Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Martha intentionally stopped there, noticing Hans seerned to be reminiscing about old times. She felt a sense of relief, knowing that it would work.
“Take some medicine. If it’s above 101.3 Fahrenheit, a fever patch won’t work.” Dr. Lee finished his diagnosis and prescribed some medication to Martha.
Martha thanked him repeatedly. After seeing Dr. Lee off, she fed Serena the medicine.
“Could you step outside for a moment?”
After she finished giving Serena her medicine, Hans suddenly spoke.
Martha felt a sense of dread but followed Hans onto the balcony.
Hans’s gaze was intimidating no matter who he looked at. Now, he looked at Martha and asked, “You’ve been in this family for many years. There are some things I’m going to ask outright.”
“Feel free to ask, Hans,” Martha replied respectfully, “As long as I know, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Then tell me, what kind of person is Serena?”
“Serena’s virtues are endless! She’s kind-hearted, innocent, graceful, cheerful, beautiful, brave, considerate, talented in music, chess, poetry, painting”“And how can such a person suddenly become narrow-minded, cunning, and scheming?”
Upon hearing this, Martha realized Hans’s concerns and quickly explained, “Mr. Collins, I’ve never encouraged Serena to do anything wrong. Please understand!”
“Serena was raised by you. Today, she made a mistake, and you’re responsible too.” Hans looked at her emotionlessly, “You’re not getting this month’s salary, and the holiday bonus.”
“Yes, Mr. Collins.”
Martha acknowledged, her heart filled with unwillingness. However, she dared not voice any opposition.
“Serena has always listened to you. It’s up to you to guide her now”
“I’ll do my best, Mr. Collins.”
Hans was about to leave when a sudden thought stopped him in his tracks.
“Bella is my own sister.”
Martha felt her heart lurch at his words.
“Don’t give her any more trouble”
“Yes.”
Martha was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Hans to say such a thing. As she watched him walk away, her annoyance grew.
Who was really causing trouble for whom?
The thought of Serena having to apologize to that annoying girl the next day made her blood boil.
The following morning, Mirabella discovered a message from the previous night. It was from Crystal’s mother, Celeste.
[Bella, thank you for trying your best to save Crystal. Today is her funeral. You’ll come, won’t you?][Yes] Mirabella replied swiftly.
[Crystal adored you. I believe she would be very happy to have you there to say goodbye.]
Mirabella initially wanted to reply with two words: [My condolences.] But she knew that the pain of losing a daughter couldn’t be soothed by mere words.
So, she replied instead: [I’ll be there soon.]
Crystal’s funeral was to be held at the Temple family cemetery. The local psychic said that the best time to bury the deceased was at ten in the morning, as the geomantic layout of the Temple family’s land, coupled with the deceased’s birth details, would ensure her wealth and happiness in her next life.
Hence, the funeral was hastily arranged.
Despite the short notice, the ceremony was grandly decorated, and many people attended.
When Mirabella and Romeo arrived, they saw a sea of mourners dressed in black, a testament to the wide-ranging connections of the Temple family.
The cemetery was adorned with layers of wreaths and elegies, enveloping the graveyard like a flower bed.
Members of the Temple family, clad in mourning attire, wept in front of the altar, each immersed in their own sorrow.
After Romeo and Mirabella had laid their wreath and paid their respects, they approached the open-air altar to offer incense to Crystal.
Their striking appearance drew many eyes.After offering incense, Mirabella looked at Crystal’s black and white portrait and the coffin beneath it, recalling the girl’s lively demeanor when they first met.
Her heart was filled with sorrow. The sound of the Temple family’s crying brought back the pain of losing her beloved Grandma Grace.
The Temple family members bowed to every visitor who offered incense. Even though Alger and Celeste, leading the family, were crying heavily, they still managed to bend over to thank Romeo and Mirabella for their presence.
“Romeo, thank you for coming” Alger, unable to hold back his tears, embraced Romeo.
“My condolences,’ Romeo comforted, patting his back.
Alger’s sobbing grew even more heart-wrenching, this feeling of losing a daughter, as if the sky was falling, was too painful, too lethal.
“Y’all need to hold it together. Crystal would be worried.” Mirabella hugged Celeste, “Before Crystal left, what she was most worried about, what she couldn’t let go of, was definitely you quys.”
Celeste cried with immense sorrow, “I know, I know. but I just can’t calm down. Bella, I only have one daughter.
How could God be so cruel to take her away? What am I supposed to do for the rest of my life?”
Her sobbing only caused the other members of the Temple family to fall deeper into sorrow.
“I know, I understand.” Mirabella patted Celeste’s back. She had been through all of this and she knew exactly how it felt, like falling into the deep sea, unable to save herself, even wanting to close her eyes and sink to the bottom.
“I miss her so much, I wish she could sit up and talk to me. I only have one daughter, from an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, she grew into a graceful girl. I had imagined countless possibilities for her future, but I never thought she would die like this.”
Celeste’s heartbreaking sobs caused the surrounding relatives and mourners to shed tears.
They also never imagined that such a promising girl would meet with such a tragic fate.
At this moment, a disturbance arose from the crowd, Celeste lifted her tear-filled eyes to see the crowd making way for Clark, wearing a black suit, his eyes red as he entered the chapel.Celeste was suddenly filled with rage, “What are you doing here? The Temple family didn’t invite you, get out of here.”
Mirabella wanted to say something for Clark.
But Celeste told her, “You saved Crystal, and Crystal liked you very much when she was alive. You represent the Collins family, I have no objection, but he is not allowed to step in here!”
“I want to pay my respects to Crystal.”
Clark knew that they hated him to the core, but for Crystal’s last journey, he had to be there.
Crystal died attempting to save Carol’s foster parents, if he didn’t come, how could he face his own conscience!
“Get out, get out of here!” Alger, with red eyes, shoved Clark away, “You’re not welcome here, you know better than anyone why Crystal is lying here! Get out!”
Why did he have to come and make things worse?
They had lost their only daughter, their lives were destined to be lonely.
Why did he have to appear and add insult to injury?
“Take your things and leave.” Alger violently threw the wreath Clark brought for Crystal at him.
At this moment, a bone-chilling wind whistled by, and the sky began to scatter delicate snowflakes.
Celeste looked up at the sight of the snowflakes, her eyes reddening even more, was Crystal showing a sign.
She loved snow in her lifetime.Did they treat Clark like this, so she showed a sign, wanting them to show mercy?
“Crystal probably wanted my brother to be here for her last journey.” Mirabella spoke, “Please, let my brother offer incense for Crystal, okay?”
Alger and Celeste broke down in tears.
Clark bowed to them and steadily walked towards the portrait.
The girl’s radiant smile, her bright eyes were still so vivid, yet during her lifetime, she had undergone inhumane torment.
Tears welled up in Clark’s eyes. He lit the incense, and deeply bowed to the portrait.
Another gust of wind blew, the snowflakes landed on Clark’s shoulder, like an invisible hand, gently comforting him.
Alger and Celeste cried even harder, surely their daughter was showing a sign, she saw this man come to bid her farewell, so a gust of wind came, as a response.
When Clark bowed to the Temple family, Alger and Celeste finally bowed back to him.
Mirabella’s eyes were somewhat moist.
“The time has come; the funeral director checked the time and drew out his words, “Seal the casket.’
At the mention of sealing the casket, a wave of heartache washed over Celeste.
Four pallbearers stood at each corner of the casket, hammer and nail at the ready, prepared to seal the casket at any moment.
The mourners stood in thirty neat rows, bowing in unison towards the portrait of the deceased.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.