Back to My Worst Birthday and Starting Anew
Chapter 102 A Rare Visitor
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Emyr’s words carried a heavy weight. “For both of us, it’s safer this way.”
Veronica clenched her fist, feeling the burn of pressure against her skin.
What memories is there left to uncover?
What does Emyr really mean by this? He’s giving me an opportunity to grow close to him, showing me affection no other woman has ever received, but now he’s saying we should keep our distance?
I’m not allowed to have a relationship with him, but Charmaine is?
A sharp pang of jealousy twisted in Veronica’s chest.
“Fine,” she spat through gritted teeth. “I’ll do as you say, Mr. Emyr. I’ll be good and not cause you any trouble.”
She hesitated before adding, “Mr. Emyr, there’s something I’m unsure whether I should bring up.”
Emyr’s brow furrowed, annoyance flashing in his eyes. He had little patience for women who hesitated or beat around the bush.
With an exasperated sigh, he said, “Say it.”
“It’s about Charmaine,” Veronica began, “I know she’s just your maid, and these are trivial things that shouldn’t bother you, but…”
Veronica pulled out her phone and showed Emyr the photos that had been posted on the school’s forum earlier that day.
“Daniel has a girlfriend, and she still clings to him. She even managed to get Mr. Milo to fight for her. At Mrs. Alessa’s birthday banquet, she openly claimed to have a relationship with you. A woman with such motives–doesn’t that hurt your reputation, Mr. Emyr?”
In the photo, Daniel, held back by Milo, gazed at Charmaine with deep affection.
Charmaine, though turned away, still showed a cold expression.
Emyr could tell–she wasn’t as indifferent as she seemed.
What should have been a harmless photo, one easily overlooked, now felt like a thorn in Emyr’s side.
Suddenly, he activated his wheelchair, moving with swift determination. “I have work to do. I’ll be leaving.”
Veronica was stunned. “Mr. Emyr!”
She tried to follow, but Tad stepped in her path. “Ms. James, please stay and finish your meal. There’s no need to follow Mr. Emyr.”
Veronica bit her lip and reluctantly sat back down.
At Eastlake, Charmaine was lost in thought, trying to figure out how to retrieve the items Leah had taken
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14:26 Fri, 21 Feb.
Chapter 102 A Rare Visitor
Who could possibly be looking for me here at the Crosses?
Charmaine stepped outside, her initial surprise turning quickly into indifference.
She scoffed. “Well, well, Mr. Milo, a rare visitor. What brings you here at such a late hour?”
Milo didn’t respond to her sarcastic tone. It bothered him, but he didn’t show it.
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He stepped forward, holding the box with both hands, his voice steady but heavy, “I came … to return what’s yours.”
He opened the box as he spoke.
Charmaine’s relaxed expression shifted immediately as she recognized the familiar items inside–the ones that had mysteriously disappeared over time. Her eyes froze, a chill creeping through her.
Her face darkened, piece by piece.
“Ha, so it really is … returning what’s mine.”
She released her tight grip and reached for the first item–a worn–out teddy bear. The stitching on its torn seams was clear.
“When I was little, I was the only one sleeping in the attic room. One spring, it rained every day, with thunder roaring, and I was terrified. I wanted to sleep in Bennett and Sophie’s room, but they wouldn’t let me. They locked me in the room alone. I remembered a fairy tale where you wouldn’t be afraid if you had a companion, so I cut a piece of the blanket, stuffed it with cotton, and made this little bear.”
Milo staggered slightly, the weight of the box feeling almost unbearable.
For a moment, it felt as though the box might burn through his chest. The heat from it seemed to sear him.
Charmaine pulled out a small card.
“Every time there was a parent–teacher meeting, no one ever came. Other kids would call me an orphan with no parents. They bullied me, looked down on me. It wasn’t until second grade that I made my first friend. She was the first one to play with me, do homework with me. But soon, she moved away, and before she left, she gave me a card with her new address and phone number, telling me to visit her. I was so afraid I’d lose it, so I carried it with me every day. But one day, the card was gone. That was when I realized I was alone again, with no friends.”
Then, Charmaine picked up an amulet, its runes faded and worn from years of use. “When I was about to start middle school, I fell ill–fever, rapid heartbeat, nothing worked. My grandmother, barely able to move, climbed up the mountain for an hour to the temple. She brought me this amulet …
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