Chapter 134 The Consequences of a Tender Heart
Magnus led Ophelia downstairs to the bottom of the apartment complex, stammering for a while before he managed to explain the situation to her.
"My folks, they came a few days ago..." he began.
Ophelia listened intently and learned from Magnus's account that his father was named Tobias Cobb, his mother was Riley, and the paralyzed brother at home was called Jett Cobb.
Magnus's parents were country folks who worked the land and lived off the crops they grew.
His brother, Jett, had been injured on a construction site a few years ago, resulting in paralysis from the waist down that left him unable to care for himself. The construction company hadn't compensated him because Jett had been drinking right before work, which was considered a personal fault.
After the accident, Jett's wife left him, abandoning their five-year-old daughter who was still attending preschool back in their hometown. They hadn't brought her along on this trip to the city.
Tobias and Riley had brought Jett to the city mainly to seek financial help from Magnus to pay for medical treatment.
After hearing everything Magnus had to say, Ophelia asked, "What did they say about the reason they abandoned you back then?"
Magnus sat down on a bench in the apartment complex, lighting up a cigarette and shared, "They told me. My mom said I was stolen at a bus station. They looked for me but couldn't find me. Back in those days, with communication not as developed and them being just simple farmers, there wasn't much they could do. It was only recently they found me through a family-searching network. Now, they're old, my brother's paralyzed, and they have no one else to turn to but me."
"What are you going to do about it? Let them stay and you take care of them?" Ophelia raised a very realistic issue. "Magnus, I know it's not easy to find your birth parents. They are your mom and dad, the closest people to you, who you can support, but life in this city isn't easy for you either. A paralyzed brother is enough to crush you. I was only in that room for a few minutes, and I can imagine what living in that house must be like for you."
Suffocation and oppression—that's what filled Magnus's days recently.
The day after his parents arrived in A City with Jett, Magnus had taken them to the hospital for a checkup. The slew of medical expenses cost thousands. Tobias had bronchitis, and Riley was also in poor health. Back home, there was a little niece to think about, and just the thought of it all weighed heavily on Magnus.
Helping Seraphina with her debts had left him nearly penniless.
However, Magnus, who was so desperate for the warmth of family, couldn't bear to turn his back on them, so he let them stay.
Magnus quickly lit a cigarette, his mind burdened with too many troubles.
Ophelia had known Magnus for over twenty years, and this was the first time she'd seen him so silent. She could feel the predicament he was in.
Magnus was the kind of person who was soft-hearted and sentimental. He would rather suffer himself than be a bother to anyone else.
Trying to muster a smile, Magnus said, "Ophelia, you don't need to worry. My parents just came to get my brother treated. They'll be heading back in a few days."
Ophelia felt deeply for Magnus. Tobias and Riley's visit to A City was not just about acknowledging Magnus. They had come to get medical care for their eldest son.
If it had been about a heartfelt reunion, surely they would not have brought the eldest son to A City, and from what she observed when Magnus returned home, Tobias and Riley seemed a bit indifferent. Seeing Magnus had not brought them the slightest bit of joy.
That wasn't the reaction of parents who had found a long-lost son.
Therefore, Ophelia felt that Magnus wasn't getting the recognition he deserved, and it pained her.
Ophelia and Magnus had been out for a considerable time. Tobias Cobb and Riley leaned against the window, peering down. Seraphina also quietly followed downstairs, hiding by the entrance of the apartment building to eavesdrop.
Inside the apartment, Riley looked down at the two figures through the window and said, "Tobias, what's the deal with this woman? Why is Magnus so on edge, taking her downstairs to talk? What could it be that we can't hear?"
Tobias cleared his throat and with his hands clasped behind him, remarked, "Who cares who she is? We're Magnus's parents, and he's obliged to provide for us. Jett is his real brother, and Magnus can't turn his back on him. I sent word back home to bring Serenity up here to go to school. We'll live in the city from now on. It's so much better than those hills we come from."
Serenity was Jett's daughter and Magnus's niece. This was a family planning to settle in the city for good, hoping to live off Magnus's success.
Tobias and Riley, scared of falling back into poverty, admired everything in the apartment and dreamed of the bustle of the big city. They couldn't bear the thought of leaving.
Feeling a pang of guilt, Riley said, "We sold Magnus off back in the day. If he ever finds out he wasn't actually kidnapped..."
Tobias shot Riley a glare. "Are you out of your mind? Keep that to yourself. We'll stick to the kidnapping story. He needs to take care of us. Never mention this again—it stays buried."
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