"The workers who were present said it was something like-'If you keep causing trouble, I'll expose your dirty secrets,' or something along those lines."
"Dirty secrets?! What kind of dirty secrets could Gaius have?!" Serena pressed further.
"Heh!" Poppy sneered with contempt. "Who would believe anything Bram says?! Just because he claimed Uncle Beckett had skeletons in his closet, does that make it true? In my opinion, he just used it as a threat!"
Serena's expression turned solemn-something felt off.
If there really was nothing to hide, then why would Uncle Beckett react that way to a single sentence from her father? And right after that, he jumped off the building!
"And then what? What happened after that?"
"Uncle Beckett died on the spot. Aunt Beckett couldn't handle the shock, and her health deteriorated quickly. Not long after, she passed away too. That left Clint an orphan, with no parents."
As she finished speaking, Poppy turned her bloodshot eyes toward Serena, like a vengeful spirit out for retribution.
"So, I wasn't wrong! It was your father who destroyed the Becketts, who made Clint suffer all these years!"
Serena couldn't help but frown.
True or not, the things Poppy said were deeply unsettling.
But there were still unanswered questions, and Serena couldn't worry about anything else right now. She hurried to ask, "What about your father then? Why was he taken to the hospital with Gaius?!"
The light in Poppy's eyes instantly dimmed.
Her tone grew even harsher than before. "My dad? He was the most innocent one in all this!"
"When Uncle Beckett climbed to the rooftop to confront the demolition crew, my dad got word too. Worried something might happen, he rushed over and climbed up with him."
"Just as he got to the roof, he saw Uncle Beckett standing unsteadily at the edge, his expression vacant, like he'd just received a huge blow."
"My dad didn't have time to think-he rushed over. But he was too late. He only managed to grab a corner of Uncle Beckett's shirt. Because of the momentum, he couldn't stop himself and fell along with him."
"Whether it was luck or misfortune, my dad landed right on top of Uncle Beckett. He didn't die immediately. But after several days of emergency treatment in the hospital, he still passed away..."
By now, Poppy couldn't hold back her emotions any longer. Tears streamed down her face as she choked out her accusations. "It was all because of your father that I lost mine! And then because of you, Clint stopped treating me the way he used to! Serena, tell me-how can I not hate you and your whole family?!"
Faced with her fury and resentment, Serena didn't know how to respond.
Deep down, of course she didn't want to believe what Poppy said.
But much of what she described matched the information Xavier had uncovered...
Serena quickly grabbed her coffee cup and took a few sips to calm herself.
Then she said, "That's just your version of events. Without evidence, it doesn't hold much weight."
Poppy sneered, "Stop pretending. If you didn't believe it, why are your hands shaking?"
Serena looked down quickly.
Her hand, gripping the ceramic cup, was trembling-so much so the coffee inside was rippling.
And she hadn't even noticed.
She set the cup back on the table and rubbed her hands. "It's chilly. I didn't dress warmly enough."
Poppy gave her a cold stare. "Everything I said is true. I'd never joke about Clint's or my dad's death!"
Serena's face had gone pale, but she forced herself not to let the shock show too clearly.
She responded calmly, "Well, you've spun quite the tale."
"You still don't believe me?!"
"My father was a man of integrity all his life. He hated people who abused their power. Ever since I was a child, he taught me to be honest and to never go against my conscience."
"But in your story, you've made him out to be the very kind of man he despised. How do you expect me to believe that?!"
"He's worked his whole life for the people, and everything he's achieved has been through real accomplishments. And you're saying he didn't care about their lives?! That's ridiculous!"
Poppy's eyes were burning with hatred. She pointed at Serena, gritting her teeth. "You're just as fake as your father! Whether you believe it or not, what I said is the truth! Your father killed Uncle Beckett! And indirectly, he killed my father too! Me and Clint-we were both made orphans because of your father!"
"You owe me this life! So whatever I take from you, I deserve! And if you try to take anything from me-you deserve to be punished!"
"Clint and I have depended on each other since we were teenagers. He belongs with me! Between you and me, you are the one who came in and stole him!"
After she finished, she shot up from her seat, eyes burning into Serena's.
"From now on, stay away from Clint. The farther, the better. Every second you spend with him, you're only bringing him pain!"
Before Serena could respond, Poppy turned and stormed off.
Serena wanted to call after her, to ask more questions, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out.
She stayed seated in the café for a while longer, going over everything Poppy had said.
The more she thought, the heavier her heart became. Slowly, the pieces she couldn't make sense of before started to fall into place.
No wonder Clint had changed so drastically after they got married-the tenderness he once had was gone, replaced by cold indifference and torment.
No wonder he was so indulgent toward Poppy, always protecting her, no matter how fake she acted.
If what Poppy said was all true-then maybe now, finally, everything made sense.
But... was it really true?
Serena lowered her head, pinching the bridge of her nose, sighing deeply. "How could this be... Dad wasn't that kind of person..."
"And that hospital director, Dr. Beckett-who was he? Why did Mom look even more alarmed when I asked about him than when I mentioned Gaius?"
***