Today, she was wearing a slim, warm orange knitted dress—a color that was hard to pull off, but on her, it made her fair skin appear even brighter. Her delicate ears were bare, without any jewelry, and her small, plump earlobes were slightly red.
Charles's eyes darkened slightly, but he quickly shifted his gaze and said coldly, "If it weren't for Catherine being sick and calling you nonstop, I wouldn't have come."
"Catherine is sick?"
That single sentence was like a bomb, instantly changing Eleanor's expression. She pushed Charles and said, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and drive!"
Without another word, she got into the car herself.
Charles stood still for a moment, then walked around to the driver's side, got in, and started the engine.
Eleanor was restless the entire way. She was especially worried that Catherine had fallen ill because she hadn't come back the day before. If that was the case, Eleanor knew she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.
When they arrived at the Harrison estate, the car had barely stopped before Eleanor quickly opened the door and ran inside.
As soon as she entered, she saw a woman sitting on the living room carpet, holding a bowl and patiently coaxing Catherine to take her medicine.
"Be a good girl. Drink this medicine, and then we can play a game," the woman said sweetly.
Eleanor's footsteps suddenly halted.
"Why are you just standing there?"
Charles followed behind her, his voice startling the people inside the house. Eleanor looked up and met the gaze of a woman whose hostility was barely concealed.
"Daddy! Mommy! You're back!" Catherine's joyful, excited voice rang out.
Charles nodded at his daughter, then frowned at the unfamiliar woman in the living room. He turned to Rebecca and asked, "Who is this stranger in our home?"
Stranger?
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. The woman's smile stiffened.
Rebecca was taken aback before she quickly explained, "What stranger? This is Jane, a distant relative from my mother's side. She just returned from abroad a few days ago and came over today to keep Catherine company. Relatives care about Catherine, but some mothers are never around, even when their child is sick."
The last part of her statement was pointed and self-explanatory.
Eleanor said nothing, simply staring at the woman before her.
The woman took the initiative to greet her. "Hello, I'm Jane Adams. You can call me Jane. I specialize in early childhood education. If you have any questions about Catherine's development, feel free to consult me."
"Miss Adams," Eleanor lifted the corners of her lips into a polite smile, though there was a hint of sarcasm in her eyes.
Of course, she knew who Jane Adams was. They were old acquaintances—from a previous life.
In that life, Jane had arrived at the Harrison estate after being caught up in a drug scandal during her grandfather's birthday banquet. Rebecca had invited her, given her professional background, to guide Catherine's learning. But instead, she had fallen for Charles, and, along with Rebecca, they had frequently bullied Eleanor.
That was the past. The scandal had never happened in this life.
So why had Jane still come knocking?
A flicker of doubt crossed Eleanor's mind, but before she could dwell on it, Catherine ran over and hugged her leg.
"Mommy!"
Eleanor snapped back to reality, kneeling to embrace her daughter.
Catherine's chubby little body melted into her arms, carrying the faint scent of milk. Holding her, Eleanor felt her heart gradually settle.
This time, things were different. She wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.
Eleanor touched her daughter's forehead, checking for a fever. "Where does it hurt, Cathy? Mommy will massage your tummy for you."
Catherine's big eyes flickered, and she placed a small hand on her belly. "Just a little pain here," she said softly.
Jane immediately interjected, "Miss Eleanor, you shouldn't massage a child's stomach without professional knowledge. A child's body is delicate. You could make it worse."
"That's right," Rebecca added. "Catherine still has medicine left to drink!"
Ignoring them, Eleanor gently asked her daughter, "Where does it hurt? Here... or here? Tell Mommy the truth. Did you sneak some ice cream?"
"No, no! It doesn't hurt anymore."
The moment she heard "ice cream," Catherine panicked, afraid of losing her treats. She threw her arms around Eleanor's neck, pressing her head against her mother's shoulder to avoid further questioning.
Eleanor immediately realized—Catherine had been faking it!
Suppressing a laugh, she lightly patted her daughter's little bottom. "Alright, Mommy will make you some egg drop soup."
"Okay!" Catherine beamed.
Eleanor put her daughter down and went to the kitchen.
By the time her soup was ready, all the other dishes had been set on the dining table, and everyone sat down to eat together.
It was obvious that Rebecca favored Jane her smile never left her face while talking to her. Jane, in turn, acted patiently with Catherine, even going so far as to debone fish for her.
"Aunt Rebecca," Jane said sweetly, "Catherine is over five now, which means she should begin advanced private education. We can't be careless about her future. How about I take over? I specialize in early childhood education. You can trust me with her development."
Eleanor's hand trembled slightly as she held her bowl.
"No, no, no!" Rebecca immediately agreed with a smile.
But Eleanor didn't hesitate to object.
Jane smiled awkwardly, turning to Charles. "Miss Eleanor, why not? I'm only thinking about what's best for the child."
Charles remained expressionless.
Rebecca frowned at Eleanor. "Stop being difficult. The Harrison family's granddaughter deserves the best education. Jane is a professional. You don't understand this, so don't interfere."
Jane put on a falsely modest smile. "Aunt Rebecca, don't be too hard on Miss Eleanor. She cares about Catherine, but she may not fully understand private education. It's about guiding a child through daily interactions. Most families don't do this, but the Harrison family's wealth and status require it."
Rebecca nodded. "Catherine deserves the best. Jane, I trust you with her."
"You may trust her, but I don't." Eleanor set down her chopsticks, her voice calm but firm. "I will raise my daughter myself. She has teachers at school. She doesn't need Miss Adams guidance."
The table fell silent.
Catherine suddenly spoke. "Grandma, I want to go to kindergarten."
Rebecca hesitated. "But wouldn't you rather stay home with Aunt Jane?"
"But kindergarten has other kids and lots of teachers. It's more fun than staying home."
Rebecca sighed. "Alright, alright. You can go."
Jane's smile faltered.
Eleanor simply smirked, taking a quiet sip of her soup.