Chapter 138 That Man Is Getting Married
Serena had grown up being taken care of, pampered. Going from luxury to scraping by was brutal. But even harder than that was dealing with her mom's illness. She had to absorb her mother's emotional outbursts, keep her stable—for someone her age, it was almost unbearable.
She'd felt so isolated back then, crying alone when no one was watching. Later, during her lucid moments, her mother told her that nobody would pamper her forever, and nobody could guarantee a lifetime of comfort. As a woman, she needed to not just love herself, but be self-reliant and strong. Even if she ended up in a swamp, she had to have the courage to crawl back out.
With that willpower, Lauren fought her way out of depression. And Serena gradually came to accept her ordinary life.
Watching her now, working efficiently and methodically, Lily smiled with satisfaction. Being able to take care of herself was the best thing. If Sarah's illness didn't improve and Serena ended up alone one day, at least she wouldn't fall apart.
Lily said warmly, "Ms. Rothwell, I've been thinking—I'm not leaving yet. I talked it over with my son and daughter-in-law. I'll wait until Ms. Sarah's better, then I'll go."
Serena froze, delighted and moved. "Really? You're staying?"
Lily nodded. "I watched you and Ms. Sarah grow up. With her like this, I wouldn't feel right leaving. Better to wait until she's recovered."
Serena's eyes welled up. She'd been so worried about leaving for Sweetwater City and having some stranger take care of her sister. Now that Lily was staying, she could breathe easier.
"Thank you, Lily," she said gratefully.
Lily patted her hand. "Silly girl, no need for that. Come on, let's finish up here."
"Okay."
Serena helped everyone clean up. By the time they'd dealt with everything, it was almost two in the morning. Lily went to bed, and Serena headed upstairs.
Passing Sarah's study, she noticed the light was still on. She quietly pushed the door open and peeked inside—only to find Sarah sitting at her desk, staring blankly out the window at the night.
Serena rarely saw her sister like this. "Sarah?" she called softly.
Sarah turned to look at her. In an instant, she'd hidden whatever emotion had been in her eyes, as if that lost, confused person hadn't been her at all.
Serena walked in, concerned. "What's wrong? What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing." Sarah's tone returned to its usual cool detachment. "Why aren't you asleep?"
"I could ask you the same thing. The doctor said you need rest—regular sleep schedule, regular meals. You can't ignore doctor's orders."
"I know. I was just about to go to bed."
Sarah grabbed her phone and stood up, heading toward her bedroom. Serena followed.
"Why are you following me? Go to your own room."
Serena linked arms with her, acting cute. "Let's talk for a bit. I'm leaving for Sweetwater City with Adrian tomorrow. I might be there for a while. Promise me you'll go to your checkups on time while I'm gone. And if it's time for chemo, I'll take leave and come back to go with you..."
She rambled on and on.
Sarah reached up and pinched her lips shut. "Okay, I heard you. Stop nagging. You're in your twenties and you act like a little old lady."
Serena let out an indignant hum.
Sarah laughed despite herself and ruffled Serena's hair. "All right, I got it."
Serena stopped nagging, but she couldn't forget what she'd seen in the study—Sarah's furrowed brow, that look of helpless confusion.
"Sarah, what's bothering you?" she asked. "Is it company stuff? Tell me. We can handle it together."
Sarah paused. "Is it that obvious?"
Serena nodded. "Very obvious."
Sarah looked down, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. But quickly, she raised her eyes again, back to her usual composure. "Don't worry, it's not company business. It's personal."
"Personal?"
Serena suddenly had a hunch this was about romance. She could almost feel Sarah's heartache. Her own chest tightened in sympathy. She wrapped her arms around Sarah's waist. "I'm not a kid anymore. Whatever's going on, you should tell me. We're sisters—each other's only family. You should respect me enough to share."
Sarah fell silent for a moment. Then she smiled faintly. "It's really nothing. Just that the man who once said he'd never marry anyone but me is getting married now."
Serena's jaw dropped. She almost thought she'd misheard. When had Sarah even dated anyone? Her mind immediately jumped to Adrian and Elizabeth's engagement. Could it be him?
Carefully, she asked, "Sarah... are you talking about Adrian?"
Sarah rapped her knuckles against Serena's head. "What are you thinking? Would I have feelings for my own brother-in-law?"
"What brother-in-law? Adrian and I aren't—"
Wait, wait, wait. How did this get turned back on her? She couldn't let Sarah distract her like this.
"Then who is it?" Serena pressed.
Sarah looked at her with disdain, as if saying one more word to this sister would be an insult to her intelligence. She simply pushed Serena toward the door and moved to close it.
Serena wasn't afraid of getting her head caught—she stuck it right back through the gap. "Who is it?"
Sarah looked at her blankly. "If you can't sleep, find a way to make yourself smarter."
"Sarah!"
Serena whined in frustration.
"Why do you need to know who he is so badly? It's done. Who he is doesn't matter anymore."
With that, she pushed Serena's fluffy head back out and shut the door.
Serena stared at the closed door for a few seconds, then turned and headed downstairs. If she couldn't get useful information from Sarah, she'd find someone else. She was getting to the bottom of this tonight, no matter what.