Georgia nodded.
"It had to have something to do with him. That box was meant to be a gift and passed security just fine. If it had been a bomb, Robert and I would have discovered it. It was switched later on, but it was a gift, so we didn't take it apart to see, and let other people take advantage."
"Why did you go see Vincent Poole? Isn't he a hypnotist? He was responsible for taking my memories."
Casey said strangely, and Georgia told her about Robert's decision with his mother.
"... I don't know if Robert did the right thing or not, but he made the decision to let his mother forget about all the pain. So he asked Vincent over. His father had suggested the plan. He'd guessed what situation Robert would face and knew who I was. He knew that Robert's mother wouldn't accept me, and knew that she'd never walk out from under this pain. So he left Robert some last words to consider such an option."
Casey had a complicated look in her eye as Georgia finished.
"He considered that far. Sometimes, I don't know what to think of him. If I hadn't recalled these memories, he would have stayed as a sweet and gentle person in my eyes who fulfilled my every need. He poured all his tenderness and affection on me, and for twenty years, I relied on him and treated him as my husband. He let me live without worry for all those years, and I can't blame him for it. But he was always the type of person who got his way."
As Casey finished, Georgia fell silent.
Robert's father was truly a complicated person. A lot of the things he did weren't just or moral, and he just did whatever he wanted. But he succeeded.
He left this world in the end, but he'd gotten who he loved, and the life he wanted.
And he'd even prepared for what'd happen after he departed. He probably had lived with no regrets.
"You should have told me about Vincent Poole. Aidan told me that the man would do anything for money, and had to be threatened not to do any funny business. If I'd known you were getting Vincent to do this sort of thing to Robert's mother, I would have reminded you not to trust that person so easily."
Georgia's eyes widened and she was filled with regret.
"Robert and I were both fooled. After Robert decided to go to Vincent, his people got in contact with Vincent right away, and Vincent agreed to come help immediately. Robert had even found it strange, because Vincent was known internationally for being hard to deal with, but now he was coming with Robert so easily. Then Vincent gave us an explanation, that Robert's father had saved him multiple times, and that he owed Aidan his life. That's why he'd agreed to Robert's request without even demanding pay.
"We still paid him generously in the end, but now, it seems like he'd made up the lie to lower our guard from the beginning to make us think he really was just repaying a debt. In the country, he kept on acting like a gentle old man. He was kind and soft to everyone and always did what he came with Robert for. There was never any trouble. Robert even told me that his mother had forgotten her memories. Vincent's acting was just too good."
Georgia said that furiously, while Casey sighed.
"Robert's father didn't save Vincent's life or anything. He really is a difficult person, but if you gave him enough money, of course you could have hired him all the same. But he did this against you for a reason. He didn't have any grudges against Robert or Aidan. He might have been forced. We don't know if he's disappeared because he's gone somewhere safe, or if he's being threatened by those people."
Georgia didn't care about that.
She just wanted to find Robert. If Robert left her, she might not have any lingering attachment to living on.
After a long silence. Georgia and her mother finally arrived at the Powell palace.
Security checked their car, confirmed their identity, and the pair's car drove on inside.
After getting off, Georgia and Casey walked inside.
"What are you crying about? You're making a ruckus. Your parents aren't dead, so stop sobbing in front of me!"
Georgia had just gone in when she heard a stinging bit of mockery.
Looking on, Annie was crouched on the floor crying, her eyes red.
Wesley was stooped next to his sister, clutching her hand and comforting her.
The person who'd said those stinging words was Sally. Just as her mother had said, she was a petty person.
Seeing her children yelled at like that, Georgia walked over, her anger bubbling.
"Annie, Mommy's here. Come to Mommy.
"Get up, Wesley, take my hand."
At Georgia's words, the kids looked at her, overjoyed. Annie, whose eyes had been swollen from crying, ran over and grabbed Georgia's hand.
"Did you come to take me home, Mommy? What about Daddy? Where's Daddy? I've been so scared these past few days and had nightmares almost every single day. Thank goodness you're here, Mommy, I missed you so much."
Annie clutched at Georgia's hand, her entire body emanating longing and fear.
Wesley was still cautious and didn't budge. Georgia walked over and grabbed his hand too.
Seeing Georgia had come over, Sally's face registered a bit of shock, then she started mocking her too.
"Fainting for three days and then waking up. You're a lucky one."
After that, Sally looked at Casey, standing by her side.
"What's it like being a widow? Is it lonely? The way I see it, your daughter's going to follow in your footsteps and be a widow too-"
Georgia had always felt there was no such thing as hate without reason. There was always a reason behind some things, but she didn't care to know them.
With a loud "whap", Georgia slapped Sally across the face.
"Say what you just said again, and I'll rip your mouth to shreds."
She'd been sad and scared enough over Robert, and Sally was actually cursing him now. That touched all of Georgia's nerves at once, and she could have killed the person before her.
With the kids beside her, and Robert's condition unknown, Georgia could only maintain her sanity and keep from losing it.
But to a provocation like Sally's, she couldn't hold back.
"You bitch! You hit me!"
Sally was dazed for a while, then clutched at her face, seemingly not processing how a small fry like Georgia had the nerve to hit her.
At that, she rushed over and tried to give Georgia a good beatdown.
Georgia caught her arm.
Then she slapped Sally across the face again.