He’s here to relive his memories? With his ex? I should’ve known…
Nicole’s initial joyful expression slipped away, and it was replaced with a dull look as she stared down at the wreath in her hands.
Wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes, Susan suggested, “Ms. Lane, let’s go see the children.”
“Yeah.” Nicole nodded and followed the other woman toward the rockery.
There was a pond beside the rockery. Susan watched the children playing gleefully with an intent expression on her face.
After a moment, Nina suddenly tripped on a pebble that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. She staggered a few steps before falling into the pond with a loud splash.
“Nina!” Susan screamed.
In the next instant, she leaped into the pond.
Evan came running over at the shout. When he saw the two struggling figures in the pond, he immediately jumped in to save them.
“Evan, save Nina first!”
The words had barely left Susan’s lips when Evan scooped Nina into his arms. He quickly swam toward the shoreline and placed his daughter down.
By the time he turned back to rescue Susan, she had already fallen unconscious from ingesting too much water.
He swiftly put her on the ground and started to perform CPR on her. Nicole and the children watched on worriedly from the sidelines. After several tries, water dribbled from Susan’s lips as she coughed violently.
Her eyelids fluttered open. The first thing out of her mouth was, “Evan, is Nina okay?” Her voice was very weak and her words were barely audible.
Evan’s expression was serious while confusion swirled in his gaze.
“Nina’s fine. Susan, why did you jump in when you don’t know how to swim?”
A wan smile curved her lips. “I was so worried I didn’t think about that. Nina is your child, which means she’s mine as well. When I saw her in danger, the only thing I could think of was rescuing her immediately!”
“Susan…”
Evan took off his own jacket and draped it across her drenched form. Then, he made a call to have someone bring over some clothes.
Susan leaned against his chest, a blissful smile on her face.
Standing off to the side, a bitter feeling encompassed Nicole.
The children are so lucky to have a stepmother who loves them so much. Evan is fortunate to have such a loving wife as well. They’re a true family in all the ways that matter; I’m just an outsider looking in. It’s about time I go my own way. Evan belongs to Susan so I shouldn’t be having such feelings for him… Nicole Lane, it’s time for you to wake up and accept reality. Go back and get married to Levant. You have your own life to live now.
Tears prickled at her eyes and she quickly lowered her face to hide them.
From where she was lying on the ground in Evan’s embrace, Susan saw all the emotions that flickered across Nicole’s face. A victorious grin bloomed on her pale face.
…
When they returned to Imperial Garden, Nicole began to plan her departure.
The children seemed incredibly reliant and attached to her, so outright bidding them goodbye would not work. She would have to leave stealthily.
After some thought, she decided the best time would be in the middle of the night while they were in deep slumber.
By the time they woke up in the morning, she would have been back in K Nation already.
“Mommy, what are you thinking about?”
Nina’s childish voice dragged Nicole out of her somber thoughts. She shook her head at the girl in response.
“Nothing much. Nina, your miniature mannequins are very pretty. Can I have one?” She wanted to keep it as a souvenir.
Nina thought about it for a few seconds before saying, “Those are all old ones. I’ll make a new one for you!”
“Okay!”
Nicole watched as Nina focused her attention on putting makeup on a new mannequin. Her lips turned upward in a small smile.
What a talented child. I wonder if she inherited it from Evan or her poor departed Mommy.
Noting how Nicole was staring off into space, Maya made up her mind. She would bring out some of her secret stash of snacks and share them with her mother.
“Thank you, Maya, but it’s okay. You should leave them for yourself to enjoy.”
Maya giggled and opened up her coat, revealing a huge hidden pocket sewn inside.
“I have a lot more snacks in here! You should have some!”
Nicole stared at the hidden pocket, dumbfounded. “Maya, when did you sew this hidden pocket?”
“When I was about to turn six years old. You sew it for me, Mommy! Now I’m seven!”
As she spoke, Maya lifted six of her chubby fingers before adding one more to make it seven.
