Chapter 339 A Family of Four
"He... he's the child from the supermarket downstairs," Winnie explained nervously as she tried to discreetly warn Oscar to leave. She then hurriedly handed him some money and said, "All right, kid, here's your money and be sure to go back home immediately!"
"Uncle, you're so handsome, tall and big, much more handsome than my jerk dad," Oscar said, looking up at Lawrence.
Winnie felt really awkward when she heard her son say that.
"A jerk dad?" Lawrence frowned. Somehow, he found himself disliking this masked child without apparent reason. Perhaps it was the subtle feeling of familiarity, likely because he and Sidney shared a similar height and age.
"Yeah, my dad can be such a jerk. He had an affair while my mom was pregnant and sent her to a mental institution, which caused her to have a premature birth and escape with me. And now, he's still obsessed with his mistress! Do you think he's a jerk, Uncle?"
Lawrence furrowed his brows slightly, noticing certain parallels between the boy's narrative and his own experiences with Winnie. But he was not that kind of jerk. He cleared his throat lightly and said, "We don't need someone like that jerk."
Winnie and Sidney remained silent. In a cold tone, Oscar sneered, saying, "Yeah, I also think my mom is better off without him unless he kneels down and begs for forgiveness."
Lawrence responded with a noncommittal "Mmm."
Winnie was utterly speechless at the scene which had unfolded before her.
Oscar sighed deeply and added, "I envy you all being together as a family. Aunty, can I stay and play for a while?" Oscar cautiously asked.
Winnie felt as if a storm were raging within her. Her son was so committed to his acting that he even went so far as to call her "Aunty."
Before she could say anything, Lawrence felt a slight sting from the mention of "together as a family," casting a deep look at Winnie and Sidney. The thought of them actually being a family of three made him feel as if his heart had been struck, experiencing a sudden rush of emotion. He looked at Oscar and answered in a relatively good mood, "Sure, you can stay and play with my son, Sidney, for a while."
In the manner of a master of the house, he instructed, "Sidney, take the little one to the living room to play." Winnie discreetly glared at Lawrence, as she scolded him in her mind, 'Who do you think you are to give permission under my roof?' With tear-streaked faces but oddly not shedding a single tear, she watched her two sons enter the living room hand in hand.
"Is your meal not ready yet?" Lawrence asked her with a dignified and upright tone.
Unwilling to entertain him, she glanced at him briefly before heading into the kitchen. After a while, she emerged with a sumptuous feast, and with a warm invitation, she called her son Sidney to join her at the table.
Lawrence smelled the fragrant food, feeling quite hungry. He sat down with his noble and cold demeanor. "Kid, take off your mask and join us for dinner," he asked Oscar.
Winnie became a little nervous, worried that Oscar's undercover might be blown. Oscar, however, shook his head and replied, "No, Uncle, I can't take off my mask."
"Why?" The man inquired, examining him.
"I have an infectious disease and I'm afraid of infecting you all." Oscar forced a smile and pretended to take off his mask. "But if you don't mind..."
Winnie forcefully twitched her mouth as she calmed her breath, observing the antics of this little actor.
"No need!" Lawrence immediately frowned and stopped him. "Just keep it on." Being a clean freak, he quickly moved Sidney a meter away, never mentioning taking off the mask again.
Unable to hold back, Sidney turned his head and smiled, exchanging glances with Oscar. Oscar also raised his eyebrows secretly.
"All right, Sidney, let's eat," Winnie said, glaring silently at the two mischievous ones, and sat down to serve her son. As for Oscar, he had eaten his fill long ago, so she didn't need to worry about him.
"Why isn't there mine?" Lawrence stared for a while, realizing there were no utensils in front of him. He became extremely displeased and looked up to question the woman.
"Oh, Lawrence hasn't eaten yet?" Winnie sarcastically replied, "Are you lacking hands and feet to set your own plate?" She proceeded to choose pork ribs for her son without minding Lawrence's reaction.
Lawrence's brow furrowed. He stared at the pile of pork ribs in Sidney's bowl – rich in color and aroma, not too greasy but appetizing. He had to admit that Winnie's culinary skills had improved after three years.
However, the differential treatment was too obvious. Feeling discontented, Lawrence reluctantly got up and walked into the kitchen to find a plate for himself. But when he opened the oven, he discovered there was not a single dish inside. Lawrence's face darkened in anger. Taking big strides, he gritted his teeth and said, "Winnie, where is my food?"
With a hint of a smile playing on her red lips, Winnie casually glanced upwards. "Naturally, your food would be at your home. Oh, my cooking skills are much worse than yours, I wouldn't dare to let you taste it. You should go home and eat your fiancée's food instead!"
Lawrence's stern expression grew darker. Mockingly, he retorted, "You care so much, eavesdropping on my conversation with my son."
"You were defaming me in front of Sidney. Do you still think I'm the woman from three years ago who only knew how to make tomato and egg noodles?" Winnie responded coldly.
As she mentioned tomato and egg noodles, their conversation fell into silence, evoking sweet memories and inexplicable emotions. Lawrence's voice rumbled with a trace of unintentional softness, saying, "Go make a bowl of noodles for me."
"Do you plan on paying for it?" Winnie concealed her unease. Lawrence coldly swung a 1 million check onto the table. Winnie picked it up and stood up, heading to the kitchen. Before long, she brought out a bowl of plain noodles.
Lawrence didn't say anything. He elegantly picked up his fork and started eating the noodles, sneaking a glance at the pork ribs on Sidney's plate.
Winnie was meticulously deboning the meat for their child and removing every thorn from the fish. She then fed Sidney. Sidney ate with contentment, too satisfied to even lift a finger. The way she delicately cared for the child, gentle and lovely, reminded him of himself.
Once again, he looked around at everyone who was seated at the dining table, where they resembled a family of four—neat and perfect. If only she hadn't taken the life of their other twin baby. Nonetheless, the scene pained Lawrence's heart, and as he took a deep breath, swallowing the noodles in his mouth, the fleeting happiness they once knew seemed impossible to hope for. Their family, once whole, was broken beyond repair, as he and Winnie faced the devastating loss of their other twin baby.
Lawrence gave the woman a glare as he got up from the table. He made his way to the terrace, where he brooded while smoking, lost in his thoughts.
With a mouthful of pork ribs, Sidney asked, "What's wrong with Daddy?"
"He probably sees us like this and imagined that we could have been a perfect family of four," Oscar murmured with a hint of irony.
Sidney fell silent too. "Daddy probably still thinks that you, his other twin baby, is dead, as Taylor mentioned earlier. He revealed having bought a tomb, though he never shared this information with me. Sometimes, he quietly visits it alone."
Oscar glanced at his father, oblivious to the fact that his supposedly 'dead' twin had been right in front of him all along, unbeknownst to him. He pondered if his father really did mourn for him, considering he had even purchased a tomb. However, Oscar was doubtful because his father was heartless enough to not want children in the first place.
At the same time, Winnie told herself not to soften her heart. She wanted him to taste the pain and despair she experienced when she jumped into the sea. Taking a deep breath, she touched the heads of her two sons. "Enough about him. Both of you have caused enough trouble. Oscar, go back to Elliott's place."
"No, after seeing Sidney and your family of three, I also want to get involved," Oscar complained sweetly, a rare occurrence for him.
Winnie certainly understood Oscar's thoughts. She was aware that Oscar didn't appreciate his difficult father, yet deep down, Oscar yearned for a lively family. Considering that it was a rare opportunity that everyone was getting along, Winnie decided to consider it a pretense and focused on comforting the children.
"You two can go play in the bedroom but Oscar, don't take off your mask."
"Okay, Mommy!" The two little ones went inside, and it was obvious that their moods were good.
Winnie reluctantly cleaned up the table, washed the dishes, and then went to the bathroom to wash Sidney's wet underwear. The terrace served as a living balcony, and Winnie carried the clothesline over to hang the clothes.
Lawrence stood in silence; a cigarette held in his hand. When he detected movement, his narrow eyes peered through the smoke. His gaze, as profound and chilling as an uncharted abyss, mirrored the lights from countless households outside the window. One couldn't exaggerate the beauty of this man, but within his gaze lay an endless blackness and a chilling coldness.
As their eyes met, the confined space of their solitude seemed to become narrow, and their breaths seemed to blend together for a moment.
Winnie felt her breath become slightly restricted and picked up the clothes rack to hang clothes.
His gaze lingered on her slender white hand, and finally, he broke the silence. He asked indifferently, "Where is your uncle? Didn't he live with you?"
Winnie was taken aback, wondering why would he suddenly bring up the topic of her uncle. She cautiously replied, "He was released today and is temporarily staying nearby."
"He was released. Are you happy about it?" Lawrence suddenly turned around and inexplicably asked her.
Winnie thought to herself, 'Why do you care whether I'm happy or not? Do you have any relationship with me?'
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