Chapter 100

100 100. Meeting with Mrs. Decker

Lea was very upset to find her sister waiting for her at the door. She then took Sarah as a passing breeze and headed straight for the kitchen to make hot chocolate.

“Lea, we are no longer children. Stop acting like this,” Sarah warned her sister.

“Maybe I am childish, but at least I am not violating anyone’s rights,” Lea replied, irritably stirring the cup filled with chocolate and hot milk. “Just do your tasks. Don’t fail this semester. It will hurt our financial situation even more.”

“Lea, I’m sorry! You know I’m doing this for our mother,” Sarah argued in a raised voice, very likely to be heard by their sleeping siblings.

Lea stopped stirring the hot chocolate and milk in her cup. Her face turned to Sarah with a stiff look. “Then, do you think I don’t care about mom?” Lea asked, glaring at her little sister. She didn’t want to be belittled by Sarah.

Sarah’s face tensed up. “I know you’re trying too. But, don’t be offended if I say that you lack courage.”

“We try our best,” whispered Lea, barely audible. “In a different way.”

“Huh, even though you didn’t even want to borrow money from William if I didn’t ask you to,” Sarah sneered, annoyingly.

“I’ve been trying to think of the best way! Don’t judge me!”

.....

“Just because you’re older doesn’t mean I won’t judge you,” Sarah said again. She felt that her sister was indeed childish and slow to make decisions. “From the beginning, you did not understand what priority meant. That’s why you still think long and hard even though your mother’s life is at stake.”

“Sarah! How dare you!”

“Then what do you do as a good person? Did you borrow money from William? Or his wealthy family?” Sarah asked, her voice rising. Her eyes, which were red because of sleepiness, were now red with anger. “Why don’t you try to borrow some money from William’s wife? She took your man. At least, she must be willing to lend you some money, right?”

There was silence because Lea didn’t want to answer Sarah’s question. She didn’t know what to do back then.

“You don’t even want to take risks by borrowing money from loan sharks,” Sarah added. She then took an empty glass and filled it with tap water. She gulped a few times to calm her emotions.

Sarah pulled up a chair, then sat down to extinguish the burning in her chest. “When I found out that it was Mrs. Decker who mistook me for you, I assumed it was an answer from God. A miracle.”

“Don’t bring God’s name with your criminal act!” Lea snapped. Sarah was too holy to think she was a saint who was given a miracle to save her mother.

Sarah snorted in annoyance. One corner of her lips curved upwards, sneering at Lea’s act of pretense. “If only you were kidnapped and brought before Mrs. Decker, I knew you would refuse her offers. That is why I have decided to carry out this pact on your behalf.”

Lea took a sip of the hot chocolate in her hand, staring blankly at the air before her. Indeed, she admitted everything Sarah said was the truth. She would definitely reject such an agreement.

“Look! You don’t really want that child in your womb, do you?” Sarah asked curtly. “Don’t tell me that you never thought of aborting the baby to chase after William. I know who you are.”

“Whether I want it or not, this is still my baby, my own flesh and blood,” Lea turned, looking at anything but Sarah.

Sarah smiled wryly. “Who is more important to you? Your mom or your bastard?”

“My baby is not a bastard!” Lea snapped, her hand rising, ready to slap Sarah again. However, this time Sarah fended it off because she had predicted Lea’s actions when her child was called a bastard.

Lea bit her lip furiously. Sarah didn’t know how to be a mother. How could she say such a cold statement?

“One day you will definitely know what it’s like to be a mother and how you just don’t want to let it go!”

Lea stood up from the table, carrying her hot chocolate into the room. She locked the door to make sure Sarah didn’t barge in. She had made a unanimous decision. She didn’t want to give up her baby to be given to someone else.

***

The next day, Lea left the room to make her sisters an omelet and bacon. Her face was very cheerful, not showing the slightest bit of anxiety. Sarah felt very suspicious but she didn’t say anything. For her, it was enough if Lea was willing to leave the room as usual instead of locking herself up like two days ago.

Sometime later, after everyone left for their schools, Lea immediately tidied herself up. She immediately ordered an Uber to meet Mrs. Decker. She had made an appointment with Clara’s mother. As soon as Linda heard Lea’s name, no matter how sudden it was, Linda Decker immediately made time.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Decker!” said Lea with a polite smiling face. “Thank you for making time for me.”

Linda looked taken aback, squinting a few times to confirm her view. She wasn’t sure if her eyes were correct. However, why did the woman before her look different from the woman she had spoken to a few days ago?

“Lea Kane?” asked Linda to make sure again.

“That’s right, I’m Lea Kane,” Lea replied, still standing over Linda.

Linda shook her head and laughed confusedly. “Is it because you wear different clothes?” asked Linda, trying to analyze the situation. “I think you look more mature than when we first met.”

Lea then said, “This is our first meeting.”

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

Lea smiled lightly. “Do you mean when you kidnapped my sister and asked her to sign this agreement?”

Linda looked even more confused. “Pardon?”

With a sigh, Lea then said, “I’m sorry I have to say this. The one you kidnapped back then was Sarah. My sister. Not me.” Lea then opened her wallet and showed her photo together with Sarah.

Linda’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You and your sister?”

Lea nodded weakly. “The two of us looked alike. People often get the wrong idea. Especially people who are seeing us for the first time.”

Linda looked dazed, she shook her head, feeling that Lea’s words were not true. However, it was an obvious truth.

“So I asked the wrong person to sign this agreement?” Linda asked, still in disbelief. She gave a wry laugh, she thought she had done the right thing without any trouble.

“That’s right. Because it’s not me, so this agreement is completely invalid.” Lea smiled calmly, shoving the documents to Linda.

“You .... You two are trying to trick me on purpose, aren’t you?” accused Linda with darkened eyes. She pointed at Lea as if Lea was deliberately committing a crime. “You just want to take my money, right? Without fulfilling my request? Damn it!”

“I’m sorry, weren’t you the one who kidnapped Sarah first? Who was doing a planned crime here?” Lea asked, making Linda feel very cornered.

Linda then laughed bitterly. “It’s useless. Whatever you say, this document is in your name. Not your sister. And I have also checked that the signature on it is the same as the one you usually put.”

“Too bad, I can prove that the signature is fake, whether with professional help or not,” Lea said with a calm smile.

To be honest, she was insecure. She never met Linda. However, given the good current state, she felt that Linda would be easy to deal with.

“I will return all the money you gave us. Stop sending charity to my family. I don’t need it,” Lea paused, regularly exhaling and inhaling, “because I would never give up my baby to you ... or Clara.”

“No! You can’t do that!” Linda yelled frantically. “Don’t do that, Lea! I beg you!”

Lea shook her head. She apologized to Linda and was about to leave in front of the middle-aged woman.

However, soon Linda stopped Lea’s steps. “Lea, I’m doing this for an important reason!”

Lea shook her head again, “For me, my child is the most important thing. There is no other reason that is more important than my child right now.”

“Lea, please! I’ll do anything in return. Please, don’t cancel this agreement,” Linda begged pitifully. She looked at Lea with utter despair.

Lea looked at Linda with a sad face. If only now Linda had asked her to work for the Decker family for life, Lea would have been able to grant it. However, unfortunately not.

“Please, Lea!” Linda took Lea’s hand and gripped her arm tightly. “Clara insisted on canceling the wedding with Dave. However, my husband forced Clara to stay married to Dave because it was a business marriage. A marriage of convenience.”

“Then what does this have to do with my baby?” Lea asked again with annoyance.

Linda looked nervous. Should she have said that Clara’s womb would not be able to bear a child?