Serena’s heart sank; she had never expected them to be so heartless this ti. They didn’t even consider her dignity in front of the staff; not a shred of respect was given!
"Serena, don’t be too down. Mr. and Mrs. Collins just want you to realize your mistakes and straighten up. Give it a few days, and they’ll cool off. Everything will be back to normal."
Serena knew it wouldn’t be that easy this ti, but she still managed a polite response, "Thanks, Betty. I’m okay. You’ve done a solid already. The gift was delivered; it’s their choice not to look at it or taste it. I was in the wrong from the start. It’s not on them. You’ve done a great job."
Betty felt so sorry for Serena. Mr. and Mrs. Collins had never treated her like this before, but all she could offer was a few words of comfort.
anwhile, Rosemary parked her car in the underground level of a sprawling shopping mall and took the elevator up to the ground floor.
Carol had been waiting there and upon she saw Rosemary, her face lit up with a radiant smile, "Rose, over here!"
"Carol, long ti no see," Rosemary was relieved to see her standing there, healthy and vibrant, a stark contrast to her previously frail appearance. She felt genuinely happy for her.
"It’s been ages since we caught up. I heard from your brother you’ve been overseas saving lives and back ho juggling work, barely touching the ground. Catching you for a mont seems like a feat,"
Carol said as she linked arms with Rosemary.
"I’m used to this jet-setting lifestyle. Where’s he?"
"I sent him packing. Didn’t want him to third-wheel our girls’ day out." Carol led Rosemary into a quaint flower shop next door, "I only found out later that Crystal loved ice-blue roses."
The florist greeted Carol with familiarity and quickly apologized, "Sorry, we’re out of ice-blue roses today. They’ve all been snapped up."
"Not even a single one?" Carol had hoped to buy so to join Rosemary in paying tribute to Crystal.
"Afraid not. That couple just cleared us out."
The couple at the counter turned around after paying the bills, the man holding a lavish bunch of ice-blue roses. Upon seeing Rosemary and Carol, the couple seed taken aback, probably not expecting to run into them there.
"Mr. And Mrs. Temple," Rosemary greeted first. They looked a few years older, perhaps burdened by bad news, their usual vitality seemingly dimd.
Alger and Celeste couldn’t help but reminisce about the past when they ran into Rosemary, who had once been their daughter Crystal’s lifesaver. They rembered how Rosemary had fought tirelessly for hours on end in the operating room to save her.
"Rose." Celeste greeted her warmly with a nod, before turning to Carol, "Carol, are you here to buy flowers too?"
Rosemary was surprised to hear Celeste call Carol by her first na, speaking with the kind of tender concern usually reserved for soone much younger.
Back in the day, Alger and Celeste believed that Carol was responsible for their daughter’s death. They harbored imnse hostility towards her, treating her no better than an enemy. To think that now, their relationship had thawed to such an extent was baffling.
Although confused, Rosemary didn’t want to reignite any past animosity, so she quickly added, "The holidays are just around the corner, and New Year is only few days away. Carol asked out to pick
so flowers for visiting Crystal’s grave, and to choose so New Year’s gifts for you both."
Upon hearing this, Alger and Celeste looked at Carol with surprise. Celeste even went so far as to say,
"That’s very thoughtful of you, but there’s no need for flowers or gifts. Why don’t you co over for dinner soti instead?"
Rosemary was even more startled. Celeste was inviting Carol over for dinner? And during such an important holiday as New Year. What exactly had happened during Rosemary’s absence abroad?
"I’ll co with Clark, and we’ll let you know in advance which day, Aunt Celeste, Uncle Alger."
Carol’s way of addressing them baffled Rosemary even further. Was there really a blood relation there, or had they co to regard each other as family?
"Alright then, we’ll head off to visit Crystal now. Take your ti here," Celeste’s deanor was a far cry from the aggressive stance she once held. She nodded gently and, along with her husband, walked away.
Once they were gone, Carol picked out a bouquet of white roses and, linking arms with Rosemary, left the flower shop. As they walked, Carol began to explain, "Surprised I call them aunt and uncle? I didn’t find out until after I was reunited with my biological family. It turns out my late mom was her younger sister. By family hierarchy, I should indeed call her ’aunt.’"
Rosemary was stunned, yet sohow it felt as if the universe had its own plans. Heaven had taken Crystal but hadn’t left her parents alone and desolate. Instead, Carol was brought into their lives.
"Do you rember that story my brother once told you, about when we got lost as kids?" Carol recounted, "I only found out later that the day we were separated was Crystal’s birthday. My aunt had invited our family to the amusent park to celebrate. It was crowded that day, and shortly after we arrived, my mom received a call that my aunt and uncle had been in a car accident."
Carol detailed what happened, "My mom was frantic. She told my dad to watch us and ran to help. The accident was near the amusent park, and the woman who hit my aunt and uncle was in a panic, apologizing profusely and insisting on taking them to the hospital. They were injured, so my mom decided to go with them. Tragically, on the way, a truck swerved into their lane and accelerated. The woman driving was either too scared to react properly or sothing else happened, but she died instantly. My mom, who was sitting directly behind the driver, realized what was happening and shielded my aunt, protecting Crystal in her arms. After that, my mom was on death’s door and ended up with a lifelong disability, unable to walk. My brother and I were separated that day - I ended up in an orphanage, while he was taken by traffickers and sold to a family in a remote village. You know the rest."
Rosemary sighed by the tale, which she had never fully known before.
"My mom spent years searching for us but never succeeded. In the end, she died of illness." Carol’s eyes dimd as she spoke, "All these years, my aunt felt she owed my mom her life. If it hadn’t been
for her invitation, if my mom hadn’t been rushing them to the hospital, if she hadn’t been there to hold my aunt and protect Crystal during the crash. They say the steel rod from the truck pierced my mom’s
back and legs."
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