Elara!”
Julian gently ruffled his niece’s hair, saying softly, “Alright, Lily, what do you want to make?”
“A little house!” Lily said excitedly. “That way… Auntie Elara will have a new home!”
This innocent remark made Elara’s nose prickle.
She looked at the little girl seriously shaping the clay, and at Julian, who was attentively guiding her, and suddenly realized-
Without her knowing, these two had become an important part of her life.
“Lily,” she asked softly, “why do you want to make me a house?”
The little girl looked up, her big eyes clear and bright.
“Because Auntie Elara is unhappy. Uncle says a home should be a happy place, and I want Auntie to be happy.””
Elara’s eyes reddened again.
Julian awkwardly pushed up his glasses, his ear tips slightly red. “Children’s innocent words… Elara,
don’t be sad.”
“Thank you both,” Elara suddenly said, her voice a little choked, but then she quickly broke into a
tearful smile.
“Meeting you… makes me very happy.”
Lily immediately threw herself into her arms, her small hands tightly clasping her neck:
“Auntie, then let’s stay together forever, okay? Like a family!”
Julian’s hand paused in mid-air, clay slipping from his fingers.
His gaze met Elara’s, and both flushed simultaneously.
“Lily,’ he gently admonished, “Saying that might put pressure on Auntie. Auntie, she…”
“It’s okay.” Elara smiled faintly, stroking the little girl’s hair, her gaze towards Julian soft and firm.
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<
“I’d be honored… to be a part of your lives.”
The two pairs of eyes before her instantly lit up, like two sets of sparkling stars.
Elara looked at the two figures, one large and one small, and couldn’t help but smile. The dull ache in her chest gradually faded, replaced by a new feeling.
It was a sense of peace she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
Havenwood had seen a lot of rain lately, and business at “Elara’s Haven” bookstore had slowed down
considerably.
However, for many consecutive days, a Maybach remained parked outside.
It stood there, persistently waiting, never leaving.
“Auntie Elara, look at my drawing!” Lily bounced over, holding a crayon drawing, but stopped abruptly
when she saw Elara’s expression.
“Auntie,” Lily asked carefully, “Are you sad again?”
Elara forced a smile, not answering. Instead, she took the drawing. “That’s beautiful. Is this a little
bunny?”
“Yes!” Lily nodded vigorously, then turned her small hand to point out the window.
“Is it because those bad people came again that Auntie is sad?”
Julian emerged from behind a bookshelf, carrying a steaming cup of herbal tea.
He subtly positioned himself in front of the window, blocking the view of the street opposite.
“Should I call the police?” he asked softly, his gaze sweeping towards the luxury car that had been parked there for a week.
Through the rain, he could vaguely make out two small figures pressed against the car window, looking expectantly towards the bookstore.
Elara shook her head, her voice detached. “They’ll give up eventually.”
The rain intensified. Suddenly, the car door across the street was flung open.
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<
Mia, clutching an umbrella far too large for her, stumbled out and rushed towards the bookstore.
The rain soaked her dress and small leather shoes, but she ignored it, stubbornly pounding on the tightly shut store door.
“Mommy! Please open the door!” Her childish voice pierced through the rain, choked with tears. “I know you’re in there!”
“Mommy, you saw us, why won’t you talk to me and Leo? Do you really not want us anymore?”
Elara’s fingers clenched the curtain tightly, her knuckles white.
Julian silently stood beside her, his warm palm gently covering her trembling hand.
“One last time,” Elara suddenly said, her gaze gradually hardening.
“This time, I’ll go and put an end to it with them.”
With that, she took out her phone, found the number she had blocked long ago, and sent a message.
In the coffee shop, Elara chose a window seat, quietly waiting for the three of them to arrive.
Not long after, Dominic entered with the two children.
He was unusually not in a suit today; a simple white shirt clung to him, rumpled, and there were
clear dark circles under his eyes.
The two children also looked pitiful in dirty clothes, appearing much thinner and quite dishevelled.
“Mommy!” Mia rushed towards her as soon as she saw her, but Elara subtly shifted, avoiding her
hug.
“Sit,” Elara said, gesturing to the chairs opposite her, her voice unnervingly calm.
Dominic’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He spoke with difficulty. “Elara, the children have been having a very hard time these past few days. Their health isn’t good to begin with, and without their mommy’s
care…
“I know,” she interrupted him, taking a brown envelope from her bag.
“These are the growth journals I kept for them, from birth until now. All the important care
3:53 pm
instructions are in here.”
“There’s also an allergy list, medication records. They’re not little anymore. I believe you can take good care of them.”
Dominic’s face instantly turned pale. He stammered, “What do you mean by this? I don’t want these… Elara, don’t you understand? We just want you to come back.”
Elara didn’t look at him. She lowered her head and gave a mocking laugh, slowly rolling up her left sleeve, revealing a jagged scar.
“Remember this? It’s from the broken glass when Leo pushed me down the stairs.”
“That night, I had twelve stitches in the hospital. And at that time, you and Cassandra were happily enjoying yourselves at home, a picture of a loving mother and children.”‘
Leo’s small face instantly lost all color. He looked at the scar in horror, his lips trembling. “Mommy, I didn’t mean to…”
Elara gently shook her head, then lifted her skirt, revealing a hideous scar on her leg.
A huge, centipede-like scar ran across her leg, looking almost as if a piece of flesh had been gouged out.
“That was the time Cassandra and I were trapped in the elevator, and you said she still needed to dance, so you unhesitatingly abandoned me.”
“Just barely, just barely, I might have lost this leg.”
“Every one of you says you ‘didn’t mean to,” Elara’s voice was very soft, yet as sharp as a knife.
“Just like you deliberately framed me for feeding you mangoes, deliberately said you hated me in front of everyone.”
Her gaze turned to Dominic, filled with undisguised sarcasm.
“What about me? All these hurts I suffered, just because of your dismissive ‘didn’t mean to, should they be ignored?”
Mia suddenly burst into tears, rushing forward to try and hug Elara’s arm:
C
D
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<
“But we know we were wrong now! Mommy, please come back! We won’t do that anymore!”
Elara looked at her tear-stricken daughter, her heart surprisingly calm, no longer experiencing the familiar, agonizing twist.
She simply sat quietly, waiting for the crying to subside.
“I once…” she began slowly, each word seemingly squeezed from her chest, incredibly difficult.
“I once truly loved you all very much. Mia was only four pounds eight ounces when she was born prematurely; I stayed by her incubator for seven days and nights.”
“Leo was bullied by classmates and was afraid to go to school; I accompanied him to the classroom door every day… I remembered each of your birthdays and personally baked your cakes…”
“But love gets used up.”
“When you pushed me down the stairs, said you never wanted to see me, and chose Cassandra as your mother… our bond, our affection, ended right there.”
“I came today to tell you,” Elara stood up, placing the coffee money under the cup, saying each word
distinctly:
“I’m not coming back. This isn’t to punish you. It’s simply because I’ve started a brand new life of my own, and I no longer want to be trapped in the old mud, involved in meaningless ties with you.”
She turned and walked out without hesitation. Mia’s heartbroken cries rang out behind her, but Elara’s steps didn’t falter.
“Mommy! Please! Don’t abandon us!”
Elara pushed open the coffee shop door. Across the street, Julian stood by the car with Lily, waiting
for her.
As soon as the little girl saw her, she immediately broke free from her uncle’s hand and ran towards her.
“Auntie Elara!” Lily threw herself into Elara’s arms, her small hands anxiously touching her face.
“Are you okay? Did they bully you?”
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<
Elara bent down and picked up the little girl, kissing her soft cheek.
“Auntie’s fine. Let’s go home.”
Julian walked over, saying nothing, simply gently putting his arm around her shoulder.
The three walking towards the car, their backs against the sunlight, looked so harmonious.
Inside the coffee shop, Mia’s cries gradually died down.
Dominic stared blankly out the window, watching Elara get into the unfamiliar car.
Watching the little girl lean affectionately in her arms, and the bespectacled man gently fasten her seatbelt…
“Daddy,” Leo tugged at his sleeve, his voice filled with a fear he had never shown before. “Is Mommy… really gone for good?”
Dominic didn’t answer. The certainty he had felt before coming was now completely gone.
This time… they truly seemed to have lost Elara forever.
Elara stood on the balcony, watching Lily water the flower beds in the yard.
The little girl wore a bright yellow dress, humming an off-key song, skipping happily.
“What are you thinking about?”
A pair of warm hands encircled her from behind, Julian’s chin resting gently on her shoulder.
He still carried the faint scent of hospital disinfectant, clearly having just returned from work.
“I was thinking…” Elara hadn’t even turned around before she couldn’t help but smile.
“Thinking about the first time we met, when you brought Lily to buy picture books.”
Julian chuckled softly, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses filled with tenderness,
“I thought then, how could my junior be just as beautiful after all this time.”
“Such a smooth talker,’ Elara lightly punched his shoulder, laughing joyously.
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<
Their laughter startled Lily in the yard.
The little girl dropped her watering can and ran upstairs like a small butterfly. “Uncle! Auntie Elara! What secrets are you two whispering?”
Julian bent down and picked up his niece, kissing her dirt-smudged little face.
“Uncle was asking Auntie Elara if she’d be willing to stay with us forever.”
Lily’s eyes instantly lit up, and her small hands tightly grasped Elara’s sleeve.
“Really? Is Auntie Elara going to stay with us forever?”
Elara’s heart felt as soft as if it had been soaked in warm water.
She took Lily, and in the little girl’s expectant gaze, she nodded. “If Lily wants me to.”
“I do! I do!” Lily cheered, hugging her neck, then turned to Julian.
“Uncle, quickly put a ring on Auntie Elara’s finger! Just like they do on TV!”
Julian’s ear tips turned crimson, and he pulled a small red velvet box from his pocket, kneeling on
one knee.
“Elara Hayes,” his voice trembled slightly, “will you…”
“I will.” Before he could finish, Elara gave a firm answer. Though her eyes were tearful, a happy smile
curved her lips.
Their wedding was set for three months later.
On the wedding day, the sun was exceptionally bright.
Elara, in a simple white wedding gown, held a bouquet of wildflowers picked by Lily, walking towards Julian amidst everyone’s blessings.
When the minister pronounced them officially husband and wife, Lily eagerly rushed into her arms, shouting “Auntie Elara” in a clear voice.
Behind the numerous guests, stood three solitary figures, one tall and two small.
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<
“I’ll handle it,” Julian squeezed her hand, comforting her softly.
“No, I’ll go myself.” Elara took a deep breath, gathered her skirt, and walked towards the door.
As the door opened, Mia rushed forward. “Mommy! You look so pretty today!”
Elara took a step back, avoiding her hug, and said coldly, “What are you doing here?”
Dominic’s gaze fell on the wedding scene behind her, his voice hoarse, his eyes filled with nostalgia
and reluctance.
“We mean no harm… We just want to wish you well.”
“No need,” Elara’s voice was calm. “Please leave.”
Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm and resolute.
Dominic’s face instantly turned pale. He reached out and pulled the two crying children, his eyes holding a hint of despair.
“Leo, Mia… let’s go.”
“No!” Mia broke free from her father’s grip, rushed forward, and hugged Elara’s leg, crying hysterically,
“Mommy, please look at me! Just look at me!”
Elara looked down at the daughter she had once doted on, but she didn’t bend down. She simply gently pushed away the small hands.
“Goodbye, Mia, and Leo. Don’t come looking for me anymore. Go live your new lives.”
“I have a brand new life of my own now too.””
As she turned, she heard Dominic’s suppressed sobs and the children’s heartbroken wails behind
her.
But when she walked back to the wedding venue and saw Lily running towards her with a small flower basket, and Julian smiling at her in the sunlight,
Those sounds became distant and blurred.
Later, Elara heard from the old housekeeper that the Thorne family wasn’t doing well.
After Cassandra was gone, the house was a mess.
Dominic was busy with work, and the two children, boarding at school, grew increasingly unruly.
They had tried to find her in Havenwood again, but were stopped by security outside her residential
complex.
Sometimes, Elara would dream of the past.
Dream of her sleepless nights guarding Leo when he had a high fever, dream of the children’s
smiling faces when they first called her Mommy.
When she woke, Julian would always sense it immediately, holding her close and comforting her softly.
“Elara… do you regret it?” he once asked, hesitantly.
Elara looked at the two stray cats playing with Lily in the yard and shook her head.
“My life is so happy now, and the road ahead is bright. I won’t look back.”
Just then, Lily ran over, holding two kittens, her face smudged with grass, and asked joyfully:
“Auntie Elara! They’re so cute, can we adopt them?”
“Of course,” she said with a smile, affectionately caressing Lily’s sweaty little face.
“This is our home. You make the rules,”
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the three of them.
The shadows that once covered her would never affect her again.
4days ago
