CHAPTER 9: CHAPTER 9: SHE COULDN’T IMAGINE HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT HER MOTHER

The doorbell rang at this moment.

"It should be the clothes delivery, I’ll go open the door." Clara Sterling let out a long breath, like a drowning person finally getting to breathe fresh air.

The pressure given by Sawyer Sheffield just now was overwhelming.

When he proposed marriage, she was so nervous she didn’t even know where to put her hands.

Silas Sheffield nodded gently, saying nothing.

Clara Sterling got up and walked quickly to the door to open it.

The staff outside smiled politely and handed her the bag in his hand, "Hello, miss. Here are the clothes purchased according to your size."

"Thank you." Clara Sterling took the clothes and closed the door.

As she passed the living room, Sawyer Sheffield’s figure was no longer on the sofa.

Clara turned her gaze and saw the man standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the night view outside.

His silhouette was gently outlined by the soft indoor lighting.

Outside the window, the noise and prosperity of the city were gently wrapped in the night. Neon lights flickered, and the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window reflected a glimmer, clearly mirroring the man’s figure, adding a touch of mystery and profundity.

Clara Sterling stood behind him, watching quietly for a while, as an indescribable emotion surged in her heart.

Her heartbeat seemed to lose its rhythm.

Those secret emotions long buried in her heart seemed to be struggling to emerge.

Clara Sterling hurriedly repressed those inexplicable feelings, bowed her head, and quickly walked into the bathroom.

Inside the bag were two small bags; Clara opened a small bag and took out the underwear inside.

The clothes emitted a faint scent of laundry detergent and still felt warm in her hand, likely just washed and dried.

The other small bag contained a white silk camisole nightdress.

Although it was winter, the indoor heating was sufficient, so wearing this nightdress wouldn’t be cold.

Clara Sterling felt thirsty after taking a bath and drying her hair.

There was no water in the bedroom, but she had seen a few bottles of water on the table in the living room.

Clara opened the bedroom door and took two steps when suddenly the door opposite opened.

Silas Sheffield stood at the door, seemingly not expecting Clara Sterling to be in the living room.

His gaze paused, his eyes darkened a bit, "Sorry, I thought you were asleep."

Clara Sterling waved her hand, "No worries, I just came out for some water."

"Okay." Silas Sheffield said nothing more and turned back to his room.

The door opposite closed, Clara Sterling let out a breath, walked two steps forward, then suddenly recalled something and quickly lowered her head to look at the silk camisole nightdress she was wearing.

Then, the girl’s face visibly flushed rapidly, as if it was about to drip blood.

The nightdress was thin, with a faint suggestion at the front.

He... hopefully didn’t see it, right?

...

It was already seven in the morning when she lay down on the bed.

At this hour she should be very sleepy, but Clara Sterling tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

Thinking of her mother’s illness, she couldn’t help but cry continuously.

Since she could remember, she had been dependent on her mother.

When Clara was in kindergarten, seeing other children with fathers, she’d go home and ask her mother where her father was.

Her mother’s eyes showed an emotion she couldn’t understand, coldly saying, "You don’t have a father, your father died long ago."

At that time, Clara was too young to fully grasp the meaning of "death", she just nodded in a drowsy manner and said "Oh", afterward when kids at kindergarten asked about her dad, she’d say, "My dad died long ago."

Every time she said that, there were always some kids who laughed at her for not having a father, only the kindergarten teachers would sympathetically pick her up and use candy to cheer her.

Her mother had always been a very strong woman and she propped up the family’s sky all by herself.

Clara remembers when she was in primary school, her mother set up a stall selling breakfast, attracting jealousy from the stall owner next door because her business was too good.

At that time, they lived in a stairwell apartment in the inner city village, so the breakfast cart couldn’t go upstairs and every day after closing stall, the cart was parked in the alley.

One day, when opening the stall, her mother found one of the breakfast cart’s wheels was missing. She didn’t panic, quietly searched the nearby area and when she couldn’t find it, calmly reported it to the police on her phone.

Later on, while Clara was in grade 3, her mother used the money saved from selling breakfast to open a small restaurant selling fast meals.

A very small storefront, with only enough space for four tables inside, but there were lots of customers and business was good every day. She would go help on weekends, watching the store and doing homework simultaneously.

Clara remembers there was a frequent customer who always brought something over, sometimes fresh fruits, sometimes small snacks she loved.

By then, Clara was already fifteen, having seen schoolmates dating, she wasn’t completely ignorant about relationships between men and women. She realized that uncle had a fondness for her mother and was pursuing her.

Initially, Clara was resistant.

She didn’t want a stranger to be her father, nor did she want that stranger to take away her mother.

Whenever that uncle came to the restaurant, Clara would keep a sullen face.

Later, her mother said something to that uncle and he never came back.

The summer after graduating high school, Clara found a summer job, tutoring children at an off-campus training center opened by a friend’s relative, earning seven thousand over the summer.

At that time, gold prices weren’t as high as now, Clara spent thirteen hundred buying her mother a gold necklace, with a rose pendant, very beautiful.

When her mother received the gift, she said she’d rather not buy these to waste money, but she was actually overjoyed, grinning so widely her mouth couldn’t close.

The night before going to college, Clara had a heartfelt talk with her mother.

Looking at the wrinkles on her mother’s face, she felt poignant, "Mom, if you meet someone suitable, you could give it a try, you’ve been alone for so many years, it’s too hard. Before, during middle school, I was immature. Actually, that uncle was a good person, it was all my fault..."

Her mother shook her head, gently patted her hand, "Clara, it’s not your fault, it’s just that I’ve seen through men and don’t want to remarry, being alone is good."

In the last few years of college, Clara kept studying hard, winning national scholarships every year, participating in various student competitions and winning awards.

She saved a portion of those prizes, and spent the rest on skincare products and gold rings for her mother.

Though she spent quite a bit on relationships with the jerk Isaac Sutton, that money was earned from working, she never accepted the monthly living expenses sent by her mother, her two thousand monthly living expenses were earned from working and scholarships saved.

With the dawn breaking, Clara Sterling turned over only to realize the pillow was already soaked with tears.

Unknowingly, she cried so much.

Thinking of her mother’s illness, a myriad of stings pierced her heart, dense with pain.

She couldn’t imagine how she’d live without her mother.

By comparison, it seemed easier to let go of the love for Isaac Sutton endured for over two years.

Finally, exhaustion overcame her, and Clara fell asleep.

In a daze, her phone lit up.

Isaac Sutton sent a message.

The chat message displayed on the screen.

[Baby, what was the matter when you called early this morning? I was asleep and missed it.]

Clara Sterling didn’t respond, she placed the phone face down beside the pillow, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.