Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson) novel Chapter 515

I pinched the palm of my hand, tears flowing even more fiercely now.

Watching her shower Summer with such affection before, my heart was filled with envy. I wished that someday I too would find my birth mother, hoping she would love me just as Bella loved Summer.

And now...

Bella is actually my birth mother!

It felt like fate played a colossal joke on me, blessing me with a splendid origin only to curse me with a dreadful first half of life.

No wonder I enjoyed being around Bella so much. Designing dresses for her always sparked my creativity like nothing else.

It was a mother-daughter connection...

As my thoughts slowly untangled, I couldn't believe what I was about to say: "My locket went missing two years ago, but you announced you had a daughter last year. Could it be... Summer was the one with my locket..."

—Recognized kin!

"Pretty much."

Bella looked at me with compassion, gently brushing the hair stuck together by tear stains behind my ear, "However, there was always a doubt. After she appeared, I had DNA tests done, more than one actually."

"The DNA tests didn’t show any problems?"

Bella shook her head, "No, there weren’t any."

"This..."

This felt eerily familiar!

Sniffling, I shared my thoughts, "When she was first arranged by the Myers to impersonate me two years ago, the initial DNA tests didn’t show any problems either."

"Later, it was Gregory, my current boyfriend, who made thorough arrangements that uncovered the truth."

Hearing this, Bella's gaze hardened, a cold light flickering through, "It seems she's still as ruthless as ever!"

"Who?"

"Pearl."

Wiping the tears from her face, Bella said guiltily, "Back then, she and I were pregnant around the same time, but she had a premature birth, so we ended up delivering on the same day."

"I was all alone back then, just wanting to quickly leave the hospital with you, to get away from the Taylor and the Myers families."

"Little did I know, her child was stillborn. To marry into the Myers smoothly, she bribed the nurse to switch our babies..."

The Pearl she spoke of was Susan.

Thinking back to Pearl's seemingly kind face towards me as a child sent shivers down my spine, "Then... what about you at that time..."

It clicked for me, "Even though you're from Vista Town's Taylor family, nobody could ever trace your family background."

—They had a falling out.

It made sense; her own family was protecting the person who ruined her relationship.

Bella was about to say something when suddenly, the door was knocked on, followed by a soft and squishy voice, "Jane, I’m coming in!"

With the sound, the fingerprint lock clicked open.

The door swung open, and a little toddler with short legs happily ran in. Noticing an extra person in the living room, he blinked his big eyes and cheerily called out to Bella, "Pretty lady!"

Bella, seemingly aware of his identity, didn't let her dislike for the Taylor family affect her interaction with the child, softly asking, "You must be Ike Taylor, right?"

"Yes!" Just as Ike nodded, Edith walked in, her high heels clicking on the floor as she changed shoes at the entrance, "Jane, you wouldn't believe how fast this little guy runs despite his short legs..."

Edith stopped midsentence upon seeing the additional person in the living room. She took a few steps closer, her eyes widening in shock, "You... You're Bella?"

Bella examined her, "Yes, I am."

"I... I..."

Edith, unusually flustered, quickly grabbed the toddler, "Ike, say hello."