I Read Their Tragic Fates, and My Family Reads My Mind?

Before Arabella Donovan could react, Fifth Aunt, who had been standing by Rochelle Rowland’s side, quickly stepped in to cover for her sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law, are you talking about Leo? But isn’t Leo Sabrina’s child? Don’t tell me... Don’t tell me Leo is Hugh’s child? Then wouldn’t Hugh and Sabrina be..."

Rochelle Rowland also realized her slip-up and, right on cue, put on an expression of utter shock.

Although Arabella Donovan’s intuition told her something was off, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

’So it was just ingrained thinking. Speaking of which, Fifth Aunt is incredibly sharp. Is it true that those on the sidelines see things more clearly? But who is this helpful lady? Don’t tell me even the heavens couldn’t stand to see someone mistreat a child, so they arranged for my cousin to meet this kind benefactor?’

Rochelle Rowland’s eyelid twitched. ’What kind benefactor?’ she thought. The one who saved her family’s child was clearly this clueless little girl in front of her, the one everyone was keeping in the dark.

In that instant, Rochelle Rowland finally understood why Mr. and Mrs. Donovan’s family valued this younger daughter, who’d been brought back from the outside, so highly. They had thrown a magnificent coming-of-age party, inviting nearly every prominent member of the clan.

This was a *true* benefactor—an unbelievably precious one who could save a life in a crisis! If it were them, they too would be eager to shower her with their finest treasures and put her on a pedestal.

While she was secretly grateful, she also couldn’t help but feel a mix of relief and lingering fear. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Thankfully, although she and Mrs. Donovan often bickered, their relationship was fundamentally good. And thankfully, she hadn’t had a brain fart and skipped the two children’s birthday party, otherwise she would have truly regretted it for the rest of her life!

The immediate danger to the child was resolved for now, but that didn’t mean the parents’ relationship would be smooth sailing from here on out.

Arabella Donovan glanced at Rochelle Rowland, who was still too shocked to react, and gave a light cough to regain her attention.

"You can confirm the details about the child later, Fourth Aunt. Since he has escaped this calamity, the child is sure to have a safe and smooth life ahead, blessed with unparalleled fortune. It’s just that..."

"Just what?"

"Fourth Aunt, your forehead is full and your Palace of Children is bright. Though you lost your husband early, your children are intelligent, humble, and filial, and you are destined to enjoy a happy family life in your later years. However, the area of your temples is dark and has faint lines. This means your family’s happiness will attract the jealousy of petty individuals, who will try to harm your family relationships. If this isn’t handled well, it’s highly likely to cause a husband and wife to turn on each other, and a family to be torn apart."

This was no exaggeration on Arabella Donovan’s part. In the original plot, her cousin Hugh had to go through hell and back to win his wife, a redemption arc so arduous it didn’t result in a happy ending until the very last Chapter.

The reason his pursuit was so difficult, aside from the mess he himself had created, was largely thanks to the "great contributions" of the villainess, Rowena Churchill, who was lusting after him.

Hugh Donovan had already clearly rejected and warned her, but this "princess" had had everything go her way since birth. In her twenty or thirty years of life, Hugh Donovan was the only person who had ever turned her down.

At first, she had just been looking for some fun, but Hugh Donovan’s rejection only fueled her desire to conquer him. By the later stages of the plot, possessing him and driving away all the other women in his life had become Rowena Churchill’s obsession.

With that as the backdrop, she accidentally learned about Hugh Donovan’s feelings for Sabrina Donovan. Discovering that Sabrina had already given birth to his adorable child nearly drove her mad with jealousy, and she resolved to have both Sabrina and their child killed.

Perhaps to create conflict, the author arranged for Rowena Churchill to run into Sabrina Donovan’s birth mother at this point.

Rochelle Rowland almost cried out in alarm. ’Sabrina’s birth mother? But weren’t both of Sabrina’s parents long dead? If not, she wouldn’t have been kicked around by relatives and nearly sent to an orphanage. So how could a so-called birth mother suddenly appear now?’

’This is why they say good storytellers are full of tricks. I knew there was a reason the early plot kept emphasizing that the heroine was an orphan whose father had died tragically, without ever mentioning what happened to her mother. Turns out her mom wasn’t dead at all—she just bolted.’

Simply put, Sabrina Donovan’s mother had already felt that she was living a hard life with Sabrina’s father. After learning of his unfortunate death, she couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to raise Sabrina alone, so she just abandoned her daughter and ran off.

The relatives on Sabrina Donovan’s father’s side found the whole affair embarrassing. They were also afraid that if people found out Sabrina’s mother was alive, one of them would be forced to adopt her and wait for the mother’s return. To avoid this, they lied, claiming both her parents were dead, and planned to send her to an orphanage.

Who would have thought that before Sabrina Donovan even set foot in the orphanage, Rowland swooped in and sent her to live with Fourth Uncle’s family.

After Rowena Churchill found out about this, she saw through the vain and materialistic nature of Sabrina Donovan’s birth mother at a glance. She deliberately revealed to the birth mother how well Sabrina was living after being adopted by Rochelle Rowland, enticing the woman to go and ask Sabrina for money.

Although Rochelle Rowland’s family had treated Sabrina Donovan very well over the years, it would be no exaggeration to say they treated her like their own flesh and blood.

But this didn’t stop Sabrina Donovan from feeling sensitive and insecure after years of living under someone else’s roof. Her birth mother’s appearance became the last straw, making her feel even more that she wasn’t good enough for Hugh Donovan. And so, she ran away. Again.

The problem was, her running away played right into Rowena Churchill’s hands. She hadn’t even gotten a few miles out of town before she was abducted by Rowena’s men, and she and her child were almost sold off to another province.

Arabella Donovan: "..."

’I really don’t get the thinking of you people with your love-addled brains. Is dating supposed to be this angsty these days? Thank god I’m single.’

Turning her head to see Eloise Donovan, she couldn’t help but be struck by a thought.

’Just look at a proper villainess! Relentlessly causing trouble from start to finish, never straying from her goal. And then there’s my dear Fourth Sister. She didn’t do a single thing, but got saddled with all the blame, only to be silenced and judged. Talk about a miscarriage of justice!’

Eloise Donovan: "..." "There’s no need for that kind of comparison."

Rochelle Rowland, however, was horrified by what she heard. Scheming behind their backs was one thing, but to dare kidnap the mother and child? That woman’s actions were simply outrageous!

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, and she was already forming a plan to deal with Rowena Churchill and Sabrina Donovan’s so-called birth mother. On the surface, however, she still showed a trace of worry.

"What are we to do? It’s impossible to be on guard all the time."

"It’s not that difficult. Just pay close attention to the people around the young couple. The troublemakers that circle young people usually fall into a few categories: rivals in their careers, enemies they’ve made, and... unwanted romantic interests."

Feeling she had been direct enough with her hints, Arabella Donovan saw Rochelle Rowland’s thoughtful expression and was about to make a quiet exit, her good deed done. But just then, she was snagged by Fifth Aunt, who had been waiting nearby.

"Hehe, Serena, since you did a reading for your fourth aunt, could you do one for your fifth aunt too? I want you to check on the career prospects of my son, your second cousin."

Fifth Aunt’s son, the second cousin, was at a critical juncture for a promotion. Her intention was to have Arabella Donovan see how his career luck was and whether the promotion would go smoothly.

But unexpectedly, after hearing her words, Arabella Donovan seemed to recall something and her entire body went stiff.

’Ah, how could I forget? Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle are biological brothers, right? That means Fifth Aunt’s child has problems too!’