Chapter 12

I scratched my head, thinking for a moment. “I guess being yelled at *does* make you feel sorry.”

“Then go ahead and feel sorry!”

Chloe tossed out the words and turned to leave, leaving me standing there, unsure what to do.

Later, Jasmine quietly doubled back and led me to a shaded area.

She handed me the apple and asked what I was doing there.

I said I wanted to help, so she taught me how to pick grapes.

Her temper was much better than Chloe’s.

“Actually, Chloe is a really good person. She once signed with a management company, hoping to promote local wines via social media.”

“But the company swindled a lot of people’s money, so she came back to the vineyard to help, and she’s supported a lot of us.”

Jasmine told me this while we picked grapes.

I muttered guiltily, “Could it have been my mom’s company?”

Jasmine pinched my cheek, smiling. “Don’t overthink it. Whatever your mom did, it has nothing to do with you.”

“That money was very important to us, so out of desperation, we resorted to this plan, intending to use you to get it back. But we never intended to really harm you.”

I shook my head, filled with remorse. “I’m sorry, it really was my mom’s fault.”

“You silly boy, stop blaming yourself. Chloe herself covered a lot of the money for us and gave us good-paying jobs.”

“That’s why we’re all willing to follow her.”

I looked unexpectedly at Chloe’s busy figure.

She was willing to live in a simple cottage in the mountains, yet she’d take her own money to compensate the people who followed her.

All of this was caused by my mom. Suddenly, my heart was overwhelmed with guilt.

Jasmine taught me a lot about wine, things I only knew from novels where wine was used to describe wicked female characters.

The other women would also gather around me to chat after finishing their work.

The air here was fresh, filled with laughter, and I quickly adapted, staying for two weeks straight.

Looking at the densely packed entries in my notebook, the money kept climbing, and I couldn't help but smile.

“Every time you write in that silly notebook, you smile like an idiot.”

Chloe often teased me when she saw me diligently writing in my notebook.

“Who isn’t happy when they’re making money, right?” I looked up, still beaming.

Chloe raised her hand and smacked me on the head. “You and your mom are happy, making money off me, just trying to bleed me dry?”

“Chloe, I’m sorry.”

I felt incredibly guilty about this, but I didn’t know what else to do.

If I could contact my mom, I’d make her pay, no matter what.

But would I ever see her again in this life?

“Why are you calling the others ‘sister’ so sweetly at the vineyard, but you’re using my first name here?”

I looked at Chloe, confused. Her focus was so strange.

“They’re all older than me. Isn’t it right for me to call them ‘sister’?” I asked cautiously.

“Aren’t I older than you?”

“Then I’ll call you ‘Sister’ too!”

“Who cares! Go make me a bowl of beef noodles!”

“No beef left. Is braised beef noodle okay?”

“Get out!”

…