Chapter 117: Chapter 117 After that, she is Charlotte Thompson.
Turns out, years ago, my maternal grandfather Jason Thompson and my maternal grandmother Artsy Ellis were childhood sweethearts who fell in love and eventually walked down the aisle together. They adored each other, much to the envy of those around them.
Artsy came from a family of perfumers, but when her family fell into hardship, Jason didn’t reject her. On the contrary, he stuck by her side through thick and thin.
However, due to his duties in assuming control of the company, Jason had to spend years traveling and working tirelessly. A vile woman took this opportunity to sow discord between them, leading to misunderstandings, which eventually drove a wedge between him and Artsy.
Preoccupied with work, Jason couldn’t give Artsy the attention she needed, and the misunderstandings between them grew.
In the end, the stubborn Artsy handed him their divorce papers in anger and left him.
The Thompson and Ellis families were both based in Ashton. At that time, Jason could not find a trace of Artsy anywhere in Ashton.
In reality, Artsy had smuggled herself to Druarus. She was living there incognito when she discovered she was pregnant, and at the same time, was diagnosed with late-stage eye cancer.
Not wanting to harm her child with chemotherapy, Artsy held on until after her daughter was born. She named her Sophia Thompson, a name that bitterly mocked Jason’s seeming indifference and lack of loyalty.
Not long after Sophia’s birth, knowing her end was near, Artsy left the child at an orphanage and faced her mortality alone.
By the time Jason found her, all that remained of Artsy was ashes in an urn.
Worse yet, he had no idea his daughter Sophia even existed.
At this point in his story, Jason’s eyes welled with tears again, "I cried like a child then, holding her urn and repetitively apologizing, and telling her I would take her home."
Jason stated that Artsy was afraid of the dark, so he didn’t bury her, but instead set her ashes in a shrine at home, where a light always shone on it.
A year after Artsy’s death, Jason used the embryos they had previously frozen to conceive two sets of twin boys, who happened to be Sophie Allen’s four uncles.
They each had sons, who were Sophie’s seven elder cousins and one younger cousin, Jordan Thompson.
Upon hearing all these stories in sequence, Sophie felt somewhat enlightened, yet somewhat confused. It felt surreal, almost like a dream.
"I never expected that Artsy left me a daughter, and my wonderful daughter left me a wonderful granddaughter. However, I wasn’t able to spend Artsy’s last moments with her, or even cast one last glance at her. I never got to see our daughter or take care of her, growing up in an orphanage. By the time I learned the truth, she was already gone from this world..."
"Thankfully, thankfully Charlotte stayed behind, my wonderful granddaughter. From now on, you are part of the Thompson Family."
"Ethan Allen did harm to my daughter, and that mother-daughter pair persecuted you. I will not spare the Allen Corporation. The Allen surname is unworthy of you. From now on, your surname will be Thompson. You will be Charlotte Thompson, the most honored little princess of the Thompson Family."
Jason stated firmly, reaching up to gently pat Sophie’s head.
Sophie was taken aback.
She had a family now, a rather large one at that.
And this family was her blood relatives, her genuine family.
Sophie, Charlotte.
From now on, she would be Charlotte.
"Charlotte, come and meet your four uncles and seven brothers," Jason called out.
Four middle-aged men stepped forward, looking at her with smiles filled with warmth and adoration.
They exchanged glances, then began to introduce themselves one by one.
The eldest, Jeremy Thompson. The second, Jeremy Thompson. The third, Harrison Thompson. The fourth, John Thompson.
Next, seven young men greeted Charlotte. They were her seven elder cousins.
The eldest uncle Jeremy had three sons: Henry, Joshua, and Jason Thompson.
The second uncle Jeremy had two sons: Jake and James Thompson.
The third uncle Harrison had two sons: Felix and Jonathan Thompson.
The fourth uncle John had only one son, who was Charlotte’s cousin, Jordan Thompson.