A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

Silas eyed the envelope in Calliope's hands with obvious curiosity. It was pretty clear-this was one of those things people left behind when they knew their time was running out, and it was meant for her.

He had no idea what the letter said. But judging by the way Calliope was clutching it, it had to be something important.

"Is that the letter your grandpa left you?"

Calliope nodded, looking a little uncertain. Still, she took a deep breath and opened the letter. She handed the old cigar box it came in over to Silas, then started to read.

It was definitely Grandpa Kermit's handwriting. No doubt about it, this was his farewell.

As soon as she started reading, Calliope's expression changed. Shock washed over her face.

Kermit had written this when he knew he didn't have much time left. He'd said there was a secret he couldn't leave without telling her, a truth he'd kept to himself until now.

He explained he hadn't told her before because he didn't think she was ready. So, he'd left the letter here, in the old farmhouse, knowing she'd eventually come back, probably to help sell or tear down the place, and she'd find it.

The letter wasn't long. After a few lines reminiscing about the past, Kermit got right to the heart of things-Calliope's origins.

She'd always believed the Jewell family-her parents who'd always treated her like a spare part, who'd barely hidden their favoritism were her real family. But they weren't. She had no blood ties to them at all.

No wonder she'd never looked like the rest of the Jewells. Reading Kermit's letter, everything finally made sense.

Years ago, after Zelda gave birth to a daughter, she'd tried to get rid of the baby. Kermit had stepped in and rescued the baby. But the baby was frail, sickly. Kermit did everything he could-doctor after doctor, spending every last dime-but nothing worked. The baby didn't make it.

Not long after, Kermit ran into a woman on the side of the road. She was badly hurt, clutching a baby gir about the same age as the one. Kermit had just lost. He saved her life, and before she left, the woman begged Kermit to care for her daughter. She handed him a wad of cash, the last of her savings, and swore she'd be back to reclaim her child, if she survived whatever trouble she was running from.

Years went by. Kermit never heard from the woman again. He searched, asked around, but it was like she'd vanished off the face of the earth.

That baby was Calliope. She'd grown up with Kermit, filling the empty spot left behind, and eventually ended up in the Jewell family.

No one else ever knew, not the Jewells, not their friends, not anyone. Just Kermit and that mysterious woman.noveldrama

Now, with his time almost up, Kermit couldn't bear to take the secret to his grave. He needed Calliope to know the truth.

He told her not to feel guilty. The inheritance she'd received was all from her birth mother, not the Jewells. He asked her to protect what was hers, not to hand it over to Monty or anyone else.

Kermit knew the Jewells hadn't treated her well. In the end, he told her plainly not to waste any more time worrying about the Jewell family. They weren't really her family, not where it counted.