Just as Garvit was confused and unsure, Julissa had already started to cry. "Do you think I don't want to leave with you? Do you think I want to stay here? Don't you know, to be with you, l've become the target of everyone's criticism in this house. Everyone's watching me, don't you know this?"
Seeing this, Garvit felt his heart soften, and his tone of voice became much more gentle as he approached her, trying to embrace her. "Julissa..." "Don't touch me!" Julissa yelled. "If anyone here sees us, l'l be worse off Garvit, I'm beginning to doubt whether you truly love me." Garvit's heart skipped a beat.
"How could you think that?" "I've been living a hellish life in this house, but everything you've asked me to do has only made my position here worse..." Garvit hastily replied, "How could you think that? I love you so much.
Everything I do is for your own good!"
"Really?" Julissa looked at him. Her gaze quickly lowered, masking the hatred in her eyes. "Perhaps I've overthought it." "Of course, you're overthinking. I'm not like Cerillo. All he does is hurt you," Garvit hurriedly soothed her, "Julissa, in this world, no one else loves you other than me! I misunderstood you today. I apologize, so don't be mad, okay?"
Saying so, he tried to approach her and hold her in his arms. Julissa quickly dodged his embrace, and Garvit did not even manage to touch the hem of her clothing. "There are too many eyes here. You'd better leave first. It won't be good if anyone sees us." Julissa's voice was sorrowful, causing Garvit to feel a pang of sympathy. "Julissa, I promise you. Once I defeat Cerillo, I'll officially make you my wife. I'll love you for the rest of my life! I promise!"
In Julissa's eyes, there was a glint of sarcasm. In her past life, it was precisely because she believed in such nonsense from him that she made one mistake after another, finally stepping into an abyss of no return.
She quickened her pace, swiftly leaving Garvit's line of sight. Unexpectedly, as soon she turned the corner, she bumped straight into a towering figure. The figure was dressed in dark clothes, emitting a faint scent of pine. Just as Julissa caught a whiff, her heart thumped violently. She looked up, only to see a pair of coldly piercing eyes, as if she had inadvertently walked into a deep, dark chasm.
The moment she raised her head, Cerillo seemed to see a flash of mockery directed at Garvit from her face. Was it his imagination?
However, in the very next moment, he saw a flicker of alarm cross her face. A fire of anger rose within him! Was she really that scared of him? Or was her guilty conscience at fault here? Just as she was trying to escape, Cerillo clasped onto her arm. Julissa felt a thud in her heart as the overwhelming pressure from Cerillo invaded her.
She stiffened and quickly explained, "He approached me first. I have no interest in getting entangled with him!" "Hmph..." Cerillo glared at her with a sinister look. "Do you take me as a deaf, blind man?" His strength was overwhelming. Julissa struggled for a bit but could not pull her hand back. She took a deep breath and looked at him. Meeting her gaze, Cerillo faltered slightly. Those eyes... They were exceptionally clear. There was no disgust, rejection, or even hatred as she had imagined.
She now seemed calm as she said, "Cerillo, believe it or not, I'm staying for the sake of Harley. From now on, I'll try to keep my distance from Garvit." Cerillo seemed to have heard some kind of joke. When Harley was just born, she could not wait to strangle him.
He was already three years old. Over these three years, she had treated Harley like an old, worn-out shoe. Only when the family paid her money to play the role of a good mother would she reveal a slight smile to Harley.
For Harley? Cerillo said nothing, but the mockery in his eyes was like a slap on Julissa's face. Julissa knew she had been horrible in the past, and no matter how much she said, he would not believe her. However, she pursed her lips and softly added, "I won't leave. I want to be there as Harley grows up."
"Enough, stop acting." Cerillo flung her hand away and spat in repulse, "Disgusting!" Julissa's heart seemed to be pricked.
"Go!" Julissa no longer humiliated herself and quickly left. Cerillo stared at her retreating figure, but in front of his eyes, he seemed to see her gaze just then. The long-lost clear calmness made his heart restless... Julissa returned to her room. Looking at the familiar decor, she invariably felt the urge to cry. Finally, she had returned... While taking a bath, Julissa reviewed her recent experiences. As soon as her right hand touched the water, a stinging pain ensued. It was the aftermath of the handcuffs. Having grown up in an orphanage, she picked up minor pilfering skills, lock-picking included.
To avoid suspicion, she never disclosed this skill to anyone. She forcibly dragged her cuffed hands and managed to get a hairpin. The abrasions and bruises on her arms were the result of obtaining the hairpin. Then, it was worsened by Cerillo, who firmly gripped her hand during the banquet. The compounded bruise became exponentially more painful.
After bathing, she found the room door was ajar. Julissa was startled. She looked toward the doorway. A little boy was standing there, scanning around curiously. Upon sensing Julissa's gaze, Harley looked at her with traces of anticipation, but he dared not approach her rashly. He feared his mother might be enraged. His mother did not like seeing him. How could Julissa not understand her own son's thoughts? She smiled and beckoned him, "Come over."
Harley's eyes brightened. His mother did not chase him away! The little boy immediately ran toward Julissa and hugged her thigh.
Harley had just taken a bath, and his body smelled nice and soft. Julissa bent over and picked Harley up, whose eyes were shining brightly. He hugged her neck with contentment and said in a childlike voice, "Mommy, you're nice today."
Julissa patted his little head. "I won't be mean to you anymore, okay?" Harley's cheeks blushed happily. He nodded at Julissa and then cautiously asked in a cooing voice,
"Mommy, can I sleep with you?" Julissa felt even more guilty.
How much of a jerk must she have been in the past that even such a small request had to be asked with caution? She nodded, carrying Harley to the bed. "Shall I tell you a bedtime story?" Harley nodded in excitement. His mother was really different now. The previous version of his mother would only tell him to get lost, pinch his neck, and yell at him as a little b*stard, cursing him to die. Harley felt like he was dreaming.
He embraced Julissa tightly with both hands, fearing she might slip away when he was not paying attention.