I frightened myself, pulling back my thoughts, yet sinking into deep guilt and self-blame.
I dared not admit that I actually liked Cameron. I had liked him since I was a child, captivated by him from the moment I first saw him.
But I deliberately kept my distance.
After all, I was his brother’s wife.
And, I had already hurt Carter once; I couldn’t hurt him a second time.
…
One day, after breakfast, I took Carter for a walk in the yard, as usual. On our way back, passing by the study, Cameron suddenly leaned out and called me, “About that press releases, can we discuss it when you have time?”
I lowered my head in silence, but Carter smiled and answered for me, “Cameron, isn’t Laura very capable? How does she compare to those who are responsible for the press releases in the company?”
“Those people in the company can’t be compared to her.” Cameron smiled, his gaze complex.
My heart trembled, I gripped the wheelchair handles, intended to push Carter into the room. But at that moment, Cameron spoke again, “Laura!”
“Is there something else?” I asked softly without turning around.
“Well… thank you. I mean… thank you for bringing back the washed clothes for me and hanging them neatly in the wardrobe. The company has been busy these days, with one meeting after another. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had any clothes to change into.”
“You’re welcome,” feeling guilty, I tried to prevent Carter from overhearing and getting any wrong ideas, “We grew up together, and now I’m your sister-in-law. It’s something I should do.”
“Thank you, Laura.”
Those words suddenly pierced my heart. I quickly turned away, pushing Carter into the room.
I didn’t want to go to the study, but Carter kept urging me, asking why I hadn’t gone.
Reluctantly, I walked to the door of the study. Just as I was about to knock, I heard intense arguing from inside.
“… I want you to tell me the truth. How did Carter get injured? How did he lose his memory? Answer me!”
I shuddered, recognizing Stella’s voice! Cameron remained silent for a long time.
The study door was slightly ajar, and I leaned in, bending down to peer through the crack.
Cameron sat behind the desk, head lowered, a nearly extinguished cigarette between his fingers. He took a deep drag, then absentmindedly flipped through the papers on the table, crushing the cigarette butt into the ashtray.
Stella stood opposite him, impatiently watching, occasionally waving her hand in front of her face to disperse the thick smell of nicotine.
“All you know is smoking!” When Cameron reached for another cigarette, she slapped the lighter out of his hand.
Her face was pale, and anger distorted her usually gentle features. Honestly, I had never seen her be such angry before. In my impression, Stella was a woman of few words and gentle demeanor, a dedicated mother.
“Cameron!” She slammed the table, furious, “You never smoked before… is it all for that woman? Did you pick up these bad habits because of her?”
That woman? My heart instantly tightened.
Cameron lifted his head slightly, his cold gaze confronting his mother. After a long pause, he spoke softly, “She’s not called ‘that woman’; she has a name. Her name is Laura.”
I widened my eyes, covered my mouth, My heart was pounding fast.
“Laura…” Stella sneered, “You shouldn’t have taken pity on her back then! Weren’t you always suspicious of her involvement in your sister’s death? Have you investigated? What were the results of your investigation?”
“Mom, I’m still investigating, but things haven’t become clear yet…”
“When will things finally become clear?” Stella was getting agitated.
She clutched her chest, slowly sitting on the sofa, her expression pained and distorted.
“Cameron… All these years, I have been tormented enough by Anne’s death…”
“Mom…”
“But what about Laura!” she yelled, “She took Anne’s place, enjoying what Anne should have enjoyed! Yes… all these years, I wanted to treat her like my own daughter, I wanted to love and cherish her, but she’s not my daughter after all… I can’t do it, I really can’t!”
My legs went weak, and I knelt on the ground, my mind blank.
In that moment, it felt like my heart was being sliced with a knife.
For so many years, I considered her my biological mother because I didn’t have one, and fate led me into this family. I longed for the warmth of maternal love. I respected her, loved her, and blamed myself for her depression. Every time she fell ill, I tirelessly took care of her.
I hoped my efforts could somehow compensate for the pain of losing her daughter.
But I was too naive. She hated me. She resented me for taking everything that rightfully belonged to her daughter. Moreover, her hatred towards me was no less than Cameron’s.
And this fact, I only heard today with my own ears.
Tears rolled down Stella’s cheeks, her voice trembling, “Cameron, tell me… what is your relationship with that woman!”
Cameron remained silent, and in the dead silence, Stella’s sobbing became even more abrupt. He walked over and gently patted his mother’s shoulder. From a distance, I noticed his eyes were slightly red.
“Mom,” he finally spoke, “I’ve told you, she has a name… her name is Laura.”
“What is your relationship with her?”
“I like her.”
The simple words exploded in my ears. My heart felt as if it had been struck by something heavy.
“I like her.” Cameron interlocked his hands and nervously rubbed them together, a habit he only had when he was anxious.
“You like her?” Stella looked up, “Besides liking her, is there anything else between you two?”
“Everything that should have happened has happened, and not just once.”
Stella delivered a resounding slap across Cameron’s face. Still unsatisfied, she grabbed his hair, striking the other side of his face. She then overturned everything on the table onto the floor. Cameron silently endured it all, his expression was unwavering.
When Stella had vented enough and sat on the side, panting with anger, Cameron turned around and spoke softly, “I just like her, Mom. I don’t want to get engaged to Queenie…”
“You asshole!!” Stella erupted into hysteria.
“You like her? What about Carter? She’s Carter’s wife now! You don’t want to get engaged to Queenie? Have you thought about how this will offend The Scott family? We lose an ally and gain an enemy. What about your father?”
Cameron raised his eyes, speaking in a quiet voice, “Mom, The Scott family has never been our ally. Even if I marry Queenie, someday they might become our enemies for their own interests. Such opportunistic behavior is not uncommon in the business world, and Dad has probably seen it all!”
“As for Carter… he and Laura had just held a wedding ceremony. They don’t even have a marriage certificate. What kind of husband and wife are they?”
I listened in shock, my heart pounding, almost letting out an involuntary cry. Before the wedding, people from The Lynch Family informed me that due to Carter’s health, they took care of the marriage registration through their connections at the civil affairs bureau. Now I realized that The Lynch Family didn’t do it, that Carter and I didn’t have a marriage certificate, and that we weren’t legally married!
I felt a sense of being deceived, but at the same time, it seemed like a heavy stone had been lifted from my chest. Fresh air rushed into my lungs, and suddenly, the whole world felt clearer.
“Even if they haven’t registered, they’ve had a wedding. In the eyes of the world, they are a married couple!” Stella sternly remarked.
“Cameron, you’re being foolish!… With your status and position, you could have any woman you want. Why did you have to go and mess with her?”
Cameron took a deep breath, choosing not to argue.
I hid by the door, tears quietly streaming down my face. At this moment, I had to face my true feelings. I liked him too, enjoyed his dominance over me, and was drawn to his aloofness. I wanted to spend my life with him. I now understood that each time he tortured me, the fleeting tenderness and pity in his eyes were not my imagination.
Suddenly, a sharp, shattering sound echoed from the study, as if glassware had been dropped.
Following that was Stella’s hoarse and desperate scream.
I trembled in fear, crouching by the door to witness the scene. Stella’s face turned as white as paper. Her hands and feet seemed uncontrollable, knocking over things in the study. She cried and shouted while throwing and breaking objects, “It’s a curse! I’ve lost my daughter… Why does my son have to be enticed by someone…”
“No… no! Cameron… You can’t. If you steal Carter’s wife, you’ll be condemned, ridiculed… Your father won’t agree, and Carter won’t let you go! No…”