Falling For The True Heiress

My head was already spinning. Tears stung the corners of my eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. But I had to be strong for Mom.

I stepped into the hallway. "Mr. Clifford!" I called, my voice echoing through the hallway.

A few seconds later, hurried footsteps pounded against the marble floor before Mr. Clifford appeared at the top of the stairs.

I turned to Mrs. Chloe. She was still standing beside the table, her face pale with shock. I’d never seen her look like that before.

This was the first time anything like this had happened to Dad.

"Mrs. Chloe," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady, "please help Mr. Clifford take my mom to the hospital."

I blinked several times to stop the tears that were already threatening to fall.

Then I looked at Mr. Clifford. "Please take care of my mom."

He nodded immediately. "Yes, Miss."

I turned back to Mom. "Mom... which hospital?"

Mom’s shoulders shook as she cried. One hand gripped the doorknob so tightly that her fingers had gone white. She slowly lifted her tear-filled eyes to mine.

"...Cleveland Clinic."

I nodded and turned back to Mr. Clifford. "You heard her, right?"

"Yes, Miss," he said and gently walked over and wrapped an arm around Mom to support her.

Mrs. Chloe hurried over to help him, and they slowly led Mom out of the room.

I stood there, watching until they disappeared downstairs. The front door closed with a dull click.

Only then did I let out a deep breath and wipe my eyes before turning back into my room.

The warm scent of chicken congee still lingered in the air.

Sylvia was still sitting on the bed, staring at the door. She looked completely shocked by everything that had just happened.

I walked over to the table, picked up the tray Mrs. Chloe had left behind, and carried it to the bed.

The bowl was still warm against my fingers.

"Come on," I said softly. "You need to eat before taking your medicine."

She slowly turned to look at me. "...You’re still taking care of me?"

I frowned a little. "What do you mean?"

She lowered her eyes to the blanket gathered in her lap. "Dad just had an accident."

She looked back at me. "You should’ve gone to the hospital with them."

A small smile appeared on my face, and I reached over and gently patted her head.

"Your health is just as important as Dad’s." I tilted my head slightly. "If Dad finds out I left you here alone while you’re sick, I’m sure he won’t be happy with me."

A small smile slowly appeared on Sylvia’s face. She reached up and wrapped her fingers around the hand resting on her head.

"Thank you, Minnie," she whispered.

I smiled back and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Now..." I picked up the spoon and scooped some warm chicken congee. "You have to eat."

She leaned forward obediently and opened her mouth.

I fed her one spoonful at a time.

The room remained silent except for the soft clink of the spoon against the bowl.

When she finished swallowing, a tiny bit of congee clung to the corner of her lips. I reached out and wiped it away gently with my thumb.

When I finished feeding her, I picked up the tray, slipped my phone into my hand, and quietly left the room.

The bedroom door clicked softly shut behind me.

I made my way downstairs. The house suddenly felt so quiet.

There were no footsteps. No quiet conversations between the servants. No distant sound of the television from the living room.

Just silence.

I carried the tray into the kitchen and set it down in the sink. The porcelain clinked softly against the stainless steel.

I glanced around again. No one was there. Mrs. Chloe had already gone with Mom, and the rest of the staff were nowhere to be seen.

For the first time since Mom had walked into my room...

I was alone.

My legs suddenly felt too weak to hold me. I slowly slid down the side of the kitchen counter until I was sitting on the cold marble floor.

The coolness seeped through my clothes, but I barely noticed. A shaky breath escaped my lips.

And just like that, the tears came one after another; they blurred my vision until I could no longer hold them back.

I pressed a trembling hand over my mouth, trying to swallow the sob that forced its way out.

I hadn’t wanted Sylvia to see this. I didn’t want her worrying about me. I didn’t want her blaming herself.

So I had smiled and stayed calm. I had pretended I was strong enough to carry everything.

But the moment I walked out of that room, every wall I had built around myself crumbled.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and buried my face against them.

"Dad..." I whispered, my voice breaking.

"Please..."

"Please be okay."

After some time, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I immediately stood up and quickly wiped my eyes.

But it was already too late. My eyes were swollen from crying. I took a deep breath and hurried out of the kitchen.

The moment I stepped into the living room, I saw Sylvia looking around.

"Amelia," she called softly.

"I’m here," I replied, walking toward her.

She turned the moment she heard my voice. The moment her eyes landed on my face, she frowned.

"...You were crying, weren’t you?" she asked quietly.

I forced a smile and shook my head. "Who was crying?" I asked, letting out a small laugh.

Sylvia shook her head. She slowly walked over until she was standing right in front of me.

"Don’t try to act strong for me, Minnie," she said softly. "You don’t have to."

She gently wrapped her arms around me. "Cry when you want to cry."

The moment I felt her hug, everything I had been holding back broke all over again. I hugged her tightly and buried my face against her shoulder.

The tears came pouring down as sob after sob escaped my lips.

I couldn’t stop crying anymore.

My phone suddenly rang. The sound echoed through the silent house.

I pulled away from Sylvia just enough to look at the screen. My heart skipped a beat the moment I saw the caller ID.

Mr. Clifford.

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