Chapter 24
Charles clearly didn’t want her to have much contact with the children, so she needed to seize the opportunity to talk to them alone and let them know how much she loved them.
However, before she could reach the children’s bedroom door, she heard Cecilia’s soft voice coming from inside. “Mommy Ophelia, I had so much fun tonight. Can you pick us up after school tomorrow and take us out to play? I don’t want to come home and see that woman. She’s so annoying.”
Camilla’s entire body trembled violently.
Inside the room, Cecilia was lying on the bed, holding her phone and sending a voice message to Ophelia..
Lucius was playing Snake and, distracted by Cecilia’s words, his snake crashed into the wall.
GAME OVER.
He turned to Cecilia, his brow furrowed in a show of authority. “Cecilia, didn’t I tell you not to call Ophelia Mommy at home?”
Cecilia pouted unhappily, “That bad woman pulled out all the tulips that Mommy Ophelia loves the most. I don’t like her at all. I don’t want her to be my mom. I only like Mommy Ophelia.”
Seeing Lucius’s stern expression, Cecilia quickly got off the bed and walked over to him, hugging his arm playfully. “Lucius, who do you like more, that woman or Mommy Ophelia? Tell me. And don’t lie. The teacher said that children who lie aren’t good kids.”
Outside the door, Camilla’s heart leaped into her throat.
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Chapter 24
Lucius frowned in confusion.
He knew that Camilla was his mother, but over the past five years, it had been Ophelia who had been with them as a mother figure. She had even attended parent–child activities at the kindergarten with their father. Lucius had even called Ophelia Mommy like Cecilia did.
After a long hesitation, Lucius finally managed to say, “Ophelia is closer
to us.
Camilla heard every word clearly from outside the door. She closed her eyes in pain, feeling so heartbroken that she could barely stand.
After a moment, she steadied herself and walked over, deliberately knocking on the door with her white cane. “Lucius, Cecilia, may I come in?”
The door was slightly ajar, and it opened easily when she pushed it.
Camilla saw Cecilia immediately run to the bed and pull the covers over her head the moment she appeared, clearly not wanting to interact with her. Camilla felt a pang of disappointment.
Lucius looked at Camilla’s sudden appearance with evident unease. He clenched his fists, his big eyes shifting nervously. ‘Did this woman hear what I just said?‘ he wondered.
At five years old, his thoughts were written all over his face, easy to read.
Camilla naturally noticed Lucius’s guilt and softened her heart. She deliberately said, “My hearing hasn’t fully recovered yet. You’ll have to speak up for me to hear you.”
Hearing this, Lucius visibly relaxed. “Thank goodness she didn’t hear it,’ he thought. He jumped off the bed and walked slowly to Camilla.
Camilla longed to hold her boy in her arms, but she couldn’t, not yet. She
Chapter 24
couldn’t scare Lucius or let Charles find out anything was amiss.
“Lucius?” Camilla slowly squatted down, smiling at Lucius and asking cautiously, “May I give you a hug?”
Lucius looked at the woman who was both unfamiliar and familiar. He had seen her many times before, lying quietly in bed as if asleep, but she had never woken up.
Seeing that Lucius wasn’t moving, Camilla thought he didn’t want to get close to her and felt bitter and disappointed. Then she heard Lucius hesitantly ask in a soft voice, “Will you go to sleep again?”
Camilla was taken aback, and before she could respond, Lucius gently touched her face, as if to make sure she was real. Camilla almost cried.
“No,” she said firmly, pressing her face against Lucius’s hand to let him feel her presence. She made a serious promise. “I will never leave you again.”
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