The Day I Kissed An Older Man

Both Jeremy and Corinne’s mothers went missing when they were young, and they had no idea whether their mothers were still
alive or dead.
“Where’s Jeremy’s father now?” asked Corinne.
Annie sighed. “After Uncle Jeremy’s mother left, his father stopped going out and fooling around with other women. Not long
after that, he ran off to be a monk at some temple high up in Cloud Mountain.
“Grandpa Greg sent people to convince him to come back several times, but he refused, and Grandpa Greg fell sick because of
this. Later, he realized that his grandson was the complete opposite of his son in terms of temperament.
“Uncle Jeremy, who was pushing thirty by then, was a workaholic who had no interest in women, whereas his father only knew
how to fool around with women at his age. Gradually, rumors that Uncle Jeremy is into men started to fly around.
“To dispel the rumors, Grandpa Greg rushed Uncle Jeremy into marriage, telling him it doesn’t matter who he marries as long as
she’s a woman and that he won’t have his operation unless he gets married. One thing led to another until he ended up where
he is right now.”
Corinne felt a pang in her heart. “So both of Jeremy’s parents abandoned him? How old was he when that happened?”
Annie thought about it. “I heard from my mom that Uncle Jeremy was about seven or eight years old then. He must’ve known
what was happening but was too powerless to do anything about it.
“Everyone thinks Uncle Jeremy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and that he only needs to snap his finger to get what
he wants. They don’t know that he grew up carrying the family’s responsibilities and unimaginable pressure.
“He didn’t have a normal childhood because his father abandoned the family. All the elders pinned their hope on Uncle Jeremy.
He was raised to be the successor from the moment he was born. His schedule was packed with all sorts of learning activities
from morning until night. He doesn’t even get to have his own free time. Only when he became an adult did he have a little bit
more freedom.”
Corinne unconsciously dug her fingers into her palm as she listened to Annie talking about Jeremy’s past. Her mind and heart
were a mess. She never asked Jeremy about his past, nor did she look into it herself.
Like most people, she thought Jeremy’s life was set for being born into a Logically speaking, he should have a carefree life with
everything he could ever want.

Jeremy never complained or talked about his past. However, he would often smoke a few cigarettes alone.
Pity slowly filled Corinne’s heart. ‘I guess life is fair after all. Even those born in a wealthy family have their fair share of suffering.’
“Corinne, do you know Francine is Uncle Jeremy’s half-sister? His grandparents decided to take her in since it’s a rare
occurrence for a daughter to be born into the Holden family. Uncle Jeremy didn’t mind, and he had always been good to her.
“I might call him my uncle, but his mother is actually my maternal grandmother’s sister. Strictly speaking, he’s a relative twice
removed. But he treats me better than my real uncle! He might seem scary most of the time, but he has a gentle side as well.
He’s not really that bad if you get to know him.”
Corinne actually agreed with her. She nodded without thinking. ‘Jeremy might give off the feeling of aloofness that makes him
unapproachable, but he’s not a bad person.’
“So, Corinne... You’re going to give Uncle Jeremy another chance and get back together with him, right?” asked Annie
tentatively.