Chapter 1955: A Sense of Despondency
On the other side,
Luther took Joyce and the children to a famous seaside restaurant.
As it was close to noon when they set off,
Anderson and Alisha were hungry on the way. Inside the camper, everything was available: a kitchen, a bathroom, a shower, and a large TV and audio system, all fully equipped.
Joyce made some mini pancakes for them in the camper’s kitchen, topped with cream and adorned with fresh fruits.
While Alisha ate and watched cartoons on the TV in the car, dancing with joy,
Anderson did not have much of an appetite. He took a few bites casually and set them aside, his wise little eyes occasionally glancing at his mommy and daddy.
Upon waking up in the morning, he sensed that something was amiss. His dad did not say goodbye to him before leaving home.
He saw his mommy come out after his dad left, made a few phone calls, and then hastily left the house. He knew something was definitely wrong. His sister did not notice the changes at home, but he, being sensitive, was different.
They were hiding something from him; even his mommy often searched for information on the computer at home, using big data related to biopharmaceuticals, which was very suspicious.
Furthermore, his mommy’s mood had been noticeably off lately. When she spoke to him, her mind seemed elsewhere, and he could feel it.
Thinking about this, Anderson proactively handed a plate of mini pancakes to Joyce.
“Mummy, you should eat too.”
Joyce took it, touched Anderson’s head, and smiled, “Alright, but mommy is not hungry. I ate a lot in the morning. I’ll eat later.”
Anderson remained silent.
He clearly saw that Joyce did not eat breakfast before leaving, so how could she have eaten a lot in the morning? Being observant, having no appetite, and having no mood was the truth.
Joyce sat to the side, feeling uneasy about the matter of Luther going to get Mr. Baldwin to sign the will, which made her anxious.
Throughout the journey, she did not speak to Luther.
Luther caught sight of Joyce’s expression but didn’t say much. He didn’t want to upset her, deliberately keeping things from her, but there are no secret walls, ultimately, she found out.
Feeling bothered, Luther felt Alisha place a grape in his mouth.
“Daddy, eat.”
“Alisha is so sweet.” Luther gently embraced Alisha, cuddling her.
“Is it delicious? Is it sweet?” Alisha had not eaten yet, but she first gave it to her daddy to eat.
Luther nodded, “Mm, it’s very sweet. Alisha is really sweet.”
Alisha sweetly smiled, then picked up a grape for herself and put it in her mouth. As soon as she bit into it, she spit it out.
“Wow, it’s so sour. Alisha’s teeth are going to fall out from the sourness. How can you eat this, daddy? Don’t you find it sour at all?” Alisha looked at Luther in surprise, “It’s really sour.”
Luther’s handsome face momentarily stiffened; he had long lost his sense of taste, unable to taste anything sour, sweet, bitter, or spicy.
He covered up, “Because it’s from Alisha, so it’s all delicious.”
Alisha stuck out her tongue, “Alright. I like daddy the most.”
With that, she nestled into Luther’s arms, found a comfortable position, and continued watching TV.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
Luther glanced discreetly at Joyce, knowing that Joyce must be even more worried now.
Indeed, Joyce’s complexion changed, but she didn’t say a word.
Anderson, on the side, noticed the eerie atmosphere. He had already noticed that his dad seemed unable to taste anything, had said the wrong things several times, although his dad had been concealing it, he wasn’t easily fooled.
Just like at this moment, his mommy’s face looked like a cloud.
Looking around, he pondered.
Soon, they arrived at a beautiful seaside building that looked like a castle from afar, built on the edge of a cliff.
When they arrived, it was already past one in the afternoon.
After getting out of the car, Luther led them into the restaurant, to their reserved private room, the furthest inside.
Once inside, they could see huge floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing a breathtaking view of the sea, seemingly endless. The golden sunlight sprinkled on the sea, the sparkling waves shimmering in gold, white foam rolling continuously, wave after wave, as if they were right there, immersed in the beauty.
Upon reaching the window, they realized that half of the building seemed to extend beyond the cliff. Below them was the expanse of the sea, exceptionally magnificent.
“Wow, it’s so beautiful.”
Alisha was the happiest, clapping her hands and jumping, but she dared not sit by the window.
She pointed to the seats further inside, “Brother, you sit here.”
Anderson didn’t hesitate and sat down.
Alisha quickly sat next to Anderson.
With this arrangement, Joyce and Luther could only sit on the same side.
Joyce said softly, “Alisha, switch seats with daddy, so mommy can take care of you and feed you.”
“I don’t want to, I want to sit with brother.” Alisha held onto Anderson’s arm tightly, “Daddy, mommy, you sit together.”
“Okay.” Luther reached out and embraced Joyce’s shoulder, leaning close to her ear, “Don’t be mad, I won’t hide anything from you anymore. Let’s all enjoy the outing and have fun.”
Joyce shivered, her heart feeling even more sour, her nose tingled with the sourness.
She nodded, not wanting the children to notice her distress.
When she looked up, she smiled, “Both of you sit properly; when we roast seafood later, stay away from the fire. Don’t touch the metal edges, you’ll burn your hands. Anderson, keep an eye on your little sister.”
“Okay, mommy.” Anderson nodded. In fact, he caught a hint of their conversation earlier, and his suspicions grew.
In a few moments, the waiter brought a large pot of seafood, all sorts of rare varieties.
Luther took a few big shells, placed them on the grill, “These shells are very rare, with delicate flesh and high moisture content. The special sauce here is perfectly blended; you should try dipping a little.”
“Okay, it looks delicious.” Alisha clapped her hands excitedly.
Joyce helped place a few razor clams on the grill.
With a sizzling sound, water boiled in the shells, bubbling lightly. Then, the aroma of the seafood wafted around.
After grilling, Luther carefully cut and served them. He picked a piece for Anderson, a piece for Alisha, and then put one in a bowl in front of Joyce.
“Eat, you’re hungry. Even if you don’t have much of an appetite, you still need to eat for the sake of the baby in your tummy.” He placed his hand over hers, comforting her, “I’ll always be by your side, I promise.”
Joyce’s tense face relaxed, she bit into it, feeling the tender and juicy seafood, fresh and sweet. However, she thought again, Luther couldn’t taste anything anymore, no matter how delicious it was, it held no meaning for him. He was just eating with them.
With this in mind, her emotions dropped once again.