes, the woman before her was the ‘Mrs. James’ from the James family in Shanghai.

“Mrs. James, you are a qualified ‘Mrs. James’,” Grace said slowly to her, “To become a qualified ‘Mrs. James’, you can abandon other identities you should possess. Is that so?” For example, the identity as her biological mother, the mother who should love and protect her…Yet the middle-aged lady before her must have already forgotten this identity.

Mrs. James’s face flushed and went pale at the same time. How could she be able to withstand such an accusation when she had enjoyed luxury and fame for half her life? And the one who accused her was even her own flesh-and-blood. She caught a glimpse of her husband and son who were not far away from the corner of her eyes and she decided to swallow back her grievance.

A smile though extremely strained was worn once again by her exquisite face. She held Grace’s hand and persuaded her with effort. “Grace, mom begs you, please go. After today…after today, mom would go visit you. There’s still something ongoing at home, so please go.”

shuddered. As the shudder grew stronger, a suppressed rough laughter was slowly

she had been out of jail for such a long

the confidence that the child

today, her attitude towards her was revealed. “Mrs. James, do you think that you’re doing charity by visiting me?” If not, how could you say that

now, as I still have some work to do.” She turned and

yet they panicked the next moment before they had even recovered. “Why did

have the bad intention to harm that Venus

her husband blamed her too. “I didn’t expect that she would

birth to a jinx that keeps on bringing

could that solely be my fault? You hold the responsibility for

your fault to not educate that jinx well that leads to this kind of situation today! Look at the powerful and noble families

to educate Grace? Grace was educated by the old man in the house since