In love, Sheila Yardley felt sowhat insecure.
Because of her past, because she had a child out of wedlock.
So when Isaac Sheffield said he didn’t mind her past, she was truly grateful.
She even felt that soone like her didn’t deserve to be picky; it was already a blessing if soone wanted to marry her, so she shouldn’t ask for too much.
This was also what she told herself to calm her mind several tis when she thought about breaking up.
But the thought of enduring a lifeti like this after marriage seed unbearable.
Recently, she had a revelation: why not choose to continue living alone rather than marry a troubleso man?
She didn’t mind loneliness; it was more comfortable than settling.
She just hadn’t figured out or decided to bring up the breakup with Isaac Sheffield yet.
"Knock knock—"
The knocking on the door pulled Sheila Yardley’s thoughts back. She turned to look at the glass door, and her assistant pushed the door open and said, "Elaine, there’s a little girl downstairs looking for you. We thought she got separated from an adult, but she insists she knows you and says she ca specifically to find you."
Sheila Yardley was stunned for a mont, imdiately thinking of Peach.
She put down the brush in her hand and stood up, asking the assistant while walking out, "How old is the child?"
"She seems about four or five, still not speaking very clearly, but she’s quite clever, and I think she looks a lot like you."
Now Sheila Yardley was sure it was Peach. She quickened her pace toward downstairs, with the assistant following behind asking, "Is she a relative of yours?"
Sheila Yardley didn’t answer. Upon reaching downstairs, she saw Peach standing by the door with a SpongeBob backpack.
Several staff mbers surrounded her, worried that she was a lost child.
Peach was a rather timid child, usually too afraid to speak to strangers.
Now, surrounded and questioned by several older girls, she just stood there innocently and helplessly.
It wasn’t until she saw Sheila Yardley that a smile imdiately appeared on the child’s face, and she happily ran over, saying, "Elaine!"
Sheila Yardley squatted down to catch the rushing child, her eyes and tone full of worry and fear: "Where’s your dad? Did you co by yourself?"
Peach said a bit pitifully, "I sneaked out; Dad wouldn’t let co to see you."
Sheila Yardley stood up and, after telling her colleagues beside her, took Peach out of the company, to a dessert shop across the street.
"Peach, how did you know I was here?"
"Dad brought here before, but you weren’t around."
Sheila Yardley took a deep breath. Regardless of how Peach managed to find her alone, she felt it was too dangerous and was really scared; if anything had happened to Peach on the way, she might regret it for a lifeti.
"In the future, you can’t run around alone anymore. You need to listen to your dad, okay?" Sheila Yardley’s tone was a bit stern because of her worry.
Hearing this, Peach lowered her head, pouting and shedding tears, which made Sheila Yardley feel incredibly heartbroken. She imdiately held Peach in her arms: "Auntie is not mad at you; Auntie is just worried about you."
Sheila Yardley gently wiped the tears from Peach’s face. Seeing the child cry with grievance, her heart ached.
As the desserts arrived, Peach’s emotions sowhat stabilized, and Sheila Yardley softly asked, "So why did you co to find Auntie?"
Peach’s eyelashes were still wet, her little nose reddened from crying, and her appearance and tone carried a trace of pity: "I missed you, but Dad wouldn’t bring to see you, and he lied to ."
Hearing "I missed you," Sheila Yardley felt her heart lt. For a mont, she cautiously probed: "How did Dad lie to you?"
"During New Year, I said I wanted to see you, and he said you were busy and would take to see you in a couple of days. But every ti I asked, he said a couple of days, he just didn’t want to bring . He’s a big liar!"
Peach took a bite of the pastry in her hand and continued to complain, "He even made that thing in his phone, the one that could find you, disappear."
Hearing this, Sheila Yardley slightly frowned and sighed deeply.
WeChat was sothing she deleted first, and he probably uninstalled it later, which is why Peach couldn’t find her either.
"Does Dad know that you ca out?"
Peach shook her head.
Sheila Yardley didn’t doubt Caleb Grant’s love for Peach. With Peach missing, he was probably the most anxious one around.
So she took out her phone, found his number in the call log, and told Peach, "Call Dad and let him know you are with , or he’ll be worried about you."
However, Peach imdiately refused: "No! Don’t call Dad! If Dad knows I ca to see you, he’ll take back!"
Sheila Yardley understood that Caleb Grant only feared she would feel Peach visiting her was a bother, and didn’t prevent Peach from seeing her.
But Peach steadfastly believed her dad was hindering, refusing to make the call no matter what, so Sheila Yardley sent a brief ssage, concisely informing Caleb Grant: Peach ca to find .
"Ding dong!"
The reply from the phone ca imdiately: Where are you?
Given how quickly the ssage ca, it was apparent Caleb Grant was desperately searching for Peach at this very mont.
Sheila Yardley hesitated and replied: She’s okay, I’ll bring her to your company after lunch.
He didn’t pursue further, trusting her to spend ti with the child.
Sheila Yardley took Peach back to the studio. Because Peach always called her "sister," no one at the company thought Peach was her daughter.
Peach also loved drawing; Sheila Yardley gave her paper and watercolors, and the child sat obediently beside her, not causing any disturbance.
Only occasionally blurting out whimsical things, leaving Sheila Yardley sotis unsure of how to answer.
Looking at Peach like this, she marveled at the mystery of blood ties.
She didn’t accompany Peach’s growth, but Peach’s affection for her was extraordinarily strong.
Peach didn’t co specifically to be taken out to play; just like now, rely being in the sa space, seeing her by tilting her head made the child incredibly happy.
Just as Peach said, she simply missed her.
She was afraid of never seeing her again, which is why she bravely ventured out alone, feeling relieved once she found her, naturally lifting her spirits.
Seeing such an adorable daughter, Sheila Yardley really wanted to hear her call her mom.
Last ti, when Peach found her and pitifully asked if she could be her mom, she was tempted, but could only tell herself to remain rational.
At this mont, a bold and sowhat wild idea erged in her heart.
She wanted to negotiate with Caleb Grant, she wanted custody of Peach.
She didn’t want to marry Isaac Sheffield; she just wanted to spend the rest of her life with Peach alone.
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