Seeing the door open, Helena pushed Horace out of the way, hurried into the room, and looked around. Seeing that Laura was indeed here, Helena stepped forward hurriedly and shielded her.
“Clara, Laura didn’t mean it. Could you let her go, please?” Helena looked at Clara as she pleaded on Laura’s behalf.
Looking at the person standing in front of her with open arms, Laura couldn’t help but feel happy inside. Having been forced by Clara to tell what had happened back then, she had no hope of escaping, but what she hadn’t expected was that even God had helped her so much, and Helena had come at this time.
Immediately dumbfounded, Laura sobbed, “Aunt Helena… Aunt Helena… I…”
Heartbroken, Helena turned around and bent down to wipe Laura’s tears before taking her in her arms and comforting her with a choked voice, “It’s okay, Laura, it’s okay now, don’t be afraid. Aunt Helena is here. I will protect you and will never let anyone hurt you. ”
After coaxing Laura like a child, Helena turned to Clara and knelt, “Clara, it was Laura’s fault this time. I apologize for her. Please forgive her. Don’t take it personally, okay? Just think of it as Mum begging you.”
Hastily stepping forward to pull Helena up, Clara panicked at her sudden kneeling down, “Get up first. What are you doing?”
Taking Clara’s hand, Helena cried, “Clara, for my sake, will you let Laura go? She didn’t mean it. I apologize for her. I’m sorry. Clara, could you forgive her, huh? If you don’t, then I won’t get up.”
At Helena’s plea for mercy, Clara felt slightly confused while flustered. Helena didn’t know that Laura had helped Sean to kidnap Horace, so why did she ask for mercy?
After a quick flash of what happened earlier, Clara suddenly recalled the moment when she had said goodbye to Helena in the kitchen, and she had pulled her back and looked like she wanted to say something.
Suddenly figuring something out, Clara twitched her lips and looked at Helena in disbelief as she asked, “You knew Laura had drugged me during dinner, didn’t you?”
“She didn’t meant to!” Helena hurriedly spoke up, “Clara, Laura is too young. She doesn’t know better. It was just a prank.”
At Helena’s words, Clara didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh. A prank, how dare she say it was a prank! Did she not even have half a place in her heart?
Heartbroken, Clara’s whole body was suffused with sadness as she questioned Helena word for word.
“You found out Laura had drugged me when I was at your house for dinner, didn’t you? That’s why you stammered when I left; why didn’t you tell me immediately? Weren’t you at all worried about what would happen to me?”
“I… I wasn’t, Clara, I was just worried… I was worried…” Helena didn’t know how to answer Clara’s question. She could certainly feel Clara’s sadness, so how could she say something like she was worried about her getting back at Laura.
But even if she hadn’t said it, Clara could have guessed what she meant, and what else could it be but Laura.
“You were worried I would get back at Laura when I found out, weren’t you?” Clara asked with watery eyes.
Eyes filled with guilt, Helena said, “Clara, I know this is unfair to you. I should have told you then. I apologize, I’m sorry. It was my fault, it’s all my fault. If you’re angry, just take it out on me. Don’t take it out on Laura, okay?”
“Do you know what she drugged me with?” Clara raised her voice and shouted angrily, “You’re only worried about me dealing with her. Have you thought about what would have happened to me? If Horace hadn’t gotten me to the hospital in time, I could have been… been…”
Tears suddenly came to her eyes, and Clara was somewhat unable to speak. Time after time, Helena had chosen to sacrifice her between her and Laura. Even if she wasn’t her natural child, she had grown up under her watch; how could it be possible to ignore her like this in her heart?
Hearing Clara’s words, the guilt in Helena’s heart repeatedly piled up, and she even began to bow her head to Clara, crying as she did so, “Clara, it’s me who has wronged you. It’s all my fault, blame me, do whatever you want to do to me. Just have mercy and let Laura go, okay?”
Looking down at Helena’s white hair, Clara’s tears flowed even harder, and she hastily bent down to stop her movements, trying hard to help her up.
But Helena refused to get up, “Clara, promise me you’ll let Laura go. I won’t get up until you do. I’ll stay on my knees until you agree.”
Seeing this, Horace rushed forward to help her, as this was too much.
Seeing that Clara was only crying and holding her up but wouldn’t let go of her promise to forgive Laura, Helena turned to Horace and begged, “Horace, please help me persuade Clara. Will you ask her to forgive Laura?”
“Auntie, this is a very complicated matter; neither Clara nor I can forgive Laura; you’d better get up first.” As he pulled Helena up, Horace said, “Get up, and we’ll talk slowly.”
When she heard that Horace wouldn’t help, Helena knelt and refused to get up, “Just be kind and let her go; I promise, I’ll keep an eye on her from now on, and I won’t let her come between you two again. Just get on with your lives and don’t hold her accountable for her faults, okay?”
At these words, neither Horace nor Clara said anything. They just tried harder to help Helena up. Neither of them could forgive and spare Laura for what she had done over the years.
The two of them finally pulled Helena to the sofa and sat her down, but she still refused to give up, clinging to them and asking for forgiveness.
Seeing what was happening in front of her, Laura was anxious. Helena had already pleaded for her, but the two were still unwilling and seemed determined not to let go of her.
The more she thought about the consequences she might face; the more frightened Laura became. She won’t end up like Sean herself, will she? No, she wouldn’t! Her eyes flickered in panic as Laura’s mind raced with ideas of how to get out of the situation.
By the sofa, faced with Helena’s tearful plea, Clara was struggling for a way out when she suddenly heard Andre shout, “Laura, what are you trying to do?”