“I’m not interested in your romantic history with other men. If you’re worried that I’ll tell Evelyn, you’re thinking too much. Evelyn is neither my relative nor my friend. I have no obligation to warn her, and I certainly don’t want to trouble myself.”
Isabella’s gaze remained on the script, her tone neither warm nor cold.
For her, as long as Victoria didn’t cause trouble for her, she couldn’t be bothered whether Victoria was someone’s mistress or something else.
As for Evelyn, if she ended up being cheated on, it was her own misfortune. Isabella had no obligation to warn her. Besides, even if she did offer a warning, Evelyn might not believe it.
“If you have nothing else, you can leave. Don’t delay me from reading the script.” Seeing Victoria still sitting without moving, Isabella coldly issued the dismissal.
Victoria’s expression was incredibly awkward. She stood up from the sofa slowly, forced a smile, and said, “Isabella, regardless of anything, we are sisters. Although we have some minor conflicts, I believe that you won’t help outsiders sabotage your own family. Besides, Evelyn is just a girlfriend given to Caleb by the family. We are the ones who truly love each other. I know what we’re doing might be wrong, but I really can’t help it…”
Before Victoria could finish, Isabella’s gaze suddenly shifted, cold and piercing.
“Can’t help it? Your mother said the same thing to my mom back then. She said she couldn’t help herself with my dad. Later, Emily told me the same thing-she couldn’t help herself with James. And now, you’re telling me that you can’t help yourself with Evelyn’s boyfriend. The despicable actions of mistress are all masked by this ‘can’t help it.’ This phrase is indeed quite handy.”
Isabella sneered coldly.
Victoria stared at her intensely, her face becoming colder and more unpleasant.
“Evelyn’s father is the vice mayor in charge of construction. Caleb being with her is just a matter of interest. The person he truly likes, loves, is me. I don’t care what you think, or what others think. My love with Caleb is innocent.”
“Is that so?” Isabella disdainfully chuckled. “Since you’re so confident, you shouldn’t mind if I make your love affair public, right?”
“You dare!” Victoria suddenly became anxious. “Isabella, I warn you. Be careful with your words. Don’t let trouble come out of your mouth. The Mitchell family’s status in Ithaca town should be clear to you. As one of the four major families, it’s not something you can afford to offend. Besides, Dad knows about Caleb and me secretly dating. If you dare to ruin my good thing, Dad won’t let you off.”
Listening to Victoria’s arrogant departure, Isabella’s lips curled into a cold smile.
Was this supposed to be a threat?
With David backing Victoria, it was no wonder the mistress acted so confidently.
“David,” Isabella sneered, silently repeating the name.
A deputy mayor, in order to cozy up to the top four families, actually let his daughter be a mistress. Truly disgraceful.
——-
“The Mermaid Princess,” this movie, took nearly half a year to shoot from start to finish.
When the crew disbanded, Isabella couldn’t help but feel a bit reluctant.
However, all good things must come to an end. She was philosophical about the separation and moved on.
After leaving the crew, she instructed Olivia to send her luggage back home and went alone to the hospital.
In the hospital room,
Eleanor was sitting by the window in a rocking chair, basking in the sunlight. Her complexion seemed much better than before. However, the doctor had reminded Isabella that all the treatments her mother was receiving were only addressing the symptoms, not the root cause, and he hoped she could convince Eleanor to undergo surgery as soon as possible.
“Mom,” Isabella walked in, holding a thick stack of books in her arms.
Eleanor’s originally lifeless face brightened with a gentle smile when she saw Isabella. “I don’t know what you’re busy with all the time. It’s been almost half a year without seeing a trace of you. I suspect that one day, when I die, you might not even make it in time to see me for the last time.”
“Mom, why talk about such ominous things.” Isabella walked to Eleanor’s side, carefully supporting her, and returned to the bed.
“Recently, the work at the TV station has kept me busy. I really couldn’t find the time.” Isabella casually explained.
Eleanor always thought she was interning at the TV station, and Isabella didn’t want her to worry. Sometimes, well-intentioned lies were necessary.
Eleanor sat half-leaning on the bed. Tilting her head to the side, she noticed a pile of books on the bedside table that Isabella had just brought in.
She picked up one casually, only to find it was a book of fairy tales.
“Why did you bring these? Trying to cajole your mom like a child?” Eleanor chuckled lightly.
Isabella sat down by the bedside, her head resting lightly on her mother’s thigh, one hand dragging her cheek. “Mom, you don’t remember, do you? These are the books you used to tell me when I was little. I specifically had Ava dig them out of the storage room.”
“What’s the point of digging these out? You always like to mess around. You’re so grown up now; do you still need your mom to tell you fairy tales?” Eleanor’s palm gently stroked her daughter’s soft long hair, just like when she was a child.
“Even if I’m eighty years old, I’m still a child in front of Mom.” Isabella tilted her little face, coquettishly saying. She opened another fairy tale book and stuffed it into Eleanor’s hands.
“Mom, I still want to hear you tell me stories.”
Isabella lay on her mother, blinking her bright eyes, full of anticipation.
Eleanor, helplessly smiling, reached out and flipped through the book. Like in the old days, she began to tell a story. “Once upon a time, there was a little girl. Her mother fell seriously ill and passed away soon after. The girl’s father married a new wife and brought two daughters. The stepmother forced the girl to do chores every day…”
Isabella lay on her mother, listening to her gentle and sweet voice, feeling a drowsy sensation.
In a trance, it seemed like she had returned to her childhood. She loved nestling in her mom’s arms, listening to her mother tell stories until she fell asleep.
“From then on, the prince and Cinderella lived a happy life together…” After finishing the story of “Cinderella,” Eleanor slowly closed the book.
Isabella raised her chin, pouting her red lips slightly.
“The prince and Cinderella lived happily ever after. It sounds so beautiful. No wonder every girl wants to be Cinderella,” she sighed.
Eleanor smiled slightly, indulgently reaching out and rubbing her head, “Yes, because Cinderella can meet the prince.”
“What’s good about meeting the prince? Besides, the prince may not be reliable. Moreover, Cinderella has no mother, living under the watchful eyes of the stepmother, how pitiful.” She blinked her big watery eyes, saying pitifully.
Eleanor’s warm smile gradually disappeared from her face, and her complexion became paler. “Is Charlotte troubling you? If you’re unhappy living there, move out. Fortunately, you’re already an adult.”
But Isabella held onto her mother’s hand, gripping it tightly. “No! That is our home, the house Grandpa left us. If anyone should move, it should be them. Mom, when you get better, I’ll take you home, okay?”
“Okay.” Eleanor smiled and nodded.
“Mom, the doctor said that as long as you have the surgery, your illness will get better soon.”
Eleanor looked at her, with a warm gaze but remained silent for a short while.
Isabella went through such a big circle just to persuade her to have the surgery.
Eleanor couldn’t help but sigh. They say silence is better than words, and now, for her, being alive or dead really didn’t make much difference. So, Eleanor was not willing to suffer on the operating table again.
But Isabella, her daughter, was the only one she couldn’t let go of.