After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 193: Dying to Flay Her a Million Times
The sky was dim.
Seraphina Sheridan looked up at the dark, oppressive clouds gathering overhead. It was just like the day she’d been thrown out of the Quinn Family’s home before her postpartum confinement was even over.
That day...
Looking back now, she realized it had been so long ago that the details were hazy. She only vaguely remembered that it had been about to rain then, too. She had been thrown out by the Quinns after only fifteen days of her forty-day postpartum confinement.
The Quinns had called her shameless and said that without them, she’d live a life worse than a dog’s.
What had she said back then?
She tried to recall. Oh, right. She hadn’t said a word. She had just straightened her back and walked away.
The wounds from the natural birth still ached faintly. She wasn’t sure if it was tears or her hair blurring her vision, but she tripped and fell. The fall pulled at her wounds, and the pain turned her face deathly pale.
The butler had come to help her up. He secretly pressed some money into her hand and put her hat on for her. "You haven’t finished your confinement. You’ll suffer later if you get chilled by the wind."
She was numb, showing no reaction at all.
The butler had watched her grow up in the Quinn Family and felt sorry for her. "There’s a long, difficult road ahead. If you get the chance, leave Silvanus. Don’t come back here. It’s not worth remembering."
After he spoke, the butler wiped the tears from her face.
She couldn’t remember how many tears she had shed that day. She only remembered that for a long time afterward, her eyes were red and swollen every single day.
It was laughable, really, that a "real and fake heiress" plot would one day happen to her. But she wasn’t the real heiress who was finally found after a life of hardship; she was the fake one who had mistakenly enjoyed over a decade of wealth and privilege.
The true heiress returned to her rightful place.
And she, the fake heiress, was naturally cast back to where she came from.
She went from being Seraphina Quinn—the radiant and confident young lady from a privileged family—to Seraphina Sheridan, a dull, withdrawn woman filled with self-loathing.
Nineteen years of family affection, of spending every day and night together... She had naively believed that after the Quinns brought the real heiress home, they might not treat her as well as before, but there would at least still be a place for her.
She had been too naive.
After bringing the true heiress home, the Quinns not only had no room for her, but they also wished she were dead.
It was no exaggeration to say that the look in Mrs. Quinn’s eyes every day made it seem she wanted to slice Seraphina into a thousand pieces.
’Why so much hate?’
’Wasn’t I also the daughter they raised with their own hands?’
’Even if it’s not the same as a blood tie, don’t people get attached even to a dog after raising it for more than ten years?’
Later, after being thoroughly broken, she learned the truth. The real heiress who had been brought back, Irene Sheridan—now the Quinn family’s young lady, Ivy Quinn—had been intentionally switched at birth by her own biological mother. It was just like a TV drama: the grudges of the previous generation were borne by two innocent children, and her life had become a joke.
As for getting pregnant with Yael...
"Seraphina Sheridan!"
A sudden shout from behind snapped Seraphina Sheridan out of her memories.
She turned and saw it was Mrs. Lewis, the cook at Shorecrest. Over the past few days, Mrs. Lewis had graciously shared her childcare experience, and Seraphina had learned a lot while taking care of Yael.
"Mrs. Lewis, why did you come out?"
Mrs. Lewis, holding an umbrella, hurried over and handed it to Seraphina. "It’s about to rain. Take this. It’s still a bit of a walk from here to the gate. Be careful not to get soaked."
Seraphina didn’t refuse the kind gesture, especially since it really was about to rain.
She took the umbrella and said, "Thank you."
Mrs. Lewis waved her hand. "Don’t thank me. My heart aches for you. Hey, you’ve taken such good care of Yael these past few days, yet her father gives you such a look the moment he returns. It’s just chilling to think about."
Seraphina had come to terms with it. "If the master of the house is unhappy, it means I really didn’t do a good enough job."
Mrs. Lewis brought it up, "But you shouldn’t have refused your pay. That was a lot of money for just a few days."
It was in the tens of thousands.
It was a lot of money.
The mere thought of not getting a single cent was painful.
If she had been working for any other family, she, Seraphina Sheridan, would have thrown a tantrum right then and there, making a scene without a care for her image to get the commission she was owed before leaving.
But this time, she had been taking care of her own daughter—the daughter who was taken from her at birth. If she actually took the money, it would feel meaningless.
Seeing Seraphina’s silence, Mrs. Lewis suggested, "How about I go with you to see Mr. Dalton? Rich people care about face. If you go and shamelessly ask for it, you’ll definitely get it."
"It’s fine. I never intended to take it anyway." Seraphina appreciated Mrs. Lewis’s good intentions. "I’ve already looked into another job. It’s still early, so I’m going to the interview now. I could start as soon as tomorrow."
"In such a hurry?" Mrs. Lewis was surprised.
Seraphina gave a bitter smile. "Life’s pressures."
"Many girls your age go to the movies, get their nails done, or grab bubble tea after work. They might not have savings, but they live in the moment and are happy every day." Mrs. Lewis looked at Seraphina, her voice filled with sympathy. "I started in housekeeping when I was thirty-seven and I’ve worked for many families, but I’ve never seen someone as young as you working as a nanny."
Seraphina smiled and said, "The pay in this line of work is high, especially when you work for a wealthy family. They really do pay a lot."
"Well, don’t wear yourself out. You should get going, the rain’s about to start coming down hard." After saying her piece, Mrs. Lewis waved goodbye.
"I’ll be on my way then. I hope we’ll have a chance to meet again." Seraphina opened her umbrella and turned to leave.
Mrs. Lewis watched her for a moment, only turning back when the rain started to fall harder.
Just as she entered the house, she ran into a gloomy-faced Julian Dalton. Mrs. Lewis jumped in fright. "Mr. Dalton, are you heading out?"
Julian Dalton stared out at the rain and asked, "She left?"
Mrs. Lewis was confused. "Who are you asking about, Mr. Dalton?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
Julian Dalton: "Seraphina Sheridan."
Mrs. Lewis quickly replied, "Yes, yes, she left. Not long ago."
Julian Dalton’s expression darkened. ’So she really left.’
"She didn’t mention her pay?" Julian Dalton asked again.
Mrs. Lewis shook her head. "No, Seraphina said she didn’t take good care of Yael, so she was too embarrassed to take the money and left."
"Hmph."
Julian Dalton snorted coldly.
The rain grew heavier, lashing against the rockery and pond in the courtyard with a great SPLASH, sending up countless dense sprays of water. Julian Dalton’s brows were deeply furrowed, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
Mrs. Lewis thought she was dismissed and had just taken a step when he suddenly asked, "Does she have an umbrella?"
"Yes, yes, she does." Mrs. Lewis nodded hurriedly. "I saw it was about to pour, so I rushed out to give Seraphina an umbrella."
Julian Dalton said nothing.
A moment later, Yael came running down the stairs. Hearing the footsteps, Julian Dalton turned back inside. "Yael, how many times have I told you? Slow down on the stairs."
Yael didn’t stop, her little legs moving at a frantic pace. As she came off the last step, Julian Dalton reached out and caught his daughter.
"Where’s Auntie Seraphina?"
Yael asked, tilting her head back.
Julian Dalton brushed Yael’s bangs aside. "She left."
Yael’s lip trembled in disbelief. "Daddy, you promised you’d make Auntie Seraphina stay. Why did she still leave?"
Julian Dalton explained, "She was already gone by the time I came downstairs."
"Go, go get her!" Yael pushed at Julian Dalton insistently, her voice urgent.
Julian Dalton didn’t move. "Go where?"
