Chapter 82 To Be Your Own Free Spirit

Clara's school open day kicked off at 3 PM, but Lorna was already at the studio early in the morning.

After Lorna handed over Wealthy Whims to Marc, he took on the job of managing everything with Kieran.

Lately, the Ember Group had been rolling out new products, keeping Marc super busy bouncing between samples and meetings.

Lorna swung by the studio to restock a batch of diluted Spirit Herbs and Spirit Alcohol.

Recently, the rich ladies she met at those fancy parties started buying Spirit Alcohol from her, probably after hearing about it from Lucas.

Lorna was thrilled because the money went straight into her pocket.

After restocking, Lorna plopped down on a small round sofa by the front desk to chill.

The morning sun was warm with a hint of coolness, and a gentle breeze lightly stirred the sheer curtains by the door.

Lorna was squinting her eyes, leisurely swinging her feet, when someone walked into the studio.

"Ms. Martin, long time no see!" Fable, the wife of a local real estate tycoon, walked in wearing a minimalist black-and-white dress and sporting a sharp short haircut.

Lorna quickly recognized her unique style and greeted her with a smile. "Fable, hey there, come on in."

Lorna led Fable to the inner room, poured her some Spirit Alcohol, and gestured with a smile. "This is our latest product. It's really good."

Fable's eyes lit up as she took a small sip from the glass, looking at Lorna in surprise. "It's peach-flavored!"

Lorna nodded with a smile, "I've made all the new alcoholic beverages in different fruit flavors."

"I'll take ten bottles of this, with five different flavors!" Fable immediately fell in love with it. She had heard about the alcoholic beverages from her friends, and now she was the first to taste the new version.

"Sure, here's my card. I'll have them delivered to your place." Lorna handed her a card from the table, which had her bank account number on it.

Fable immediately transferred the money.

Lorna waited quietly with a smile, giving Fable time to speak.

Fable hesitated for a moment before finally making up her mind. "Ms. Martin, I'd like a tarot reading."

Lorna nodded. "Alright."

Lorna took a deck of tarot cards from a velvet pouch on a nearby table.

"Fable, first think about your question, then shuffle the cards and draw one," Lorna instructed, handing her the deck.

Fable nodded, took a deep breath, and slowly closed her eyes.

Then she shuffled the cards and drew one.

Fable handed the card that she drew to Lorna, watching her nervously. "What does it say?"

Lorna chuckled. "Don't rush. Let me take a look."

The deck consisted of seventy-eight cards, each adorned with intricate illustrations, each card symbolizing something unique.

The card Fable had drawn was The Star, depicting a woman pouring water beneath a starry sky.

Lorna looked at the card and smiled quietly.

"What you seek now, in my view, can be summed up in one word." Lorna paused, looking into Fable's eyes.

Fable held her breath, staring at Lorna, "What is it?"

Lorna replied, "Freedom."

The Star represented hope, inspiration, and freedom. It symbolized a person's yearning for a brighter future, their inner strength, and their desire to follow their true path.

Fable was stunned.

She didn't expect Lorna to say "freedom," as if she had unveiled her inner mask, exposing her true thoughts.

"Isn't it true? Your life looks stable and happy, but it's the life others see for you. What about what you want?" Lorna asked, staring right at Fable.

Her bright eyes seemed to see through Fable, making her a bit hesitant.

"How much of yourself have you sacrificed to become what others expect you to be? Have you really compromised, or are you just enduring?" Lorna pressed, her words piercing but truthful.

Fable felt a sharp sting from Lorna's barrage of questions, breaking down her emotional defenses.

Covering her face, Fable took several deep breaths before looking up to share her story with Lorna. "My husband and I got married through an arranged meeting."

Seeing her let down her guard, Lorna put down the Tarot deck and listened attentively.

Fable had been a well-behaved girl since childhood, kind and resilient inside, rarely losing her temper or disobeying her parents.

She followed the path her family had laid out for her, step by step.

It wasn't until she chose her major in college that she made her first firm decision, standing her ground with her parents for two days to study a foreign language.

Fable happily studied the language she loved, spending four years in the bliss of college.

After graduation, her parents started arranging jobs for her, without considering her personal preferences.

"I love every language; they all have their own stories, happier than mine," Fable said, her eyes filled with helplessness and longing.

Once her career was settled, her family started pushing for marriage, and this time, she didn't resist.

Through an arranged meeting, Fable married her current husband, and they had a son and a daughter.

Her husband, a real estate tycoon, gave her a life that others envied.

But deep down, Fable knew that her husband didn't love her.

And she didn't have much love for him either. She didn't even have as much patience for him as she did for her friends.

Fable spoke to Lorna with frustration, "Ms. Martin, I feel like I'm sick. I no longer have any respect for my husband. Instead, I feel a bit of resentment."

Fable looked troubled. Her husband hadn't cheated on her; he was just too busy with work. He only sent her money, and they rarely communicated.

But Fable felt something was wrong with herself.

She often confided in her friend, who seemed like a second partner, shouldering almost all her emotions.

Fable was moved by her friend. Gradually, she began to get irritable when her husband interrupted their conversations. At first, she thought it was just her bad mood, but slowly, she realized her feelings for that friend had changed.

She would feel happy when her friend was happy, and she disliked her friend's romantic interests.

Then one day, that friend confessed her feelings to her, admitting she was a lesbian.

Lorna was surprised but didn't show it.

"So you like her too, but you're afraid to tell her?" Lorna interjected at the right moment.

"You truly have a keen insight. I'm in so much pain. I'm afraid to confess my feelings to her and disrupt my current life, so I'm very conflicted," Fable said, her face full of anguish and distress.

Lorna comforted her with a smile. "Do you know what other good meaning your card has?"

Fable looked at her curiously.

Lorna drew the card closer, revealing "The Fool". 

"To be your own free spirit," she said, looking at Fable seriously. "This world doesn't have fixed roles; nothing can define you. Life is meant to be lived for yourself. So, don't worry about others' opinions. Life is meant to be lived for yourself. So, don't worry about others' opinions. Whether you take a leap or not, you are still you. With or without others, you are still you."

Lorna's words seemed to awaken Fable from her troubled thoughts.

She murmured to herself, "With or without others, I'm still me."

"Ms. Martin, thank you for your guidance. I think I understand now." A look of determination slowly appeared on Fable's face.