To her dismay, Leslie was now ashamed to call Fiona his mother!
Fiona was upset to the brink of tears, but she could not weep...
So, this was the feeling of being hurt by someone she loved. It was indeed agonizing! The anguish was worse than that of impending death.
However, Leslie didn't cease talking. He continued, "To be honest, your dismal situation came as no surprise."
Fiona replied, "Leslie..."
She only felt her heart shattering upon hearing those words.
"You'd know better than anyone else if you were the one who had committed those crimes. Since you have made a mistake, you should hold yourself accountable and repent for your sins. As long as you admit your mistakes, the court will be lenient towards you." Leslie detested his mother's behavior. However, he was still a child. He found out about her deeds only after it had occurred and was too late to stop her.
"Leslie, I..." Fiona suddenly realized that her son had grown up. He was no longer the little boy who would only hide behind her and cry. He had his own opinions and perceptions. It seemed that he did not really need her anymore.
"Whether you will live on or you will be sentenced to death, it's all your own fault. Take care of yourself." After saying those words, Leslie turned around and strode out of the door. Finally, he could let loose of his emotions and he broke down crying.
He did not wish to cut ties with his mother, as he loved her way too much. She might be cruel and ruthless as a stepmother, but she sincerely cared for him as his mother. In fact, she was better than any other mother. Hence, he could not sit back and watch Fiona repeat her mistakes.
Perhaps this was the only way to make her realize that she had done something terribly wrong, and only then would she repent. Hopefully, the court would hand out a relatively lenient sentence considering her repentance... Without a doubt, Leslie could not blame Vanessa, who had been the victim, for the misfortune which had befallen his family.
Back in the prison.
Marvin and Fiona were still in a state of shock. It took them a long time to regain their senses.
They remained stupefied until the prison guard approached them. "It's time to go."
Only then did Marvin look at Fiona, and she stared back at him as well. The two stood facing each other, yet not uttering a word. However, they both knew what each other wanted to say...
The hurt of being looked down upon by their most beloved son was unbearable. Only those who experienced it before would understand.
Were they really in the wrong?
They lifted their gaze, with realization and tears settling in, but neither wanted to admit it.
In a flash, a few more days passed.
It was the day for Fiona's sentencing. Joel reported the results to Julien at once. The result was exactly what they thought. Fiona was sentenced to life imprisonment. When Julien answered the call, Vanessa was right beside him, and she also overheard the conversation.
After hanging up the phone, Julien patted her
hand and said, "Fiona's matter has come to an end. Don't think about her in the future. From now on, let's enjoy our life together."
"I don’t want to think about Fiona anymore either." Vanessa sighed and said, "I'm not worried at all about Fiona since you will help me to settle the matter. However, Marvin has been acting strangely recently. It’s as though he is living like a zombie and the poor child, Leslie is suffering. Leslie didn't do anything wrong, so he shouldn't have had to bear these consequences."
Vanessa loathed Fiona and Marvin, but she never hated Leslie. Since Fiona and Marvin could not take care of Leslie, Vanessa wanted to do something for him.
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