CHAPTER 100: CHAPTER 100: IT ENDED LONG AGO

The car was silent.

Poppy Hale looked at the map’s location and pointed to a pet shop that was out of the way.

"Can we stop here for a moment?"

She still needed to buy something that Hannah Lynch liked.

As an older sister, she couldn’t visit her younger sister empty-handed.

Declan Hawthorne responded with a sullen "Hmm".

The car’s navigation system indicated that they were off the original route and recalculated a new one.

Hearing this made Poppy Hale’s ears sting a little.

Her relationship with Declan Hawthorne, perhaps, was never on the right track from the beginning.

She had been forcing it one-sidedly, thinking she was at least a little different.

But nothing was different at all.

Poppy Hale smiled to herself.

"And then what? Hear you say to my face that you’ll break up with me sooner or later, that you don’t like me? Would you also add that you don’t like me or my child?"

Her face showed no extra expression.

But this look made Declan Hawthorne’s throat dry.

Poppy Hale calmly said, "Declan Hawthorne, you can’t just dismiss me as a person because I used to like you."

There was a breath lodged in her chest that wouldn’t move up or down.

Poppy Hale felt this way, and so did Declan Hawthorne.

He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his voice suppressed and unpleasant, a metallic taste of blood in his throat.

"I..."

Explanations were powerless at this moment.

Declan Hawthorne knew clearly how absurd his actions were in the past.

Any explanation would be hollow.

"I... didn’t do it on purpose."

Poppy Hale nodded.

"If you did it on purpose, it would only show your poor character."

Declan Hawthorne shook his head and stopped the car at the pet shop entrance.

He also got out and went into the shop next door.

Poppy Hale didn’t pay attention to him.

She went to buy some pet snacks and toys herself.

Hannah Lynch would certainly be happy to see them.

Upon paying and exiting, Poppy Hale looked up and saw Declan Hawthorne holding a bouquet and several boxes.

Burning paper money was not allowed in the city to pay respects to deceased relatives, but he bought everything else needed.

Poppy Hale didn’t say anything, and when Declan Hawthorne met her eyes again, she looked away.

The car restarted.

Declan Hawthorne felt that if he didn’t say or do something, he might never see Poppy Hale again.

"My family is very complicated. My grandfather forbade me to say I’m part of the Hawthorne Family, so I didn’t tell you at that time."

Poppy Hale’s eyelashes lowered, like a small fan shading her eyes.

She responded softly with an "Oh".

"But Declan, I was your girlfriend, couldn’t you tell me? I also understand that if I knew my boyfriend at the time was the heir to the Hawthorne Group, I’d cling to you shamelessly, making breaking up more difficult."

Her tone was full of self-mockery.

Declan Hawthorne’s eyes brightened a bit.

If she had known his identity then, would she not have left him so easily and decisively?

And have a child on her own.

But at that time, his actions had already disheartened Poppy Hale.

He thought doing nothing was adequate.

In love, there’s no man who does absolutely nothing.

Her leaving was due to accumulated disappointment.

Declan Hawthorne’s eyes were bloodshot.

"Could you give me another chance?"

He looked at her eagerly, filled with anticipation he wasn’t even aware of.

Poppy Hale looked over, her eyes filled with confusion and extreme calm.

"If you want to see Florence, just let me know in advance, I won’t stop you. But remember, she’s only my child, you need to be clear about that."

She wouldn’t prevent a father from being part of his child’s life.

From her youth, her father always cherished her, which made Poppy Hale think of her father whenever she reminisced about past events.

He raised her to be carefree and spoiled, which was also her father’s doing.

She overlooked that her daughter might need that same love.

So far, Declan Hawthorne had done well interacting with their daughter.

Dutiful, gentle, and attentive.

She knew that Florence also liked Declan Hawthorne.

Given that, she wouldn’t stop their interaction.

Declan Hawthorne opened his mouth to say something but didn’t manage to.

He saw in her eyes a calm and cold emotion, with not the slightest ripple.

It shouldn’t be like this.

Wasn’t she supposed to get angry at him, curse him, hit him?

In that way, Declan Hawthorne would know how to explain, how to appease her.

But this kind of Poppy Hale was far too quiet.

So quiet that Declan couldn’t say anything.

The cemetery quickly came into view.

On Mr. Hale’s tombstone was a smiling photo that bore some resemblance to Poppy Hale.

Beside it was a smaller tombstone with a photo of the dog, Hannah, smiling too.

Both smiles on the photos looked like they came from the same family.

The tombstone read: "Connor Lynch’s dearly beloved Hannah."

Seeing Declan Hawthorne looking at the tombstone, Poppy Hale started placing a chew toy for Hannah and said, "Hannah was just five years younger than me, picked up by my dad at the border, an abandoned dog."

"Back then, Hannah was in her mother’s womb and was born in my dad’s car."

"While crossing the border, Hannah’s mom sensed venomous snakes nearby and shielded my dad, saving him at the cost of her own life."

Since then, Hannah had become an important member of the Hale family.

"She was closest to my dad. After he passed, she refused food and water, and was gone in a week."

As Poppy Hale said these words, there was still some smile on her face.

But tears also rolled down her cheeks.

She couldn’t stop them.

Poppy Hale wiped her tears, her nose tingling.

"The day I left the country was your birthday."

Declan Hawthorne suddenly looked at her.

The wind in the cemetery was a bit strong today.

Poppy Hale pulled on her coat and looked at Mr. Hale’s tombstone, uncertain if she was speaking to Declan or Mr. Hale.

"You and my dad have quite a connection; your birthdays are on the same day."

"That day I thought, after giving you your gift, I’d go back and spend time with dad for his birthday."

But then she heard the indifferent words from Declan Hawthorne.

He said he’d definitely break up with Poppy Hale, it was only a matter of time.

When she got home, her father had already been taken to the hospital.

Poppy Hale hastily contacted her team abroad and bought a plane ticket.

While packing at home, she sobbed in front of the table full of her favorite dishes.

What had she done?

She clearly should have noticed earlier.

But at that time, she never thought her father might get sick, believing he would always be by her side.

Her father’s passing shattered Poppy Hale’s sweet bubble.

Her eyes stung, and she closed them, letting tears drop like broken strings of pearls.

"Declan Hawthorne, our story ended that day completely. There will never be another chance."

The deceased cannot be reborn.

Missed opportunities can’t be made right.

She had been chasing a dream that didn’t belong to her, but now the morning had come, and she was awake.

She had truly let go.