Chapter 114
Pearl patted Chloe's back sympathetically.
"Chloe, why are you crying? Didn't that gentleman promise he'd play with you again?"
Chloe didn't speak, tears rolling down one after another.
Her little shoulders shook and shook, unable to stop.
Pearl's heart ached even more.
Chloe probably saw that gentleman as the father she imagined.
She'd never been this heartbroken when parting from Kate or Logan before.
Pearl carried the sobbing Chloe into the car.
After the car started, Matthew still stood in place, looking toward where the car had disappeared.
Too far away, Evelyn couldn't make out his expression.
Yes, this afternoon, Evelyn still couldn't rest easy.
She'd quietly had the driver park across from the amusement park.
She sat in the car, watching the tall and small figures waiting in line among the crowd.
She watched Matthew shield Chloe in his embrace, watched the child laugh until she bent over.
The moment Chloe cried, her own heart twisted with pain.
Looking at Matthew standing there, she smiled faintly.
That smile carried a touch of coldness, a hint of chill.
Anyone could see Matthew's treasuring and affection for Chloe, and his reluctance when they parted.
But so what?
She'd given Matthew chances back then.
That things had come to this point—he deserved it.
"Let's go," she said to the driver, withdrawing her gaze.
Chloe fell asleep on Pearl's shoulder, her nose red, teardrops still clinging to her lashes.
Pearl laid her on the bed before tiptoeing out.
When Evelyn returned, Pearl stood in the living room, looking anxious and uneasy.
"Miss, I'm sorry..." She wrung her hands, her voice getting lower. "Today I failed to stop Chloe again."
"Is Chloe still crying?" Evelyn asked.
"No. She fell asleep from exhaustion."
"How did she get along with that gentleman?"
Pearl hesitated, then told the truth. "I haven't seen Chloe this happy in a long time."
"That gentleman really cares about Chloe!"
"This afternoon, an old woman brought a bratty kid who scared Chloe, and that gentleman scared them off without a word."
She spoke with some excitement, but Evelyn remained detached. "Then why did Chloe cry?"
Pearl's voice lowered. "I think... Chloe saw that gentleman as the father she imagines. In her sleep, she kept murmuring 'handsome mister' and 'daddy.'"
Evelyn froze.
She'd given the children the best of everything, but the one thing she couldn't give them was a father.
"Miss, it's all my fault." Pearl's voice trembled. "You already said not to let Chloe interact with that gentleman, but I still couldn't stop her. Please punish me."
Evelyn looked at her, silent for a long time.
"You were wrong, Pearl. This kind of thing has happened several times recently."
Her voice was neither cold nor warm, yet it made Pearl's heart pound.
Just when Pearl thought she'd be punished, Evelyn sighed. "Pearl, I know you've always cared deeply for Chloe. But I don't want to see this happen again. Do you understand?"
She couldn't bring herself to punish Pearl.
Once when she'd been carrying Chloe and nearly tumbled down the stairs, Pearl had rushed over and caught them.
Pearl's lower back had hit the corner of a step, and her leg had scraped badly. She'd been hospitalized for a week to recover.
And so many other times...
When Chloe had a fever in the middle of the night, Pearl was the first to notice.
When Caleb fell while learning to walk, Pearl had thrown herself underneath to cushion him.
Her work might not always be perfect, but Evelyn never doubted her genuine care for the two children.
"I understand." Pearl's eyes reddened. "Actually, there was a reason Chloe insisted on having dinner with that gentleman today."
"She overheard his female companion's scheme. She wanted to drug that gentleman to get herself pregnant."
"Chloe was anxious, so she..."
Evelyn froze.
Sloane wanted to drug him? But weren't they about to get engaged? Was that necessary?
Maybe it was some game between them.
Perhaps Pearl and Chloe had done harm with good intentions.
She smiled mockingly, told Pearl to rest, and headed toward Chloe and Caleb's room.
The door was ajar. Chloe's voice came from inside, broken with sobs. "Why don't we have a daddy?"
Evelyn's hand on the doorknob clenched suddenly.
Inside the room, Caleb was holding Chloe, gently patting her back.
"Chloe, sweetheart." His voice was soft, like soothing a frightened kitten. "Just tell me these things. Don't let Mommy know, okay? Otherwise, Mommy will be very sad."
Evelyn felt a tightness in her chest.
"That man abandoned us. We don't need him." Caleb's voice was calm, completely unlike a three-year-old child.
He gently wiped the tears from Chloe's face, speaking tenderly. "Chloe, crying over a bad person like that isn't worth it."
Chloe cried even harder.
She buried her face in Caleb's embrace, her muffled voice like little knives, cutting into Evelyn's heart one strike at a time.
She twisted the doorknob several times but ultimately lost the strength to push it open.
She walked distractedly to the villa's rooftop terrace.
The night breeze was cool. A solitary moon seemed to speak of someone's sorrow.
She leaned against the railing for a while when a soft sound came from behind—the door opened.
Monica walked in carrying a bottle of wine, hair disheveled, eyes red.
Evelyn jumped. "What are you doing here? Why are you drinking so much this late at night?"
Monica didn't speak. She slumped against the railing and tilted her head back to take a swig.
"Caspian and I bought this wine when we traveled to Zephyria together." She shook the bottle, smiling bitterly. "It seemed wonderful back then. Now it tastes bitter and sour."
Evelyn froze. "You and Caspian went to Zephyria?"
Monica didn't answer. She turned to look at her. "Is Chloe back? Are you still worried Matthew will take her away?"
Evelyn didn't answer either.
She took the bottle from Monica's hand and drank. The sour taste made tears spring to her eyes.
"I'm thinking now," she said, looking at the distant night, her voice soft. "I'm not a good mother. I didn't realize Chloe actually wants a father."
"She was just crying in her room, asking Caleb why they don't have a daddy."
"Maybe she was just having too much fun," Monica slurred, clearly drunk. "Tomorrow when she wakes up she'll be fine. Kids don't remember things."
Evelyn didn't commit either way.
After a long silence, she spoke in a muffled voice so low Monica almost didn't hear.
"Mon, do you think I should date someone, get married maybe?"