Chapter 7 No Place for Her

• Having learned her lesson, Celia was more cautious this time. Before going to bed, she bolted the door with three locks, shut all the windows tightly, and placed a stun gun beside her in bed to prevent a repeat of what had happened last night.
• However, the night passed uneventfully without any incidents.
• When she woke up the next day, the sky outside was overcast with a steady drizzle. Dark clouds hung over the city, weighing heavily on people's hearts.
• Today was the anniversary of her mother's death.
• After freshening herself up, Celia checked out of the hotel and bought a bouquet of flowers. Then, she headed to the cemetery on the southern outskirts of Encten.
• It was not the time for visiting graves, so the cemetery appeared deserted as she walked up the steps. About half an hour later, she reached halfway up the hill and stood in front of a tombstone.
• Through the misty rain, she looked at the photo on the tombstone.
• The person in the photo had long hair hanging over her shoulders and a gentle smile. Her features were delicate, and there was an intellectual air about her, indicating that she was an educated and refined woman.
• "Mom, I'm back. It's been two years. Are you… doing well?"
• Celia walked up slowly, placed the flowers in front of the tombstone, and gently touched the photo on the tombstone. She tried to force a smile, but for some reason, her voice was noticeably trembling and choked with emotion.
• She had not visited her mother's grave for a whole two years.
• She used to come almost every month before, staying for an entire morning during each visit. She would talk about many things, sometimes pouring out her troubles and teenage worries.
• Three years ago, she was sent abroad in a hurry, unable to bid her mother a proper farewell. She had wanted to tell her mother that she had been doing well these past three years, but the moment she saw the photo, the inner strength she had built up within her crumbled in an instant.
• Tears poured down her face as she knelt down in front of the tombstone. She trembled all over, sobbing, "Mom, I miss you so much. I really miss you…"
• Her crying was full of sorrow and mixed with unspoken grievances.
• No one knew how she had spent these three years abroad.
• The pain of betrayal by her fiance and her family, her father's cruelty, and the helplessness and fear of being alone in a foreign land… She had experienced them all at once. During that time, she spent entire nights crying and hurting herself, but she found no redemption.
• Later, she worked part-time while attending school, scraping by on meager wages. At her poorest, she could only afford one meal a day. In the dead of winter, unable to pay rent, she was evicted by the landlord and left living on the streets amid the falling snow.
• Her spoiled nature was worn down by reality, and she learned to endure in silence and swallow her grievances when she was wronged.
• Today, however, her grievances overwhelmed her like a flood bursting through a dam.
• The rain continued to pour, drenching her clothes, but she paid no mind to it. She was only focused on venting all her emotions.
• Time passed unnoticed until the rain gradually let up, and she stopped crying.
• Her eyes swollen, she looked at the photo on the tombstone and whispered, "I'm sorry, Mom. I promised you that I would live a good life, but I didn't. But now… I'm fine. I've grown up, and I know how to protect myself. From now on, I won't let anyone mistreat me. You can rest assured in heaven."
• The person in the photo continued to smile gently and kindly.
• After looking at it for a while, Celia calmed down a lot. She wiped away the remaining tears on her face, stood up, and began to clean around the tombstone.
• No one had visited the grave for three years, and many weeds had grown around the tombstone. Celia carefully pulled them out one by one while recounting everything that had happened in the past two years she had spent abroad. There were good things and bad things.
• In the blink of an eye, two hours had passed. The rain had stopped, and the thin mist atop the hill had dissipated. Celia finally stopped talking. She bowed to the tombstone, saying, "Mom, I have to go. I don't know when I'll come to see you again. I'm sorry for not being a dutiful daughter. Please forgive me."
• After that, she glanced at the photo on the tombstone one last time before she reluctantly turned around and left.
• As she made her way down the hill, she planned to return to Jeane Residence to retrieve her suitcase and then buy an afternoon flight ticket to return to Yonderland. Unexpectedly, she spotted a somewhat familiar black Bentley parked on the side of the road.
• Just then, the car door opened, and the man who stepped out looked as refined as ever.
• "I knew you'd be here," Sylas said softly, looking at her with clear eyes.
• Celia was not surprised at all that he would find her there. Back when they were still together, they would come to pay respects together on her mother's death anniversary. She recalled how Sylas had knelt before her mother's grave and vowed to take care of her daughter forever.
• In the end, time demonstrated that his promise was nothing but a lie to deceive the dead.
• Celia let out a sneer. She asked coldly, "Where's my suitcase? Give it back to me."
• "Your suitcase is at home. Come back with me. Mr. and Mrs. Jeane have been waiting for you," urged Sylas with a slight frown.
• "What if I won't? Are you going to take me back by force like yesterday?" Celia stared at him mockingly, deliberately being antagonistic.
• Sylas' eyes darkened. "Celia, stop acting like a child. If you won't go home, where else do you want to go?"
• Indeed, where else can I go? There's simply no place for me in all of Encten. There hasn't been one such place for the past three years. Well, I was planning to retrieve my suitcase, anyway. Once I have it, I'll leave immediately.
• At the thought of this, Celia stopped arguing and got into the back seat.
• Soon, the car drove away from the cemetery.
• There was silence in the car along the way. Celia stared out the window the entire time, showing no intention of speaking.
• Sylas glanced at her from time to time through the rearview mirror. He wanted to speak several times, but ultimately, he chose to remain silent.
• They remained silent all the way until the car arrived at the entrance of a villa. Sylas said, "We're here."
• Celia did not respond; she simply opened the door and stepped out of the car.
• The first thing that caught her eye was a luxurious building in imitation of the Baroque style. From the outside, it didn't look much different from three years ago, the only difference being the front yard.
• The front yard used to be filled with many rare plants that were lush and full of life. They were all painstakingly collected by her. Some of them were planted by her mother before her passing, and each plant was of considerable worth.
• But now, the entire front yard had become a sea of roses, with red, white, pink, champagne, and orange-red ones… all of which were Ruth's favorites.
• Celia stood in the middle of the flowers, a hint of sadness flashing across her heart. To what extent must one's position be diminished in this household to have even the plants removed? What about inside the house? Have all traces of my life with Mom and Dad in the past been erased as well?