Chapter 50
Scarlet wasn't greedy for wealth. Mere sincere words were enough to warm her heart.
She had become homeless now, but the sight of Marlene and Nita always made her feel the warmth of home.
Hearing his mother's words, Lenny pursed his lips.
When Scarlet knocked on the door and came in, tears welled up in Nita's eyes.
Scarlet obviously had lost a lot of weight. Her face used to be a little chubby, but now she was much thinner.
She must have suffered a lot after the divorce and without the Foster family's protection.
"Oh, my dear Scarlet, here you are. It's so nice to see you."
Nita took Scarlet's hand and sat her down.
Scarlet locked eyes with Lenny. What happened last time made the two of them a little embarrassed.
She quickly averted her gaze and avoided eye contact with him.
"It's nice to see you, too, Mrs. Foster. You look much more beautiful than the last time we saw each other. What kind of skin care products do you use? You look so young that we can actually pass as sisters. I can't believe it."
Nita was amused. Scarlet was really good at dealing with the elders. No wonder Marlene loved her so much. Nita's heart was about to melt.
"Oh, you sweet little thing. You know just what to say to make my day, don't you? Whoever marries you in the future will be a very, very lucky man. Don't care about those who don't cherish you."
Obviously, Nita was talking about Lenny. It was as if Scarlet were her biological daughter.
When he sensed the sarcasm in his own mother's words, Lenny's face darkened.
"Ahem..."
Feeling a pair of sharp eyes boring down the side of her head, Scarlet coughed.
She quickly changed the topic. "Why have you asked me to come here, Mrs. Foster?"
"Do I need to have a reason to see you, my dear? Can't I just invite you over because I miss you?"
"Of course you can. But you are so beautiful. I may get jealous of you if I see you too often."
Nita couldn't help laughing. After a few moments, she came to the point. "I called you here to discuss something with you. Marlene and I have made up our minds. We want to adopt you and make you an official member of the Foster family. Marlene and I will become your grandmother and mother respectively, and you will always have our protection.
Jamal and I have always wanted a daughter of our own, but we were only blessed with a son, and that's Lenny. When you came into our lives, you made my dream of having a daughter come true. But now you and Lenny are divorced. If I can't have you as my daughter-in-law, then maybe I can have you as my adopted daughter."
Hearing this, Scarlet chanced a glance at Lenny.
Lenny's face hardened. His ex-wife would become his sister? What was going on? Since they couldn't be a couple, they would be siblings?
Although Scarlet liked Nita and Marlene very much, she still thought that having nothing to do with Lenny and his family was the best course of action for her.
She had to hide her pregnancy. If she accepted Nita's proposal and lived under the Foster family's roof, they would soon find out that she was pregnant.
She made up her mind and refused Nita.
Nita sighed, not surprised at all at Scarlet's response.
She knew what kind of person Scarlet was. The latter might look weak and unassertive, but she was the most stubborn young woman she had ever met.
For many times in the past year, Nita had wanted to persuade Lenny to come back home from abroad and create opportunities for them to fall in love, but Scarlet stopped her from doing so every time.
Scarlet didn't want to force other people to do anything, especially when it came to relationships.
"Marlene and I made this decision together. Do you really have the heart to say no to her and to me?" Nita was still unwilling to give up.
"I know you guys care about me, but I'm living a good life alone now. Besides, we don't need a piece of paper saying that we're family. You are already in my heart. You are already my family. Nothing will ever change that.
Most importantly, Lenny is with Miss Marshall now, and I don't want to make things difficult for them by always being around. The marriage between Lenny and I is over. We should both be moving on with our lives. I appreciate your kindness, Mrs. Foster. I really do. But I can't be a daughter to you the way that you want me to."
Scarlet stood up and bowed solemnly.
She wanted to thank Nita for taking care of her while she was married to Lenny. She truly was grateful.
Seeing Scarlet being so considerate to Lenny's new woman, Nita felt even worse.
"Very well. I respect your decision."
Nita wanted Scarlet to stay for dinner, but Scarlet refused.
She wasn't far from the downtown, so Scarlet decided to walk back.
To her surprise, Lenny followed her in his car and pulled over beside her.
"Get in the car," he ordered.
Her first thought was to turn him down. But she decided that she didn't want to start an argument with him.
So, she sat in the back seat, keeping a safe distance from him.
There was dead silence in the car.
When they arrived at their destination, Scarlet got out of the car and said, "Would you like to plan and hold a wedding for your parents?"
Lenny turned his head to her.