CHAPTER 544: CLEORA COISON

"l won’t let you go— not until you apologize sincerely!" The woman, whose name was Cleora, stated matter-of-factly, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Coco’s body tensed in Richard’s grip, her breath catching in her throat as the woman’s name echoed in her mind.

Cleora..? Coco wondered, her eyes widening.

A wave of confusion washed over her, horror dawning on her face.

This woman, the one holding Leo by the ear, demanding an apology from him, the one who had helped her, the one who made her feel relaxed despite being a stranger, bore the same name as her mother.

Confusion, hope, and a tangle of emotions swirled inside Coco, her heart quickening with curiosity and dread.

Just from hearing her mother’s name made her remember a particular memory.

Cleora Coison..

The woman who had given birth to Coco and her sisters, the woman who worked hard to give the three daughters a life they deserve and didn’t care if she was sick, bleeding, or what— her only drive and goal was to give the three Coison daughters whatever they may need.

Out of the three daughters, Coco was the one who was often left alone in the house.

The youngest are somehow always out to do school work with her classmates and the oldest are somehow always out late to work overtime at her workplace.

Coco? Coco doesn’t have to go out to be with her classmates or to work overtime.

Coco was told to stay put at home.

By who? By her own mother, all because she was not that sociable at school or university.

The reason why Coco wasn’t a fan of confrontation or trouble and would often avoid them wasn’t because she was scared— she’s merely not a fan of them because she has the tendency to make matters worse in a span of seconds.

She got into trouble once, and she was rushed to the guidance office with the one who caused the trouble.

Frankly, she knows that she should have spoken up before things got worse, but truly, she didn’t want anyone to go through the trouble of having a bad behavior record from the school in their last semester.

But this student? Oh, she was so agitated with Coco that she caused trouble not only for Coco, but for everyone around her.

The last straw was when that student slapped Coco and Coco? She didn’t do anything.

She was silent, but the people around her weren’t.

Before she knew it, Coco and the student who slapped her were rushed to the guidance office— and Coco remembered feeling bad because the situation took a bad turn.

She should have spoken up and confronted the student, but she was a coward.

Coco was a coward, but her mother?

Cleora Coison is a tiger, and that tiger has cubs she must protect.

When Cleora was called to the guidance office that day, it wasn’t even an hour when the call was made, but she was immediately there, right beside an anxious Coco.

Coco remembered Cleora saying something that made Coco cry that day.

"You didn’t do anything wrong, my love."

Coco was scared because she thought that she made things worse by staying quiet, but her mother comforted her.

Cleora pulled Coco into a hug, kissed her forehead, and smiled reassuringly at Coco, shaking her head to emphasize that she did everything she could.

"She was the one who laid her hand on you so why must you be scared? Hold your chin up and face her, but in this fight, you’re not alone."

Actually, what is the use of lying?

Coco was a coward, she was a scaredy cat, and she hates confrontation.

She hated causing trouble for her mother and her big sister so she often keeps quiet about what she endured at her school.

That’s why, when the guidance councilor gave Cleora a call, Coco trembled in fear.

She wasn’t scared of confrontation— no, not at all, but she was incredibly scared of making her mother clean up after her mess when Cleora was already doing everything she can to give them everything.

Coco hated her father for being a piece of shit because Cleora had to be a single and working mother, shouldering all the burdens alone.

However, that day, Cleora showed to her that Coco will never be a burden to her own mother.

"Your mama got you, my baby girl."

That day, the counselor and the homeroom teacher agreed on expelling the student for too many disturbances she caused throughout the semester.

Coco felt bad for the student because she could see that the girl’s mother was the same as Cleora, doing everything in her power to give her whatever she may need, so Coco tried to ask the adults to not expel her.

Unfortunately, the guidance counselor and the teacher refused to budge.

"Child, you’re compassionate, and that is good, but it was directed towards the wrong person."

Those were the words the teacher told her before she was sent home with Cleora, but Coco didn’t want to believe those words.

She believed that she could have done something— anything to make it easier for the girl’s mother, and Cleora didn’t hesitate to be vocal about her being more than thankful to have raised a lovely girl like her.

Cleora was a good mother.

That’s why it took Coco a long time to move on and grieve the family she left behind.

So, with this woman standing in front of her who bore the same name as her mother.. Coco couldn’t help, but yearn for her mother’s warm embrace once more.

The memories resurfaced, the longing awakened, and that’s what is hurting her the most.

The love of her mother she longed to feel.

Coco’s fingers clenched tightly in Richard’s hair as her eyes welled up with tears, the moisture glimmering at the edges, but they didn’t spill over.

She fought so hard to maintain her composure, but her thoughts and feelings were in shambles.