Susan frowned, her brows furrowed with pain and anger, “She doesn’t want to help and warned me not to look for her in the future, or she would let you die in jail.”
This was Ava’s last hope. Chris was determined not to pay any money. If Thelma was unwilling to back down and chose to withdraw the lawsuit, once the lawsuit materials from Sam Group were submitted to the court, she would have no money to pay and would only wait to be sentenced.
It was easy to imagine how desperate Ava was. She held her head and cried out loud, “Do I really have to go to jail?”
Susan was both angry and frustrated. She stood up and slapped her across the face, angrily scolding, “Now you know you were wrong? Why did you provoke that kind of person in the first place?”
Ava was stunned by the slap. She stared blankly at Susan for several seconds, suddenly recalling how, throughout her life, whenever she faced difficulties, she would be scolded by her. Now, trapped in this predicament, Susan still treated her this way.
The accumulated resentment over the years surged to her heart in an instant. She suddenly let out a cold laugh and said, “Why was I so easily deceived? Why don’t you reflect on yourself? If you truly loved me, if you truly cared for me, could I have become someone who could be easily tricked with just two candies? The reason I am like this now is all because of you. You caused this. I am in prison because of you. It’s all your fault; you are the real culprit!”
Susan regretted slapping her the moment it happened. Hearing Ava’s increasingly piercing words, she instinctively took a step back.
The police at the detention center saw this and came over to grab Ava, but her words continued, “You turned me into this! It’s you! Lucky people heal from their childhood, while the unfortunate spend their lives healing from it. I am that unfortunate person, living my life in endless, unsatisfied pain. All of this is because of you!”
Susan couldn’t say a word, and Ava was quickly taken away by the police.
As she left the detention center, it started to rain. Susan felt utterly exhausted. After so many days of running around for her daughter, she was drained but still had to endure her daughter’s accusations.
Thinking back on the past years, Susan felt pity for her daughter, but even more for herself. She squatted by the wall and couldn’t help but cry out loud.
**
While Samantha was cleaning her room, her phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was an unfamiliar number. She answered, and a familiar male voice came through.
She recognized it was Leon’s voice.
“I want to order the soft-shelled turtle soup from your restaurant. Can I place an order with you?”
“Of course, what else do you want besides the turtle soup?”
“The two stir-fried dishes I had last time at your place.”
“Okay, I’ll prepare them and bring them over.”
He was silent for a moment before asking, “Who will deliver it?”
“I will.”
“Mm.”
After Leon hung up, Samantha went to inform the head chef in the kitchen. The dishes were quickly prepared, and after packing them up, she rushed to the hospital.
However, Samantha didn’t expect that when she arrived, Leon was alone in his hospital room.
When Samantha entered, she was momentarily taken aback and asked him, “Don’t you have anyone to take care of you?”
“No need.”
“…”
Samantha didn’t ask any further. She helped him adjust the table attached to the bed and placed the food on it. Leon took the spoon and started eating.
Samantha felt particularly uncomfortable being alone with Leon in the room, so she said, “You eat first; I’ll be leaving.”
“Can you consider me?”
Just as she turned around, Leon suddenly said this. Samantha paused, her body stiffening for a moment before she turned to look at him. Leon wiped his mouth, looked up at her, and said, “You don’t have a boyfriend now, and I don’t have a girlfriend either. Why not try dating me?”
Samantha never expected Leon would suddenly bring this up, and he said it so naturally, as if discussing whether the food was good or not.
Hearing his words, she was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Well… it’s… it’s been so many years already…” she stammered, not really knowing what she wanted to say.
Leon interrupted her, his gaze fixed on her, and he said word by word, “So what if so many years have passed? After all these years, I still like you.”
Samantha: “…”
