Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
Then, she picked up her mask from the ground and slowly walked out, lowering her head. As soon as she was out of sight, she removed the mask and headscarf, revealing her gorgeous locks, which cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Later, she took a special potion from her pocket and applied it to her face, instantly removing the pimples and pus.
Ten minutes later, she found a spot where she had agreed to meet Harper. As she waited for him to pick her up, a car arrived, but it wasn’t what Harper had promised. She became wary when she saw the license plate and was taken aback to see the man behind the wheel. “How come you’re here, Gilbert?”
It was Gilbert, and he was driving his high-profile Cayenne with a lively expression. “I’m here to pick you up and tell you something on the way.”
Nonetheless, he had a mysterious look on his face. “I’m not interested in anything except my mom’s situation,” Elspeth said. She sat in the seat tiredly, rubbing her sore eyes.
She even wore colored contact lenses to deal with the guard earlier. Moreover, she hated wearing them as they caused her eyes to feel dry.
“Well then, what I’m about to tell you now is about your mom.”
When she heard that, she suddenly felt invigorated. “What do you know? Quickly tell me.”
Gilbert never joked around, so if he said something, it must be true. Elspeth felt hopeful that he had information about her mother’s whereabouts.
“A couple of days ago, I met Isabel at a bar, and she told me where Miss Joneson is,” he said.
Hearing that, she almost jumped out of her seat. “Where’s my mom? Tell me!”
“Miss Joneson is in the Damoria sanatorium. Isabel says your mom is not doing well and needs treatment as soon as possible.”
Although she was aware of her mother’s worsening condition, she still looked worried. “Can you take me there now?”
Then, Gilbert turned the key and stepped on the gas pedal. “Why else would I come here if not to take you there?”
Suddenly, his words made Elspeth’s eyes light up. “Okay!”
Elspeth and Gilbert went together to the sanatorium in Damoria. It was in Damoria’s suburbs, not far from the city center, but it was pretty remote, with few people around. On the other hand, she never would have thought her mother would be there. She expected Helena to be in a hospital due to her terminal illness, but she never imagined that her mother would choose a sanatorium, where typically only the terminally ill are admitted. Then, when she found out that her mother was so set on passing away, she felt an intense pain in her chest.
When she arrived, she tried to rush in to see her mom as soon as possible, but the guard at the door stopped her.
“Who are you? What’s your name? Please show your ID.”
Hearing that, her voice was somewhat agitated, but she remained calm. “My mom is inside. Please let me in, okay?”
“What’s your mother’s name?”
Elspeth bit her lip, unsure if Helena had changed her name when she admitted.
“Helena Joneson.”
The receptionist at the door flipped through the book in his hand, and her face suddenly became serious.
“Helena Joneson… It seems like this person passed away yesterday.”
Passed away? Her heart stopped beating for a moment.
“You better take another look. Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake? How could she have passed away?”
Nonetheless, the receptionist replied nonchalantly, “I know you might not believe it now. There is a person named Helena Joneson at our sanatorium, and I wouldn’t make a mistake.”
Meanwhile, Gilbert stood beside her and was incredulous when he heard that. “I was here the day before yesterday, and I saw Miss Joneson. How could she have passed away today?”
After hearing that, the receptionist frowned. “Young man, a person’s lifespan is determined by fate, and no one can predict when they will leave this world. Your tone suggests that our sanatorium is up to no good.”
Gilbert realized that his tone was a bit too aggressive and quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, I was a bit impulsive with my words.”
After listening to that, the pain in Elspeth’s heart quickly expanded.
“Where is her body? Where is the room she used to live in? Can I go see it?”
The receptionist hesitated for a moment. “Miss, we still haven’t confirmed your identity yet, so it may not be appropriate to let you in so easily. Anyway, it’s not completely impossible. We can let you in if you can produce an item that belongs to your mother.”
Trembling, she took out a necklace from her pocket. It was in the shape of a heart and the same necklace she carried when she went to look for her mother.
Trembling, she took out a necklace from her pocket. It was in the shape of a heart and the same necklace she carried when she went to look for her mother.
“Ah, yes, this is it. It’s this necklace.”
The person nodded, and a different emotion appeared in her eyes. “Follow me. I’ll take you to her room first.”
Elspeth nodded, and together with Gilbert, they were led to the room.
After pushing the door open, there was no one in the room. The receptionist led them in and then left. Although there was no one living in the room anymore, it was still spotless. With one glance, she knew that the room had been her mother’s. Then, she strolled forward and saw a diary that was not locked on the table, so she picked it up and opened it.
Her mother’s handwriting was exquisite, and Elspeth carefully read through the diary, which mostly recorded her mother’s struggle against her illness. Soon, Elspeth noticed her mother’s handwriting became increasingly weak and unsteady as she continued to read. It appeared that Helena’s physical discomfort had affected her handwriting. Yet, at the end of nearly every entry, she would write about how much she missed her daughter.
My daughter Elspeth is always in my thoughts and heart.
Elspeth touched the writing, and tears slowly rolled down her face.
When she reached the last page, she could no longer control her emotions and burst into tears. In the diary’s final entry, Helena wrote: ‘Dearest Elspeth. Perhaps, I’ve already passed on by the time you read this. It breaks my heart to leave you without warning, but I had to do it for your sake. Your life is still blooming, and I no longer want to hold you back. I wouldn’t want that even if my illness was cured because you sacrificed your freedom. I love you more than words could ever express. Is there a mother in this world who wouldn’t cherish her daughter? Sometimes, life is cruel, and we are forced to make impossible choices. For me, that choice was death in exchange for your freedom. Even though I know we will never cross paths again in this life, please take comfort that I will always watch you from a place you cannot see. My time was limited, and my illness was beyond cure.
Only Arthur could have cured me. I hastened my own illness so that I could leave before you arrived. Isabel has been a faithful and loving companion to me. She has been patient and kind; I’m grateful for her presence. I know she’s working at Luna Bar, and I secretly allowed it because I knew it was your business. You will find her there, and I hope you’ll care for her. I trust that you will continue showing your kindness by looking after her as your little sister long after I am gone. As you navigate this world without me, I hope you’ll always stay true to yourself, never be swayed by others’ opinions, and never bow down to anyone. My daughter Elspeth is always in my thoughts and heart. Forever your mother, Helena Joneson.”
When Elspeth reached the end of the letter, her tears had wholly soaked the entire page. She was still a step too late.
On the other hand, Gilbert, who had fondly remembered Helena as being kind to him since childhood, also felt unbearable sorrow at her death. However, now he could not do anything, not even hold Elspeth in his arms and comfort her. He could only approach her silently and pat her shoulder, saying, “Don’t be sad. Miss Joneson also has her own struggles. She wants you to be okay and not upset because of her.”
Although he didn’t know what was written in the letter, he could guess that Helena had done something self-destructive from Elspeth’s breakdown.
“My mom is ridiculous. She thinks I’m too dumb,” she murmured and suddenly laughed. “Do you think I’m too weak? What if, instead of being threatened by Arthur, I used his secrets as bargaining chips to get him to help my sick mother?”
As he listened to her words, he felt something was off but still thought it made some sense.
“Although that’s true-“
“I got it.” Elspeth stood up and carefully closed the diary. “I know what to do now.”
Gilbert noticed her change in emotion and was surprised. “What are you going to do?”
Hearing that, she turned her head. The tear marks on her face were distinct, but the sadness in her eyes had dissipated instantly. “I want to become stronger.”
Since Elspeth already possessed considerable power, the phrase “becoming stronger” might not be accurate when describing her. In all of Damoria, and wherever she went, she was respected.
However, Gilbert knew what she meant by that. She wanted to have absolute dominance and control and not be led around by anyone or anything. He felt conflicted but still comforted her, saying, “This matter isn’t urgent. The most important thing is-“
“It is urgent,” she said, touching the diary. Her voice was gentle but firm. “My mom has already passed away, proving I arrived too late.”
Suddenly, he felt what he said lacked depth, so he changed the subject. “What are you going to do next? Are you going to retrieve Miss Joneson’s remains?”
At the mention of the body, she visibly stiffened. When she thought about the possibility of seeing her mother’s body, she could not calm down for a long time. However, Elspeth’s emotions suddenly relaxed when she finally saw the body. There was no expression of pain on her mother’s face, and merely a calm smile as if what had happened didn’t affect her emotionally. In other words, the death was a relief.
On the other hand, Isabel was squatting beside the casket, looking dazed. When Elspeth approached, Isabel didn’t even notice her and stared blankly for a long time until tears slowly streamed down her face.
“Elspeth-” Isabel’s eyes were red and swollen as if she had been crying for a long time, and then she threw herself into Elspeth’s arms.
Helplessly, Elspeth patted her back. “Don’t cry anymore. It’s okay. It’s all over now.”
“It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t heard that conversation and told Miss Joneson, maybe things wouldn’t have ended like this. It’s my fault. I indirectly killed Miss Joneson… Elspeth, you hate me, don’t you? I know I can’t get your forgiveness. I wish I could leave this world with Miss Joneson-“
Hearing that, Elspeth felt even more compassion for her upon seeing her face filled with self-reproach and guilt.
“Okay, stop overthinking. This matter has nothing to do with you. Even if you hadn’t told her, she would have found out eventually and made the same choice.”
“Nevertheless, Miss Joneson is gone. I really don’t know what to do now-“
For Isabel, Helena was the one who showed her the way in life. Now that Helena was gone, she didn’t know what to do with her life. Should she go back to the Joneson Family? On the other hand, how could the Joneson Family accept someone unrelated to them by blood? Should she stay here? It was meaningless without Helena.
Then, Isabel looked at Elspeth with a lost expression in her eyes.
