Chapter 548 Nothing Good
Jonathan let out a chuckle, "Katherine, you really trust me, huh? But since I'm here solo, why not take me along for some fun?"
Jonathan had zero plans of getting out of the car.
Leander glanced at Katherine through the rearview mirror and asked, "Mrs. Melville, should we..."
Katherine was done wasting time with Jonathan. If she spent any more time on him, the sun would set.
So, she waved her hand, "Forget it, drive!"
Leander furrowed his brow but nodded and started the car, thinking to himself that he’d have to report this to Alex later.
The car cruised along the mountain road, and the scenery outside was stunning.
Katherine rolled down the window a bit to catch the breeze.
But as soon as she did, a hand reached over from the side to help her close it.
Katherine glared at Jonathan, "What are you doing?"
Jonathan had his usual playful glint, "The cold wind can give you a headache. You're pregnant now; you gotta take extra care of yourself."
Katherine furrowed her brow, "Mr. Mostow, has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"
Jonathan shook his head with a smile, "Nope, 'cause I usually don't talk this much to others."
Because of the window-closing move, Jonathan was now sitting much closer to her. Katherine noticed this and said, "Alright, thanks for the reminder. I'll be careful. Now, Mr. Mostow, please move back to your original seat. It's kinda inappropriate to sit so close to me."
Jonathan shrugged indifferently but respected her wishes and moved back to his original spot.
Katherine turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window, ignoring him.
But Jonathan's voice filled the car again. "Katherine, you're pregnant, and Alex still lets you come up the mountain alone? He really doesn't care, does he?"
Hearing this, Katherine was momentarily stunned and didn't respond.
Leander, who was driving, couldn't stand it and worried that Katherine might overthink it. He said, "Mr. Mostow, you might be mistaken. Mr. Melville specifically arranged for me to accompany Mrs. Melville to ensure her safety."
Jonathan chuckled lightly, "True! I almost forgot you were here, Leander! But a husband should accompany his wife personally. Even if he arranges for a subordinate to be with her 24/7, it's not the same. Is it?"
Leander frowned, "Mr. Melville's really busy now, but he'll make it up to Mrs. Melville when he's back. There's no need for you to worry, Mr. Mostow."
Jonathan pursed his lips, "Hmm, Alex loves Katherine so much; how could he not treat her well? I guess I was meddling!"
Katherine stayed silent throughout the conversation.
Temple of Compassion.
It was close; Leander drove for less than fifteen minutes before they arrived at the place where Katherine had grown up.
Looking at the sign at the entrance of the Temple of Compassion, Katherine felt a bit melancholic. She turned to Jonathan and said, "Mr. Mostow, I'm gonna spend some time inside the Temple of Compassion. You probably won't be interested, so you can wait in the car or walk around."
Jonathan gave her a sly look, keeping that usual cheeky grin, "Who said I'm not interested? Since I'm here, I'll go in and pay my respects too."
Katherine wasn't a fan of Jonathan's playful smile in such a serious place and frowned, "You can come in with me, but you better be serious! This isn't a place for joking around!"
Jonathan dialed down his expression and nodded, "Alright, no problem."
Katherine opened the car door and got out, with Jonathan trailing behind her.
Leander, worried about Katherine being with Jonathan, parked the car in a non-obstructive spot and followed them inside.
There weren't many people praying inside the Temple of Compassion. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they could smell the faint scent of wood.
Katherine walked slowly inside, taking in the surroundings. It seemed like nothing had changed over the years.
She stepped over the threshold and entered the main hall, where she saw a middle-aged nun sitting on one side.
Katherine stood there for a moment, then walked over and sat down.
The nun was organizing some items on the table and didn't look up. She asked, "Do you need any help?"
Katherine took a deep breath and softly called, "Celine."
Celine paused her organizing and then looked up at her, her eyes a bit dazed.
Celine's kind face hadn't changed, but there seemed to be a few more wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, showing her age.
Celine's emotions didn't fluctuate much. She was momentarily stunned but then returned to calmness and nodded at her, "You're back."
Katherine's eyes reddened as she forced a smile, "Celine, I've been busy these past few years and haven't had time to visit you. How have you been?"
Celine shook her head. "Don'tfeel guilty. Katherine, growing up means leaving here to live your own life. This place shouldn't be your burden."
Katherine had grown up without a mother, and Celine had often played the role of a mother in her heart.
But Celine was a nun and wouldn't get too close to people. Although she cared for Katherine, she always maintained a distance to avoid dependency and excessive emotions.
Katherine didn't want to cry in front of Celine, who had been like a mother to her. She took a deep breath and suppressed her emotions, "Thank you for understanding."
At that moment, two other nuns entered the main hall to clean and saw Katherine.
One of them immediately recognized Katherine. "Katherine? Is that you, Katherine?"
Katherine looked over and recognized the person standing up. "Brenda Wright, it's been a long time since we've seen each other. How have you been?"
The nun named Brenda was excited and quickly walked over, taking Katherine's hand and looking her up and down with satisfaction, "It really is you, Katherine! You've become more beautiful and accomplished!"
Katherine smiled and then gently withdrew her hand.
She didn't particularly like Brenda from back in the day, but Brenda had seniority and held a significant position in the Temple of Compassion.
She remembered when she was first sent to the Temple of Compassion, Brenda was reluctant to take her in.
The temple had no money or food to support her.
It was Celine who insisted on taking her in and giving her a place to stay.
For many years afterward, Brenda often complained to Celine because of Katherine.
Celine never wavered and always kept her by her side, which made Celine quite unpopular in the Temple of Compassion.
At that time, Katherine really felt she was causing Celine a lot of trouble, so she behaved well, tried to do more work around the temple, ate less, and didn't make things difficult for Celine.
Over time, Brenda saw that Katherine was obedient and didn't eat much, so she stopped causing trouble, and Katherine was finally accepted.
Later, Celine, against everyone's objections in the Temple of Compassion, borrowed money from the church to support her education, facing many difficulties and hostility.
Katherine saw all of this and worked hard. After high school, she never used the church's money again, relying on scholarships to study.
Later, she studied while starting her own business, made money, and repaid the church and Brenda.
It was from that time that Brenda's attitude towards her changed significantly, becoming particularly enthusiastic.
Katherine, however, found her very hypocritical, not at all like a nun.
In this Temple of Compassion, only Celine was truly practicing, indifferent to worldly matters.
Seeing Katherine withdraw her hand, Brenda felt she might have been a bit abrupt and quickly smiled, "Katherine, you see! I'm so happy to see you back that I forgot you never liked physical contact since you were a child!"
Katherine smiled, "It's okay. Brenda, it's been years. How have you all been?"
Brenda beamed, "Good! We're all doing well! The money you've sent over the years has been used to repair the church, and Celine has donated the rest to those in need!"
Saying they were doing well was actually a way to criticize Celine in front of Katherine.
The nuns here valued money quite a bit, except for Celine.
After Katherine repaid the money for her education, any money she sent to the church was given to Celine because she didn't trust anyone else there.
There really weren't many good people in this world, and the church was no exception.
Katherine furrowed her brow and turned to Celine, "Celine, I sent you money hoping you would eat better. Why did you donate it all?"
Celine stood up and said calmly, "Others need it more than we do."
Katherine sighed, feeling helpless.
Brenda tried to get closer again. "Katherine, you look thinner! How have you been lately? You must have made a lot of money, right?"
Katherine smiled nonchalantly, "Really? Do I look thinner? Maybe I've just been too tired lately!"
She deliberately dodged Brenda's last question, sensing it was a nudge to donate more to the Temple of Compassion if she was raking in the dough.
In fact, she had donated quite a bit to the church over the years, but these folks were never satisfied, and she never saw them use the money to actually improve the place!
Katherine couldn't wrap her head around why they were so obsessed with money. Most of them had no kids and couldn't even go out to spend it.
Celine probably also felt that Brenda's words were out of line and said, "Brenda, go prepare some of Katherine's favorite foods. It's rare for her to come back; we can't let her go hungry."
Brenda was naturally happy to dodge cleaning the main hall and smiled, "Alright! I'll go whip up something Katherine loves!"
She then turned to Katherine, her expression showing a flattery unbecoming of a nun, "Katherine! You're a boss now, and the church's food might not suit your taste, but please don't mind!"
Katherine had just eaten and wasn't hungry at all, but she didn't want Brenda hanging around, so she said, "I won't mind. I'm actually looking forward to it. Thanks, Brenda!"
Only this way could she get Brenda to leave, allowing her to talk quietly with Celine.
Celine probably had the same idea.
After Brenda left, Celine pulled Katherine to sit down and said earnestly, "Katherine, what made you suddenly decide to come back? Did something happen?"
After so many years, Celine's concern still touched Katherine deeply.
'Those who truly care about you will always ask if something is wrong, worrying about what might have happened.' she thought.
Katherine shook her head, "Don't worry, I'm fine! I just happened to be nearby today and thought I'd come to see you."
The love in Celine's eyes was genuine. She nodded and asked, "How is the search for your mother going?"
Katherine had told Celine about her mother when she was very young, and Celine knew that all her efforts over the years were for this purpose.
Katherine shook her head helplessly, "Still no sign of her, dead or alive. But I have found other family members."
Celine was quite surprised, "Really? How are your family members? Have they acknowledged you?"
Katherine's eyes darkened, "No, they ditched my mother and me back then. I don't claim them, so they have no clue.."
Celine gently patted her hand, "Katherine, you remind me of my younger self,seeing things in black and white, loving and hating clearly. But you must understand that the world isn't black and white and people aren't simply good or bad. Being too rigid will only bring us pain. That's why I've always worried about you over the years."
Katherine felt a bit guilty and lowered her head, "I'm sorry for making you worry, Celine."
Celine sighed again and said, "I once had a similar experience to your mother's. I was betrayed by the one I loved most, abandoned by the world, and fell into despair. By chance, I came here and was guided by the pastor, understanding many things I couldn't before."
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