Chapter 504: Going to Find Granny Mae Together

Chapter 504: Chapter 504: Going to Find Granny Mae Together

"Yeah, that’s horrible!" Michelle Fuller sniffled, looking at Addie Sutton with teary eyes. "Are you stupid? How could you jump into the river? If they don’t want you, I do! Come be my little sister. My parents would be thrilled!"

Addie Sutton was stunned, unable to tell if she was being serious or just kidding.

Only Renee Jennings knew she wasn’t kidding.

She patted Michelle Fuller’s head and said with a laugh, "But Addie didn’t know you when she jumped in the river."

"That’s a good point," Michelle Fuller said with a nod of realization. Then she added, "But we know each other now!"

She looked at Addie Sutton, her eyes full of sincerity. "Addie, do you want to be my little sister?"

Addie Sutton’s face turned bright red, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond.

"We can save that question for later," Renee Jennings said, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Addie, do you still want to go back to the Sutton family?"

Hearing this, Addie Sutton’s reserved and shy expression immediately turned serious.

She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment before looking up at Renee Jennings, her voice firm. "I don’t want to go back. Even though Mom and Dad will report me missing and search for me... I just can’t feel any love from them anymore."

"Do you know why you’re named Addie?" Renee asked.

Addie Sutton blinked and shook her head, confused. "No, I don’t."

Renee said: "Because in Chinese, ’Addie’ sounds like ’love the little brother’."

Michelle Fuller reacted instantly, exclaiming, "Holy crap! ’Love brother’... I can’t believe it! How is that any different from those ’Bring-a-Boy’ type names?"

"That’s so creepy. They didn’t even have a son yet, but they already gave her a name that means ’love brother’?" Hilary couldn’t help but click her tongue.

Zachary Conway, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed. "The Sutton family probably had it all planned out when they adopted Addie," he said calmly. "They were counting on her to bring them a son. There’s an old wives’ tale that if a couple can’t have a child, adopting one will help them conceive."

At this, a mocking smile touched Renee Jennings’s lips. "Then the child they conceived wasn’t looking for them," she said coldly. "It was looking for its sibling."

Addie Sutton frowned and mumbled, "But I don’t think Sunny likes me very much."

"His parents spoiled him," Renee said. "And even though they reported you missing... to be honest, they’re not worried about you at all. Helen Lockwood went out to get her hair done today."

She paused, her tone growing more serious. "Addie, you made a very wise decision."

"That’s right!" Michelle Fuller nodded emphatically. "Stay far away from people who don’t love you!"

Addie Sutton replied obediently, "I understand."

Renee spoke slowly. "Don’t do anything foolish like that again. They didn’t give you life, so there’s no reason to end your life because of them. And while people say the bond of nurture is stronger than nature, they weren’t responsible or attentive enough to you."

"Yes," Addie Sutton nodded, but she still looked conflicted. "But they did raise me, after all. I’m still grateful to them for that."

Zachary Conway, thinking of child trafficking cases, couldn’t help but say, "But have you ever considered that if it weren’t for them, you might be having a much better life right now?"

Renee Jennings instantly understood what he meant. ’I completely forgot to ask Felix Sutton how they adopted Addie. Not that they would have told the truth if it was illegal.’

Zachary Conway added, "And based on what Addie said, her grandmother is waiting for her to earn money. So we need to handle severing ties properly."

"Right," Michelle Fuller agreed. "If you’re going to cut ties, make it a clean break. Otherwise, they’ll latch on like vampires later."

Hilary nodded vigorously. "Exactly, especially with a little brother in the family!"

"Do I need to sever ties?" Addie Sutton hadn’t thought that far ahead. She figured just not going home would be enough.

"Absolutely!" Michelle Fuller said, getting agitated. "If they can neglect and bully you now because of their son, then later they’ll exploit you for their son’s sake and make you raise him for them!"

Hilary immediately gave her a thumbs-up. "Michelle, you’re so right! I have a friend just like that. And she’s their biological daughter! Her younger brother is already married with kids, and he still pesters her for money to raise his own children."

Renee sighed helplessly. "That’s just awful."

"Yeah," Hilary sighed as well. "That’s why you have to make a clean break."

Addie Sutton frowned, looking troubled. "Then how do I sever ties?"

"That’s easy," Michelle Fuller said with a snap of her fingers. "Just throw money at them. They won’t just sever ties with you; for enough cash, they’d probably call you daddy."

Renee Jennings: "..."

Zachary Conway: "..."

Hilary clicked her tongue. "So that’s the superpower of money, huh?"

Addie Sutton hesitated. "But I don’t have any money..."

"Michelle was joking," Renee Jennings said seriously. "I’ll hire a lawyer. You can give him power of attorney to handle it."

"The legal fees..." Addie Sutton began, looking anxious and embarrassed. "I’ll have to owe you. I probably won’t be able to pay you back until after I graduate from college."

"That’s fine," Renee Jennings said with a slight smile. "There’s no rush."

Addie Sutton was overcome with gratitude. "Renee, thank you so, so much!"

"Don’t mention it." Renee Jennings raised her eyebrows, not wanting to dwell on the topic. She brought up something else instead. "Tomorrow, we need to go with Sunny to find Granny Mae."

"Granny Mae?" Michelle Fuller blinked, looking at the obediently sitting Goldie. "Is she Sunny’s owner?"

Renee explained, "No, but Granny Mae often feeds Sunny."

"Oh, I see," Michelle Fuller nodded. "So what time are we leaving tomorrow?"

"Nine o’clock?" Renee looked at her with a grin. "Think you can get up by then?"

Michelle Fuller pouted and shook her head, asking coaxingly, "How about nine-thirty?"

"Alright, fine."

"Love you~" Michelle Fuller immediately made a finger heart.

Watching this scene, Zachary Conway felt a strange heat rise to his ears.

He awkwardly reached up and touched his ear.

’What the hell are you blushing for? She wasn’t talking to you.’

**

「The next day.」

At 9:30 AM, Renee Jennings and her group gathered in the hotel lobby, ate a deluxe version of seafood rice noodle rolls at a nearby place, and then drove to Leondis Street.

The car pulled over to the side, and Goldie was the first to get out.

It walked steadily ahead, leading the way, and would even stop to greet stray dogs and cats it met.

When they learned that Goldie was going to find Granny Mae, several of the stray dogs and cats said they wanted to go along.

"WOOF~ I wanna go see Granny Mae too!"

"MEOW! I’m going too! I haven’t seen Granny Mae in so many days!"

"WOOF?" Goldie turned its head to look at Renee. "Renee, my friends want to go find Granny Mae with us. Can we take them?"

Renee smiled and nodded. "Of course you can."

"Thanks." Goldie turned back to its friends and said, "This is Renee. We need her help to communicate with Granny Mae, so everyone come say hello."