“Mummy.. what took you so long to wake up” Sabrina uttered, her voice cracked from tears, her eyes watery as she held on to the neck of the pale-looking woman on the hospital bed. “I thought you weren’t coming back”
“I’m sorry, my baby. I’m here now and I’m not leaving you again” the woman replied, her voice hoarse and crispy due to dehydration. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared affectionately at the girl shaking in her weak arms. She had woken up after the impromptu operation which she had miraculously survived.
Sabrina raised her head to look at her mother. “Are you sure?.. you promise you won’t leave me again?” Her words were dripping with hurt that could make anybody who saw them now, feel pain in their heart. “Pinky promise?”
Penelope chuckled heartily, seeing her daughter’s funny expression, and replied. “Yes, dear. Pinky promise” she said as she watched her daughter entwine their little fingers to make the promise official.
“Mom..” Penelope shifted her gaze to the woman sitting on a chair beside her, the pale look in her eyes was a testament to how drained her life energy was. Penelope felt a huge pain claw at her heart as she gazed at the one woman who had been with her through thick and thin. “Mom.. thanks for taking very good care of Sabby for me”
“Nonsense” the woman retorted, exerting force on her voice to mask the weakness in it. “She’s my granddaughter who is very precious to me. I would have cherished her no matter the situation, so please, don’t thank me”
“I’m sorry, mom” Penelope apologized the moment she noticed the displeased expression on her mother’s face. She added, “You must be really tired. I’m sorry you had to pay for all my medical expenses through your teeth and I’m going to work hard to pay it back”
Her mother sighed deeply as she stared intently at her. “I didn’t pay a dime for your medical bills, it was your boss who paid for it.. even Sabrina and I never went hungry for a moment like we used to… They effortlessly funded everything we used since the time of your accident… You should thank them”
Intense guilt washed over Penelope’s heart as images of her boss and Isabelle’s face popped up in her head, making her feel a throbbing pain. She couldn’t even find words to respond to her mother. She knew they must have found out what had led to the accident, so she made up her mind not to see them, no matter how ungrateful she might seem. She just couldn’t bring herself to face the one man who had helped her and her family without asking for a penny in return, the same man she had betrayed.
“Mom…” Sabrina’s angelic voice halted her thoughts. “Aunty Isabelle hasn’t come to see me like she promised. Now that you’re awake, you could help me call her, right?”
“How did you guys know each other?” Penelope asked, baffled at the joyful glint in her daughter’s eyes when she mentioned Isabelle’s name.
“Well, she was here twice to see you with your boss. They bonded well together” Penelope’s mother answered in her granddaughter’s stead. “That lady helped cheer Sabby up”
Penelope was utterly stunned by the new revelation- Isabelle and Liam had not only paid her bills but had also visited her family. How could they be good a traitor?
“Mom.. will you do that for me?” Sabrina asked yelling, offended at the fact that her questions were being ignored.
Penelope quickly patted her back. “It’s fine, my dear. You’ll get to meet her again”
A knock on the door interrupted the serene moment. A lady slowly walked in, her face carrying an awkward expression on it. Her footsteps were sloppy as she walked further into the room amidst the pairs of scrutinizing gazes on her.
“Rachael” a gasp escaped from Penelope’s lips as she instantly recognized the lady that had walked in. Her gaze suddenly darkened at the assumption that Damien or Gina might have sent her. “What do you want?”
“Well, I came here to see you and….”
“Cut to the chase. Did your boss send you to me?” Penelope interjected the lady’s words, her tone very rude. “Do you still want to take away the second chance at life that I was given by the man you and your boss solely wanted to destroy?”
“Erm.. Sabrina, it’s almost lunchtime. Let’s go get something for mummy to eat” Penelope’s mother who had sensed the problem at hand, quickly carried Sabrina out of the room after giving them a final glance.
“Penelope, I wasn’t sent here by Damien. I came on my own” Gina replied, her voice low and her gaze pleading. “Please, just hear me out”
Penelope’s brow furrowed in suspicion. “You and I both know how close you are to your boss. How can you come here without his knowledge?”
“I did come here without him knowing. I came here because Mr. Callahan asked me to”Gina stated, her expression solemn. “I’ve switched sides”
“Impossible” Penelope exclaimed. “Are you trying to deceive me again?… I won’t fall for it”
“I’m serious, Penelope. Damien went too far with his actions, I can’t continue to help home destroy other people’s lives” Gina stated, her gaze flashing with guilt as she slouched onto the chair close to her. “Though I haven’t told Liam the whole truth, I intend on doing that together with you… You want to fight back, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Penelope scoffed, feigning ignorance. “I’m not hiding anything from him and I have no intentions of having my revenge”
Gina gazed at her for a while, deliberating on something. “You feel guilty for costing him something very important in his life?” She asked and Penelope’s widened eyes gave her the answer she needed, so she continued. “If you feel guilty, then you should find a means to amend your ways”
Penelope gritted her teeth in pain as tragic memories flashed through her head. “Even if I want to avenge myself, how do I get the power to fight against those two heartless people?”
“You can, Penelope” Rachael persisted, grabbing her hands. “You can have your revenge if you agree with me to join hands together with Liam. With him, we have nothing to fear. What do you say?”