Stella looked terrifying.
After her tirade, she collapsed on the ground, convulsing and rolling her eyes back. Cameron rushed forward to hold her, repeatedly calling, “Mom, Mom…”
I rushed in regardless. I knew Stella was having another episode of her depression. After over a decade, her depression had developed to a point where any stimulus could trigger her, causing her to lose control mentally, scream, and potentially harm others, or even hurt herself.
Cameron, upon seeing me, was momentarily stunned. In the few seconds we locked eyes, I clearly saw the surprise, confusion, mixed with the embarrassment and anger of having his secret exposed.
“Why are you at the door?” he asked in a low and harsh tone.
I remained silent, kneeling down with both knees to provide a support for Stella lying on them.
“I’m asking you a question!” He forcefully grabbed my wrist. “How did you end up at the door? What did you hear?”
“Cameron!” I shook him off, quickly pulling out a handkerchief to stuff into Stella’s mouth, preventing her from biting her tongue. “Go call the doctor quickly!”
“Laura, answer me…”
“No time!” I shouted desperately. “Cameron, you don’t want anything to happen to your mom, right? Quickly… quickly, call the doctor!”
Cameron hesitated for a moment, then swiftly stood up and went to make the call.
…
Stella calmed down, her body somewhat stiff, lips turning purple, eyelids trembling slightly. Her face was alarmingly pale.
Tears welled up in my eyes involuntarily. I couldn’t tell if I was sad or scared. I summoned all my strength to carry her back to the bedroom, laying her gently on the bed.
The doctor arrived just in time, administered a sedative, and Mom fell into a stable sleep.
Sitting at the doorway, I waited until the doctors left, and Cameron’s footsteps stopped in front of me.
Slowly, he crouched down, staring at me intently.
I tried to find something different in his gaze, perhaps the conflicting tenderness I heard when he admitted liking me at the door. However, I failed miserably. I couldn’t see anything.
“Laura,” he spoke coldly. “What did you hear?”
Panic struck me, and I stood up, hurrying into Mom’s room without looking at him.
I knew he leaned against the door frame, watching me. He was angry… maybe he even wanted to reprimand me…
Indeed, he was such a proud person. How could someone easily penetrate the secrets buried in his heart?
However, there was still sweetness in my heart. For the first time, I tasted what it was like to like someone while being liked by that person.
“Let me take care of Mom, you go out,” I muttered.
“If you take care of Mom, what about Carter?”
“Aside from his mobility issues, Carter can manage everything else on his own. I don’t need to expend too much energy taking care of him, and I can handle it. You can rest assured.”
“What about you then?”
“Me?” My heart skipped a beat. There was some joy in my heart… What did he mean? Was he concerned about me, afraid that taking care of two patients would be too much for me, and that I would exhaust myself?
Unfortunately, I didn’t dare turn around, unable to see his eyes.
I tried to suppress the trembling in my voice. “I’m fine… I’m used to taking care of people. Besides, ever since I came to this family, every time Mom had an episode, wasn’t it always me taking care of her? I genuinely consider her my biological mother.”
“Cameron…” I spoke softly. “Actually, I want to atone.”
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent.
I could hear the pounding of my heart. I didn’t know if Cameron could understand the hidden meaning behind my words. I truly wanted to apologize to them for Anne’s incident, to repent. If it weren’t for my father, they would still be a harmonious family, and I wouldn’t be deeply immersed in this quagmire, encountering this man I both loved and hated.
Cameron’s footsteps gradually faded away. I sat by Stella’s bedside, recalling the scene of my first day at The Lynch Family. She held my hand, gently caressed my cheek, her eyes filled with urgency and an indescribable maternal love. “Laura… your name is Laura?” she softly said, “My daughter… Anne…”…
Later, it seemed like I fell asleep. The fifteen years living with The Lynch Family became a series of old black-and-white films, rapidly flashing through my mind…
Love, hatred, affection, enmity. The fleeting clouds dispersed, and Cameron’s face gradually became clear. I reached out to grab him, but my hand grabbed nothing, and my feet seemed to step into an abyss, plummeting rapidly…
“Ah!” I shouted, suddenly waking up, covered in cold sweat.
I opened my eyes and realized I was lying on a large bed.
I turned over and felt dizzy.
“Are you awake?” a deep voice came.
I lifted my head and met Cameron’s eyes. He sat by my bedside, watching me intently. I felt a bit uneasy and instinctively moved back. Suddenly I realized…
I was lying in his bed!
I was startled, threw back the covers, and tried to jump off. Cameron stopped me, pressing my shoulders to make me lean against the head of the bed.
“Cameron, are you crazy!” I hissed, “This is your room…”
“So what about my room?”
“I’m on your bed!”
“And then?”
He had no expression, looking indifferent, and his eyes contained things I couldn’t understand.
“And then…” I felt a bit timid, “Haven’t you thought about what if Carter sees it? He’ll…”
“It was him who asked me to bring you here,” he said casually.
“What?”
“You fainted,” he looked at me, “You’ve been taking care of Mom, not getting enough sleep for two nights, so you collapsed. Don’t you remember?”
I shook my head; indeed, I couldn’t recall. The last thing I remembered was sitting by Stella’s bedside, feeling a bit tired, and then having some strange dreams.
But why would Carter ask him to bring me here?
“These days, you didn’t go back to Carter, and no one changed the sheets on your bed,” Cameron said. “Carter was worried that you wouldn’t sleep comfortably, so he asked me to bring you to my bed first.”
“Laura,” he smiled with a hint of meaning, “your fainting really worried Carter.”
I sat up, said softly, “I know my body. It’s just lack of sleep, coupled with my hypoglycemia. I haven’t been eating and sleeping well these days, which led to fainting. It’s nothing serious.”
“You might think it’s nothing serious, but Carter doesn’t see it that way. He insists that our family is a burden to you.”
He chuckled, sat in front of me, and said, “Your good husband cares a lot about you.”
I pushed him away, feeling a bit awkward.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” He lifted my chin, “What, not satisfied with your husband? Don’t want him to be your husband anymore?”
“What are you up to, Cameron?”
“If you don’t want him, just get a divorce! But usually, when couples divorce, they exchange their marriage certificate for a divorce certificate. What about you two? By the way, do you have a marriage certificate? Apart from a wedding, what else do you have?”
I looked at him in confusion. Was he trying to trap me with his words?
“Cameron…” I took a deep breath, “If you have something to say, just say it.”
“That day outside the study, did you hear everything?”
I stared at him blankly for a moment, then forced a smile, “No…”
“You’ve been standing outside for quite a while, haven’t you?”
“Cameron, I swear I didn’t hear anything,” I said in a low voice.
I understood his thoughts. He didn’t want anyone to expose the secret in his heart.
But it’s okay; I know, and that’s enough. I know he likes me, and I like him. That’s sufficient. I’m content, no longer asking for anything more. This is already the greatest gift fate has given me.
“It’s best if you didn’t hear anything!” He bit out each word harshly, then released his grip.
I looked at him, his eyes fierce and icy, bearing no resemblance to the way he was in the study that day.
“Laura,” he stood up, looking down at me, “Even if you heard it, it doesn’t matter. It’s just those three words… I like you.”
I was startled, and my heart began to beat intensely.
“I like you,” he sneered, “stop dreaming!”
“Laura, how could I possibly have feelings for a woman who caused my sister’s death?”
“No, Cameron!” I panicked, “I didn’t cause Anne’s death!”
“Whether you’re involved in this or not, I will find out sooner or later!”
I crawled out of the bed and knelt down, wanting to grab his sleeve and tell him everything about what happened that year. This nightmare had haunted me for too many years, and I longed to be free.