CHAPTER 204: CHAPTER 204: MOM WAS WRONG

"So, are you not feeling well..." Laura Yates asked cautiously.

Florence Fuller looked at her and after a few seconds of silence, her tone held a bit of mockery, "You would know if I’m not in a good mood."

Laura’s face stiffened, "Just thinking... you usually don’t act like this... or is it that seeing me puts you in a bad mood? I’ll... I’ll leave after this meal."

"It has nothing to do with you," Florence said.

Divorcing Luke Gardiner was something hard to let affect her mood. But being apart from Ethan Harper for so long, and since the words spoken that day, there had been zero contact between them.

It felt as if they truly had completely parted ways like she said at that time...

It’s not that seeing her was displeasing, and Laura breathed a sigh of relief.

She chatted casually, asking Florence if she was busy with work and getting enough rest lately.

Florence responded when she could.

The meal had to come to an end eventually.

After settling the bill, Florence asked where she was staying or if she needed a ride.

Laura shook her head, "No, I’m catching a late-night flight back to Cloudsea City."

She still lived in Cloudsea City.

The late-night flight.

Florence looked at her and then at the time, it was just past nine.

"So are you heading to the airport directly?" Florence asked.

Laura nodded.

The two of them silently looked at each other for a moment, and Laura broke the gaze first, "Don’t look at me like that, I really just came to see you."

"What’s there to see?" Florence asked, "Or do you hope I’m not doing so well?"

"That’s not what I meant," Laura hurriedly said, pausing, "I just really miss you."

"Haha!" Florence laughed, "Isn’t one Clara Fuller enough for you to miss?"

Laura lowered her head, "Clara and I... have nothing to do with each other anymore."

That actually surprised Florence, "What? You treasured her so much, and yet you’ve fallen out?"

Laura’s eyes reddened, "Back then... she kept urging me to sue and take her to court, saying that no matter what, I’m your biological mother, and you have an obligation to support me, that I would surely win and get a large sum of maintenance fees."

"She was right, if you were to sue, I would have the obligation to support you."

Laura shed tears and shook her head, "I’ve ended up like this because I listened to everything she said. Back when you returned to the Fuller Family, I felt so guilty towards you... you still chose to help me, but in the end, I let you down, it’s all my fault. I can’t bring myself to sue you."

So she told Clara that they could sell the jewelry they once had and move into a small house, find work and sustain their own lives.

But Clara was unwilling.

She berated Laura for being so cowardly, saying that Florence was so capable of earning money; if they took her to court and won, the money Florence would give them would only be more and not less, allowing them to still live in a mansion, drive luxury cars, and buy luxury goods without anything changing.

While Laura just shook her head, saying they couldn’t, she’d already let down Florence as a daughter and couldn’t do more things that would harm her.

Clara was defiant, "You let down Florence, but are you treating me any better? Mom, I’m the daughter you raised, I don’t want to live in poverty, don’t you know filming is exhausting? I’ve even prepared the lawsuit documents for you, and there’s a lawyer too. As soon as it’s submitted, we’ll win."

Laura stared at this daughter, not biological yet closer than biological, but she had raised her to be like this. At that moment, she furiously slapped her, shaking her head repeatedly in utter disappointment.

It woke her up to her own failure, finally realizing the gap between herself, Clara, and Florence.

Florence relied on her own hard work to gain her current standing, which was flourishing, while she and Clara were like caged songbirds their entire lives, now freed, not knowing where to fly to.

She was a songbird herself, and Clara was raised by her to be the same, not good at anything and unwilling to learn. She thought the Fuller Family would always have their back, thinking it didn’t matter.

But the Fuller Family fell, and she was unwilling to earn money by herself, only thinking about how to swindle a large sum from Florence to squander.

She felt utterly defeated.

After a huge fight, she completely cut ties with Clara.

Clara left home and never contacted her again.

It’s been three months already.

"So what now?" Florence looked at her, "How are you living now?"

Laura bit her lip, tears streaming, "I shamelessly went back to the Yates Family, living under someone else’s roof."

Florence let out a heavy sigh.

Laura was trying hard not to cry out loud.

Florence stood up, "You can stay at the hotel tonight, and tomorrow come back to Cloudsea City with me."

Laura was shocked.

"Come on, let’s get you a room at the front desk."

Laura wiped her tears, stood up, feeling helpless, "I really wasn’t intending to play the sad victim to gain sympathy, I just wanted to see you, and also to say..."

She earnestly looked at Florence, wiped her face clean of tears, "I’m sorry, Florence. I was wrong from the very beginning."

Florence listened, feeling indifferent, she said, "You say you’re not here to gain sympathy, so if I really don’t care, you won’t blame me?"

Laura nodded firmly, "No, I know, I’ve brought this upon myself."

Florence chuckled lightly, turned, and left.

Laura watched as her silhouette disappeared at the doorway, and smiled.

At least, they shared a meal, right?

However, not long after, the returning Florence stood at the door looking at her, "Not leaving? Planning to sleep in the restaurant tonight?"

Laura snapped out of her daze and quickly grabbed her bag to follow.

After getting Laura checked into the hotel, Florence finally left.

Oliver Newton was still there, and Florence knocked on the car window, "You can head back, I’ll drive myself home."

She wanted some quiet to herself.

Oliver intended to offer her a ride home but ultimately chose to keep silent.

Florence drove aimlessly but found herself stopped at the First Hospital.

She got out of the car, planning to see if Amelia Linney was asleep.

As soon as she reached the ward door, she heard Amelia and the caregiver laughing, she knocked and went in, and Amelia was surprised, "Didn’t think you’d come over at night just because I didn’t drink the tonic you gave me. I actually drank it."

The tonic was arranged by the nutritionist Florence hired; some of the ingredients were quite costly, and after Amelia had it twice, she forbade Florence from spending money like that. Even though she drank it, she called Florence saying she wouldn’t be drinking it anymore.