Winner Takes All

Jack didn't mention to Sophie about his overnight windfall and the man who he hadn't seen before when she was in the hospital. That man abandoned the family for more than twenty years and Jack was afraid that it would negatively affect his mother. But he must tell his mother the truth today.

Sophie smiled and nodded when she heard from Amber that it was a surprise and didn't ask any further.

They packed up and settled the discharge procedures.

Five of them sat in two cars and headed to the TM Villa district. Along the way, Amber and Daisy chatted with Sophie and her mood was very good. Jack was wondering how he should reveal to his mother all that had happened over this period.

As the cars drove up the TM hill, Sophie's smile turned into surprise. "Jack, our new house is in the TM villa district?"

TM Villa district was the most expensive place in the city and everyone knew about it.

Jack smiled and nodded. Sophie was totally shocked and her pale lips were quivering and wanted to question further. But still, she endured and didn't ask.

Along the way up the hill, Sophie was in a daze. The beautiful scenery and the location of the new house gave her a feeling that she was dreaming. She knew about their family condition and although Jack was the deputy General Manager of DT real estate agency with an annual salary of a million. But all the money was either used for her medical treatments or taken by Katherine for her family.

There wasn't much money that they could save! After the liver transplant and Jack's divorce from Katherine, there wouldn't be any money remaining.

Furthermore, the prices at the TM villa district was astronomical! It was impossible to afford a house here even with Jack's annual salary!

It wasn't until the cars reached the entrance of the villa and when Amber and Daisy helped Sophie walk towards the villa, did she come to her senses. Her eyes became red and walked slowly towards the villa as her breathing gradually quickened.

"Auntie, this is the new house that Jack prepared for you." Amber held onto Sophie carefully and said tenderly.

"Really... our new house?" Sophie still couldn't believe it was real. In her heart, the cost of the houses here was astronomical. She painstakingly raised Jack on her own and didn't even dare to dream about living in such a house. The spacious courtyard, the green grass, and a beautiful fountain. It was like she was in a "fairyland".

Jack and Brent dragged the suitcases and walked quickly to the villa.

Jack took out the key and with a "clunk", the door opened. To Sophie, it sounded like a clap of thunder and caused her to shudder.

"Mom, welcome home!" Jack's eyes turned red as he said gently. His mother had gone through so many hardships to raise him up.

He worked very hard after graduation in order to repay his mother and provide her some happiness. But when his mother became gravely ill, Katherine actually took the money that he needed to save his mother and gave them to her family. That made him feel like he fell into the depths of hell. However, the emergence of Mr. Ward pulled him up and raised him to the heavens.

One day he felt that was in hell and the next day he was rejoicing in heaven. Only those who had experienced this can understand such a feeling. Words can never appropriately describe this kind of feeling. "Okay... okay, Jack. Thanks, it must be tough on you."

Sophie didn't ask too much and her eyes were red with tears. She hugged Jack and then smiled towards Amber and Daisy, "Come, we're home, we're all home."

The group of them walked happily into the villa.

Amber blushed and tugged Jack and intentionally walked behind the rest and asked softly, "Did you hear that? Auntie said that I'm home."

"That's right, there's nothing wrong with that." Jack smiled radiantly.

Amber's eyes sparkled and then gave him a look, "You're a rascal."

Brent and Daisy placed the luggage away.

Sophie sat alone on the large sofa in the living hall and looked at the surroundings in a daze. She saw Jack and Amber walking towards her. Sophie smiled amiably, "Jack, is there a terrace at this villa? The villas that I see on the television all have terraces. Can you bring me there to have a look?"

"Auntie, it is very windy at the terrace, you..."

Amber was worried about Sophie's health but before she could finish, Jack pinched her palm and stopped her.

"Okay, mom."

Jack smiled and held Sophie's arm and brought her to the rooftop terrace. He knew that his mother wanted to question him rather than to look at the terrace.

At the spacious open-air terrace.

Hundreds of flowers were swaying in the wind and the air was filled with its fragrance.

Jack brought Sophie to the chair to sit down. Sophie smiled and looked around but wasn't in a hurry to ask anything.

"Mom, do you have something on your mind?" Jack sat beside her.

Sophie raised her hand and placed it on Jack's shoulder and said sternly, "You, did you do anything illegal?"

Did mom think that I became rich from doing something illegal? Jack was stunned but wasn't angry. From when he was a child, no matter how bad things were at home, his mother taught him to never steal. He must depend on his own abilities to work.

For the family situation to take such a sudden improvement, it was natural for the elder folks to think of it that way.

He smiled, "Mom, you've taught me well and I've never forgotten. How could I do those?"

"Then explain to me how you bought this house."

Sophie's eyes were red and pointed around, "Don't think that your mother has become a fool from the sickness. Everyone knew how expensive the houses were in the TM Villa district. How could you afford to buy a place here so suddenly?" Sophie became very conflicted with this surprise.

She didn't mind being poor and going through hardships but she could not accept her son doing anything illegal!

Jack smiled and then his expression turned bitter and his eyes were red as he looked at his mother, "Mom, actually my father isn't dead, right?"

Boom!

In a flash, Sophie's face stiffened with fury. Her pupils dilated and her expression was exceedingly surprised.

"I know that he isn't dead." Jack squatted next to his mother and then looked up at his mother, "He abandoned us so that he could seek his fortunes." "You, how do you know that?" After the initial shock, Sophie's expression became exceedingly dejected in a way that even Jack had never seen before.

Jack said slowly, "Because, he came back and he helped me."

"Where is he?" Sophie's eyes flashed and tried to stand up.

Jack quickly assured her, "He isn't here. It was his subordinate, Mr. Ward who came to me. After Katherine took away the money for your surgery, Mr. Ward suddenly appeared and paid for your surgery." "Thereafter, he gave me a bank card given by my father. That's why we have what you see here."

Upon hearing, Sophie's expression looked lost, and sat back into the chair. She looked down at her hands which were over her knees and remained silent.

Jack's eyes were red and fought hard to hold back his tears and laughed coldly.

"Mom, don't you find it amusing? That wretched man abandoned the both of us back then and now he suddenly came back and try to redeem himself." Smack! A loud slap rang out.

Jack was stunned and finger marks started to show from the slap.

Sophie turned and glared sternly at him, "He is your father and you must never speak of him that way. He had no choice but to do it!"☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐