The Great Medical Saint novel Chapter 3

Although Stanley thought it was all a bit rushed, he went along with Fred's arrangements anyway.

After chatting with Stanely and Lillian a bit more and confirming the arrangements, Fred took his leave with Rachel.

…

Meanwhile, Matthew had arrived at Sagewood Residences. As he gazed at the familiar front gate of the villa, he was overcome with a wave of complex emotions.

After striking it rich for the first time, he had purchased a villa in this prestigious neighborhood. It had been the allure of this very villa that had sparked Tessa's interest and led her to pursue him.

Alas, years later, things had completely changed.

As Matthew walked toward the front gate, his gaze was fixed on the courtyard, where three people were standing.

At that moment, two of them stood with their backs to him. Based on their builds, he surmised they were his mother-in-law, Jennifer Baker, and brother-in-law, Xavier.

Meanwhile, a little girl stood before the two, facing him directly.

She looked to be about five or six years old. She was extremely beautiful, with a round, chubby face and a pair of large, sparkling eyes. She was as charming as a little fairy.

With just a single glance, his heart skipped a beat.

That little girl was none other than his daughter, Lorraine.

It appeared Lorraine had done something wrong, and Jennifer and Xavier were reprimanding her for it.

Matthew restrained himself from stepping in. After all, felt that it was important for children to learn from their mistakes, and he didn't want to interfere prematurely without a clear understanding of the situation.

As he recalled the saying, "indulging a child is the same as harming them," Matthew suppressed his urge to intervene and quietly observed the situation.

At that moment, Jennifer reached out and twisted Lorraine's ear. "Are you deaf or something? I've told you countless times that your mother is the only one who truly cares about you. Those two good-for-nothing grandparents of yours must have deliberately badmouthed your mother."

Lorraine's ear hurt so much that she stood on her tiptoes to relieve the pain. With tears streaming down her face, she retorted, "Granny! Grandpa and Grandma didn't say anything nasty about Mom!"

Jennifer chided harshly, "If they hadn't spoken ill of your mother, how would you have gotten the idea that she doesn't love you?"

Lorraine sobbed. "All the other moms pick up their kids from kindergarten, but Mom never picks me up. All the other moms help their kids to sleep, but Mom has never put me to bed.

"Whenever I cry for Mom because I miss her so much, she never comes to see me! She doesn't love me! All the other kids say I don't have a mom!"

As soon as she heard that, Jennifer was momentarily stunned. After that, she quickly retorted, "Your mother loves you very much! And you're not without a mother; you're without a father!

"Did your father even bother to visit you these past three years? Your father is the one who truly doesn't love you!"

With her small hands, Lorraine wiped away her tears and timidly argued, "You're wrong. I know Dad loves me a lot! And I know he loves Mom too."

Jennifer flew into a rage. "You're babbling nonsense, you little brat! You don't know anything. Your father is nothing but a criminal—an ex-convict! And the police even arrested him and took him away!"

Lorraine wailed, saying, "Dad isn't a bad man! Dad went to jail for Mom! I heard everything when Grandma and Mom were arguing. I know Dad loves me! You're not allowed to say bad things about him!"

Matthew's eyes glistened with tears as he listened to what Lorraine had said. She was indeed his precious little one, his heart and soul.

As he reflected on how he had been absent from her life for three years, he was even more overcome with guilt.

When Jennifer noticed Lorraine crying and throwing a tantrum, she became infuriated and shouted, "If I said your father is an ex-convict, then he is!

"How dare a child like you talk back to me? It seems like you'll be a handful in the future if you continue to behave this way. You need a good beating!"

With that, she raised her hand, preparing to deliver the slap.

When Lorraine noticed that, she hurriedly closed her eyes in fear, bracing for the impact of the slap that was hurtling toward her.

At that moment, a large hand suddenly reached out and intercepted the incoming slap.

When Jennifer realized the hand belonged to Matthew, she stumbled back in fright. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Y-you… What are you doing here?"

Matthew bent over and gathered Lorraine up in his arms. He said, "If I hadn't shown up, wouldn't you have abused my daughter?"

After taking a moment to collect herself, Jennifer said, "What is the meaning of this, Matthew? You better put Lorraine down this instant. You're not leaving with her until you sign the divorce agreement!"

When the divorce agreement was brought up, Matthew reflexively glanced at Lorraine, fearing she might be upset by the news.

Yet, to his surprise, Lorraine was gazing at him intently, asking, "Are you really my dad?"