Chapter 327: Indeed, Not Before You Came

"Sister-in-law?" Stella Shields looked at Nathan Fawcett in disbelief. "Why should I call her that? On what grounds? She’s the one who stole the man I love!"

"That’s enough," Nathan Fawcett said. "Go get some rest. I don’t want to hear another word. Also... when are you leaving? I’ll have someone take you back."

’She said before that she was going to leave the Linden Family!’

’She already moved out!’

’He could understand her coming to see his mother now.’

’But if she wanted to stay here, that was completely unnecessary.’

Stella Shields said, "I just came over for a meal, and you’re already trying to chase me away! If Ethan Linden were still alive and saw you treating me like this, do you think he would let you get away with it?"

Hearing this, Nathan Fawcett looked at her and said, "If Ethan were here and saw you constantly pestering me, telling me you like me, do you think he would be happy? The one you like is Ethan, not me. I hope you understand that. I am not his replacement! And I will never like you the way he did."

"..." Stella Shields looked at Nathan Fawcett, stood up, and said, "Fine, I’m going home! I won’t stay here anymore, so I won’t get on your nerves."

With that, she walked out.

Nathan Fawcett watched her back as she left, then turned to Anne Sutton. He saw Anne sitting to the side, staring at him.

He felt a little awkward. "Let’s eat!"

Anne Sutton said, "She seems to like you quite a bit."

"What does that have to do with me?" Nathan Fawcett said. "If you go outside, you’ll find there are too many women who say they want to marry me! It’s probably because I’ve been Ethan Linden for so long that they can’t tell who I am anymore! They all only know me as Ethan Linden. Only you know who I am."

"..." Anne Sutton looked at the man and smiled. "Actually, since you prefer being Nathan Fawcett, then just be Nathan Fawcett! There’s no need to be someone’s shadow."

Hearing her words, Nathan Fawcett looked at her and fell silent, not offering a reply.

Anne Sutton continued, "Don’t you think so? It was your mother’s idea to have you become Ethan Linden. What’s so bad about being Nathan Fawcett? Why should anyone have to be someone else’s replacement? Everyone remembers Ethan Linden, but who remembers you?"

"..." Hearing her words, Nathan Fawcett said, "But, if I choose to be Nathan Fawcett, my mother might not want to see me. She’s been in a terrible state ever since she lost her son, Ethan Linden."

"Her being in a state is her business! Nathan Fawcett is her son too!" Anne Sutton said. "Why should you wrong yourself for her sake? If you didn’t care about all this, it would be one thing, but you clearly do care, don’t you? To me, it doesn’t matter if your identity is Ethan Linden or Nathan Fawcett—you are you! Look at Ian. I’m sure he wouldn’t stop seeing you as his dad just because you changed your identity."

Nathan Fawcett glanced at his silly son, who was sitting to the side drinking his soup, then back at Anne Sutton, and said, "You have a point."

"Right?" Anne Sutton said. "If you keep living for others, one day you’ll be old, and who will have lived for you? Ethan Linden has been gone for years. No matter how much pain your mother is in, she should have recovered by now! The one who is by her side, showing her filial piety, is you, not Ethan. She needs to understand that. If she’s unwilling to accept you because you want to be yourself again, that’s her problem, not yours, Nathan."

Nathan Fawcett was very happy to hear her call him Nathan.

’In the entire world, only she called him that.’

’When she said it, it always sounded different from when anyone else did!’

’So gentle...’

’It always reached deep into his heart.’

He sat to the side, silently picked up his glass of water, and started drinking.

’Lately, after getting together with Anne Sutton, he felt like he was getting better and better.’

’She was a very warm person.’

’Being with her, he felt comfortable and free of pressure.’

Anne Sutton said, "I’m heading back after dinner. Are you and Ian sleeping here, or coming with me?"

’She guessed the two of them would probably sleep here.’

Ian said, "I want to go back with Mommy."

Anne Sutton looked at Nathan Fawcett. "Is that okay?"

’She was afraid Nathan Fawcett wouldn’t agree. If he wanted Ian to stay, then she’d let Ian stay.’

’It had been a long time since Ian had been back here, anyway.’

Nathan Fawcett said, "I’ll go back with you."

"Aren’t you afraid of what your mom will say?"

"Didn’t you just say it? I should just be myself! What’s wrong with wanting to go home with my own wife?"

"Alright, then," Anne Sutton said. "Seeing you so quiet, I thought my words hadn’t sunk in. Turns out you heard every one."

Nathan Fawcett said, "After we finish eating, we’ll go upstairs to grab some things first."

Anne Sutton had just moved into her new place, so a lot of their clothes weren’t there.

So, he planned to bring a change of clothes, along with some of Ian’s things.

Anne Sutton said, "Okay."

After dinner, she went upstairs to pack.

Her things, Ian’s things, and Nathan Fawcett’s things.

She packed quite a lot, filling up a whole suitcase.

Before leaving, Anne Sutton went with Nathan Fawcett to say goodbye to Anna Linden.

Anna Linden was in the study, talking to someone on the phone.

When she saw Nathan Fawcett come in, she didn’t rush to hang up. She finished her call before asking, "What is it?"

Nathan Fawcett said, "We’ve finished dinner. I’m about to head back with Anne. Is there anything else you need?"

Hearing this, Anna Linden’s expression darkened. "This is your home. What, after living with her, you don’t even want your own home anymore?"

’He stayed over there last night, and now this...’

’Leaving again?’

’Couldn’t he bear to stay in this house for even a moment longer?’

Nathan Fawcett said, "It’s just that we have some things to take care of."

Anna Linden looked at him and said, "I see you’re really being led astray by this woman."

Standing in the doorway, Anne Sutton heard Anna Linden’s words and a small smile played on her lips.

Nathan Fawcett said, "Well, we’ll be going then."

’In any case, he was just informing her, not asking for permission.’

Anna Linden looked at him with great displeasure. "Get out, then."

Nathan Fawcett said, "Mom, don’t work too late tonight. Get some rest."

"Hypocrite!" Seeing how he couldn’t wait to run off with Anne Sutton, Anna Linden didn’t give him a pleasant look.

Anne Sutton said, "We’ll be going now."

Anna Linden saw Anne Sutton and, noticing that she had been hiding off to the side the whole time, found her even more displeasing.

Anne Sutton and the others paid her no mind.

The two of them went back, grabbed their things, and came downstairs with Ian.

Walking beside Nathan Fawcett, Anne Sutton asked, "How does it feel to be scolded by your mom?"

"Pretty good," Nathan Fawcett said. "Let her scold me. It’s not like it’ll kill me. But if I didn’t go back with you, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night."

"Living with your mother all these years, you’ve never once gone against her wishes, have you?"

’She still remembered the time his mother forced him to eat chili peppers.’

’He clearly didn’t like them, yet he was still forced to do it.’

Hearing Anne Sutton’s question, Nathan Fawcett glanced at her and said, "Before you came along, that’s right, I hadn’t."

"So you’re saying it’s all my fault!" she teased deliberately. "It’s obvious you’re the one who doesn’t want to listen to her, yet you’re using me as a scapegoat. No wonder your mother hates me so much."