Sylvia asked, "Did the actions of the Hernandez family cause Eric's current situation?"

Seraphine nodded solemnly and replied, "Yes.

"Aunt Grace and Julius were deeply in love and naturally came together. At first, the Hernandez family didn't object, but when my aunt became pregnant, the entire family opposed it.

"More importantly, when my aunt got pregnant with Eric, she and Julius weren't married, which was a big taboo back then. However, for both the Hernandezes and Montgomerys, it wasn't a major issue.

"The two families didn't want my cousin to be born. I don't know about the Montgomerys, but the Hernandezes' stance was that my aunt was an illegitimate child. They would never allow Julius to marry her. They insisted on aborting the child, even though my aunt had our support.

"My aunt and Julius refused, causing a major problem. Both families held a 'family trial' for my aunt and uncle. In those days, they could have faced death as a result. With my dad's help, they managed to