Cora pursed her lips and glanced at Martin, who was busy drawing on the side.
Byron could tell from her expression that she was reluctant to answer the question.
However, considering Martin's treatment, she eventually gave in.
Her voice was noticeably hoarse as she replied, "Yes, Martin is growing up in a single-parent family."
"Where is his father?" Johnson inquired further.
"His father and I separated before he was born due to a misunderstanding..."
Given the follow-up treatment for Martin, Cora's response was comprehensive, as she revealed the story of how she angrily told her ex-husband that she had the child aborted.
She also spoke about her initial thought of committing suicide after hearing news of her ex-husband's death.
"But I couldn't bear to do it, especially knowing how much he had anticipated Martin's birth. So I went to Leucrest Town alone and gave birth to Martin there.
"After delivering Martin, I worked at a local medicine clinic to earn a living for us.
"Martin was more obedient than normal children, rarely crying or being unreasonable. I felt lucky about it at first, but as he grew up and couldn't speak, I became worried.
"I couldn't stand hearing people call Martin a mute. It hurt me deeply. They even used his inability to speak as an excuse to reject him from attending kindergarten..."
As Cora described the difficult years she spent raising Martin alone and people's ridicule of Martin, she cried, almost losing control of her emotions.
Byron felt as if his eyes were burning.
He had never imagined that she had endured such hardships in the past four years.
If she hadn't mentioned it herself, he wouldn't have believed that this gentle and delicate woman had single-handedly raised Martin and grown stronger, facing the maliciousness of those around her.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Snatched a Billionaire to be My Husband
I somehow find Cora childish...