Hush, My Sweet Darling

Chapter 10: No Longer Digging in Her Heels

After taking a brisk shower, Violet ran downstairs to the dining room. She could already smell the savory aroma of Amah Ning's signature beef brisket noodle soup before she even stepped inside the room. Her stomach grumbled.

She hadn't gotten to eat Amah Ning's signature dish last night. Although Amah Ning was already in the middle of preparing the broth for the soup when she arrived home, the beef shank had taken two hours to tenderize. It had been quite an exhausting day for Violet, and she had fallen asleep in her room before the dish was ready.

She entered the breakfast room and saw her brother sitting at the breakfast table, reading a newspaper, enjoying his coffee, and conversing with Amah Ning, who was busy embroidering a handkerchief.

She greeted them. "Good morning, Amah. Good morning, Brother."

Amah Ning's toil-worn face lit up as soon as she saw Violet. She quickly put down her embroidery and got up from her seat. "Ah, here's my little fairy. You're finally up. Come, come... Have breakfast first," she said, her voice feeble.

Violet rushed up to her before she could even reach her.

"Don't get up, Amah. I'm here." She sat down next to Amah Ning and smiled brightly upon seeing the beef brisket noodles on the breakfast table. After thanking Amah Ning gracefully, Violet started to chow down the soup the old lady had just ladled for her.

"Eat slowly, child... This is because you ate nothing at all last night. Only miss Kiko ate this last night," Amah Ning chided her.

"Not only last night; she ate it for breakfast, too, and even asked to put some in a thermos so she could eat it again at the hospital for lunch," Jared laughed.

Watching his sister eat so heartily brought a smile to his face. He didn't buy Kiko's explanation when he called her last night to ask if she knew why Violet was at Kingsley when she was supposed to be somewhere else.

He called Julian Sato and found out about the scene that had transpired between Violet, Adam, and Kiko at Netherby. There were not a lot of guests at the restaurant at the time of the commotion, and having been informed of Violet's identity, the staff had, of course, paid close attention to her.

The news had worried him. Violet was technically an adult, but this was her first romantic relationship. Jared wasn't sure if she could take the breakup well, especially since she caught the other party being unfaithful to her.

If it were entirely up to him, he would have gone to Netherby to break the guy's legs himself. He couldn't believe the guts that the guy had, dallying with another woman when he was still romantically involved with his sister.

Jared knew perfectly well that he was biased, but he'd always thought his sister deserved better than the ninny who couldn't even look him in the eye when he talked to him. So, obviously, he was glad Violet broke off the relationship. Good riddance!

Other people might think he was overreacting, but he loved his sister dearly.

He was eight when Violet was born. He remembered little from the time when he was that age, but he still recalled the exact moment they introduced him to the tiny bundle they called his sister. He thought she was the most adorable thing he had ever laid eyes on.

He also remembered when his parents first informed him about his sister's illness. He was still a child, but he was old enough to understand how serious of an illness cancer was. He remembered not being able to see her often because she would usually stay at the hospital—and more often than not when he got to visit her, he would see her in agony and low spirits from all the treatments. He was always in constant worry that his parents would come home with the news that he would never see his little sister again.