Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 222

I was still debating whether I should step in or maybe say something nice to Marlowe. After all, I did have a hand in this whole mess.

If it weren't for the fact that Quinlan and I were related, and Quinlan just happened to know Hayes, the whole Gearhead situation probably wouldn't have happened.

To my surprise, she called me again.

As soon as I picked up, Marlowe's voice, sharp and furious, blasted through the phone. "Melinda, I thought you were supposed to be smart. Quinlan's got some nerve, manipulating Hayes to come straight to question me. Who does she think she is, using Hayes like that? Does she think Hayes is easy to fool, or that I'm easy to push around?"

I almost laughed out of sheer frustration. Who was really being pushed around here, Quinlan or Marlowe?

Quinlan had called me earlier. She had reached out to Hayes, and Hayes had agreed to modify the blueprints for me. Given Marlowe's history of stealing the blueprints, Hayes would likely keep the new ones secure this time.

But I knew Marlowe's real anger wasn't about Hayes questioning her. It was about losing control over Hayes, who she always thought she had under her thumb.

"You don't respect Hayes, but Quinlan does. Instead of being happy about it, why are you so hostile? Do you really care about Hayes? And stop projecting your thoughts onto others. Quinlan only has good intentions towards Hayes." I knew Marlowe wouldn't listen, given her personality.

Sure enough, she snapped back, "Good intentions? Given that she was raised in a family full of malice, how much good can she really have? She's just trying to use Hayes. She's clever, I'll give her that, figuring out Hayes's abilities. But all of Hayes's work belongs to me. Her plans will fall through."

Marlowe's upbringing had taught her to assume the worst in people. She believed Quinlan's interactions with Hayes were self-serving.

"Believe it or not, Quinlan initially met Hayes out of kindness. You know this, whether you admit it or not."

I added, "Quinlan called me. She said Hayes is really smart, but he gets so focused on the things he cares about that he can't pay attention to anything else. Quinlan actually did what you asked and didn't see Hayes again. But you know Hayes, right? He was so persistent about seeing Quinlan because he sensed her kindness. Plus, I think Quinlan was the only one who treated him like a normal person, which is why he valued her so much."

Quinlan had called me, saying, "Melinda, I'm not heartless. I had decided to stay away from him, but his caretaker called, saying he was waiting for me, not eating or drinking, just standing outside my building. I couldn't ignore that."

She said, "He's so pure, and he's been good to me. He even got hurt for me. I can't just ignore that. He's just a bit slow in some areas, not thoughtless. I want him to be able to earn his own money and have a better future."

That was why I couldn't blame Quinlan for her actions. Kindness was one of the most precious qualities in a person. I was glad Quinlan, despite all the malice and hardship she had faced, hadn't lost her way. I should preserve that.

Marlowe, however, was agitated by my words, her voice even more piercing. "What do you mean? Are you saying I'm wrong? You had a perfect life; you can't understand ours. You can't imagine Hayes, unable to speak or respond, just standing there, being bullied and called an idiot. No one wanted to play with him. With a personality like that, even you wouldn't bother with him."

I replied, "I've seen people worse off than Hayes. But so what? He's still a person. In his world, giving him respect and kindness is the best thing."

I used to visit nursing homes and orphanages. Many kids there had disabilities or mental challenges, but most were wonderful, like angels with broken wings.

Marlowe had her own struggles, but she never gave up on Hayes. That was more than could be said for those who abandoned their children.

Marlowe said, "How funny. You've been betrayed and deceived, and you won't tell me you've forgiven that scumbag, right? People like you, if you get tricked again, you deserve it."

"Ms. Grey, you're being too one-sided and extreme. I don't believe you've never met kind people. There are plenty of good people in this world. You shouldn't..."

"Get lost! Those are my things. Touch them again, and I'll send you back to the orphanage!" Marlowe's sharp voice cut me off.

Then came a string of scolding.

From her words, I guessed she was yelling at her brother, Hayes. She might think Hayes didn't react, but Quinlan's words showed he was sensitive and could sense kindness.

Probably because of this, even though Hayes knew Marlowe was his sister and was willing to follow her, he might have sensed that Marlowe didn't like him, so he couldn't get close to her.

"Marlowe, look at how you treat Hayes. Don't you see a problem? You're no different from those who bullied him at the orphanage. For someone like him, material things don't matter. If you take him out of the orphanage just to continue the bullying, what difference does it make?" I felt a pang of sympathy for Hayes.

On my computer screen were notes about autism, symptoms, and solutions. Some autistic individuals improved with family love and guidance.

Hayes was already better off than many autistic persons. He had special talents in certain areas. Maybe God gave him some gifts and took away others, like emotional intelligence and communication skills.