Chapter 003

“Yes ma’am. We have also brought the betrothal gifts. You can have a look. If you do not wish for your daughter to marry this quickly, they can get engaged first.”

Patricia Yalden snatched the thick dossier of property transfer documents that Mr. Zachary handed to her from his hand.

Mansions, luxury cars, luxury boats. All these were worth billions! Patricia’s eyes widened in astonishment, her heart about to jump out of her chest.

She took the opportunity to answer, “I, of course, agree immediately! Ruby, quick come over! You’re about to marry Clark Xavier!”

Ruby Young was dumbfounded. She thought that she had misheard her mother. Clark Xavier was the young master of the Xavier family. Everyone in the capital knew who he was!

Did he want to marry her?

Patricia tugged Ruby over and winked at her. “Ruby, what are you waiting for? Say yes!”

Ruby was drunk with ecstasy. She nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll marry him! I’m definitely marrying him!”

Mr. Zachary faintly smiled and said, “Since you have agreed, the young master will soon send people over to pick you up. He has some matters to deal with for the time being. For now, I will be in his stead. Do let me know if you need anything at all.”

“I will agree to anything as long as she marries Clark Xavier!”

After sending Mr. Zachary off, Ruby held onto Patricia Yalden’s arm. “Mommy! Can I really marry Clark Xavier? I-Isn’t that Regina’s address keychain?”

Patricia’s eyes gradually darkened. “Who’s Regina Young? This address keychain is yours. Regina Young was drunk and has killed someone. She’s rightfully thrown into prison now. The Young family has no such daughter.”

“Mommy, are you saying…”

“Go and prepare yourself. You’re about to enter the Xavier family and have a good life. Mommy will destroy all forms of evidence. As for Regina Young…” Patricia’s eyes narrowed in contempt.

“If she refuses to admit, we will strike her until she does.”

***

In the prison cell.

Someone kicked Regina Young’s chest aggressively. She rolled around the floor in pain. Her whole body was curled up into a ball as she vomited blood from the injuries.

“Aren’t you going to admit to your crime?! If you surrender, you will live a better life than this!”

Regina stayed determined and shouted, “It was not me… I did not hit anyone…”

“How stubborn. She still would not budge even after all those hits. What should we do?”

“Continue to bash her up. We’ve taken the money. We need to force her to confess.”

One of them took a rod and brought it down with a heavy blow onto her heel.

Crack! Her bones were broken from the smash.

“Ah!!”

Regina shrieked in pain and fainted. Immediately after, a bucket of ice-cold water was poured over her, abruptly waking her up.

She was surrounded by blood, and her thoughts were muddled. She was slipping in and out of consciousness. She knew she could not let her guard down even for a moment. Her future would be destroyed if she was to give in.

A phone was put to her face. Patricia’s frosty voice was heard. “Regina, just confess already. Don’t act strong.”

“It wasn’t me…”

“If you do not admit, we would have no choice but to stop your father’s medical treatment. I don’t have that much money to support a person in a vegetative state. You understand what I mean,” Patricia threatened.

“No! You cannot do that! Daddy will die!”

Her father was involved in a car accident three years ago, forcing him into a vegetative state, and had always only been lying in bed. If they stopped medical treatment, he would surely die!

“If you really love your father, then confess to your crimes. Or else, hell is the only place he will go.”

Regina’s last wall of defense crumbled at this point.

She gently closed her eyes and said faintly, “Yes. It was me who was involved in that hit-and-run…”

***

Six years later.

The woman who was bent over the patient’s bed had abruptly woken up. Her pillow drenched in a cold sweat.

She had another dream.

The dimly lit room was the perfect atmosphere to any nightmares. The man’s breathing caressing her ears, and the tattoo design deeply etched in her mind.

She then calmed down at the sight of the child who was in a deep sleep on the patient’s bed.

“Are you Felicity Young’s mother?”

A doctor’s voice was heard from the door.

Regina Young instantly stood up. Her right heel was permanently injured, causing her standing posture to look rather awkward.

“Yes, I am, doctor. What’s wrong?”

“Let’s discuss outside.”

Regina was startled at the doctor’s stern face.

“The bone examination results are out. I’m sorry, your marrow is not suitable,” the doctor told her regretfully.

Regina felt an unexplainable thud in her heart. Her eyes were red and rimmed with tears. The sorrow caused her to clench her fists and her lips to tremor. “How long more do we need to wait for a marrow donor? Is it a high possibility? You must save her, doctor!”

“I will try my best. Meanwhile, you need to prepare yourself for the worst. Other than that, it’s time to pay the medical fees.”

“Alright, I will pay as soon as possible. Thanks, doctor.”

Regina handed over her last wad of cash. Yet, it was still not enough to cover the expenses.

She had been in prison for a whole five years and could not find any decent jobs since she got out. Her earnings were pitiful, let alone to sustain Felice’s medical fee.

Regina unceasingly tried to cheer herself up. Felice still needed her. She cannot afford to fall apart.

Regina drew in a deep breath and went back into the patient room. Felice had woken up.

Felice gently called out for her, “Mommy.”

Regina quickly went to help her up. “Felice dear, have you woken up? Are you in pain anywhere?”

Felice shook her head and stretched out her arms. She cried out in her innocent voice, “I want a hug, Mommy. Mommy, please don’t leave me behind.”

Regina’s heart was wrenched. She hugged Felice tighter. “Mommy will not leave you. I will not leave you ever again.”

She held Felice’s frail, weak body in her arms, feeling crestfallen.

She found out that she was pregnant when she went to jail.

The judge had given her special permission to be locked up in the hospital until she had given birth. After this, she would have to continue to stay in prison.

The Young family had disowned her when she had gone to jail. Her daughter was sent to the orphanage since she had no other relatives.

Her daughter was the reason Regina persevered through her hard times in prison. When she was freed, the first thing she did was to look for Felice in the orphanage and care for her ever since.

Better days seemed far ahead when she found out that Felice had contracted leukemia. Regina’s world was about to crumble.

“Felice dear, wait for Mommy here. Mommy’s getting you some water.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

Regina was grateful to have such an obedient child like Felice. She went to get some water from the kettle.

Felice’s eyes trailed after her mother as she was walking away. She then crawled down the bed.

She had heard everything from the discussion between her mother and the doctor. Although she was very young, she understood that she was the cause of all her mother’s tears.

Her mother had cried too many times.

It was all her fault that she had poor health and became a burden to her mother.

Felice’s large eyes darkened as her small face was pale. She ran out of the room with her frail, thin legs. If her mother could not find her, then she would not cry anymore.