"How could it be you?"
"Why was it you!"
Tears kept springing out of Anna's eyes. She clutched the phone in her hand.
Her hands were trembling uncontrollably.
Ethan closed his eyes and kept in silence as if he had lost consciousness.
"Tell me why it was you! You tell me! Say something..."
Anna grabbed Ethan's shoulders and shook him violently.
But Ethan just wouldn't open his eyes to look at her or say any word.
"I texted my grandfather. Why was your phone ringing?"
"Where is my grandfather? You tell me where my grandpa is?"
"For all these years, grandpa refused to contact me. Even when talking on the phone, he only said a few words. I've always found it strange. You tell me why! Tell me now!"
Anna shook Ethan violently.
"Speak up! Are you deaf or dumb? Say something! Tell
me, are you the little brother when I was young?"
"No wonder you call me bunny. You are my little brother, right? You've changed your name, right?"
"Where is my grandfather now? Why do you have my grandfather's phone?"
Anna still couldn't believe the truth. She hurriedly picked up her phone and dialed her grandfather's number. The cell phone beside Ethan, indeed, rang again.
Anna could no longer hold her tears. She let out a loud cry.
"Where is my grandfather? You tell me..."
"You tell me..."
Finally, Ethan opened his eyes. He hugged Anna tightly in his arms.
"Bunny, don't cry."
"I didn't mean to lie to you. These were all grandpa's intentions."
"Grandpa was afraid that you would be too sad. That's why he kept his phone with me and asked me to help him live the play on."
"So?" Anna's voice was hoarse and indistinguishable, tears couldn't stop flowing out of her eyes.
"How many years have you been playing in this script?
"Three years? Five years? Or ten years? Or maybe much longer!"
"You tell me!" Anna cried out loudly. She waved her tiny fists and punched Ethan
repeatedly to vent the unbearable pain in her heart.
Ethan stood still, letting Anna's punch go on.
Anna finally got tired. She leaned into Ethan's arms and sobbed.
"My grandpa isn't he already... already..."
A cool breeze blew by and it sent a penetrating chill through Anna.
Ethan held her close, warming her with his body, his voice low and faint...
"Grandpa passed away! Ten years ago, of cancer."
Ten years ago...
Anna's tears became more raging, and her cries could no longer make any sound.
Her grandpa passed away ten years ago.
No wonder, no wonder...
On her eighteenth adult birthday, her grandpa didn't make her a video call to send his blessings, nor did she hear too many words from him.
For all these years, Anna felt her grandpa was detached from her, and he seldom contacted Anna. So
Anna thought it was normal for families to be that indifferent.
Even when Anna's father proposed that he would not let Anna take over the company until she graduated from college and that he would not formally hand over the company shares to her until then, her grandpa only gave an ambiguous consent on the other end of the phone.
Anna thought at the time, that she was too young to take on the responsibility of the family business and that there was still her grandpa for everything.
She thought that in their eyes, she was just an heiress i n name, not important at all.
Actually, grandpa had already left the world ten years ago.
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