"Courtney? What's wrong with Courtney?"
Clearly, Edith had no knowledge about Courtney's illness. Hence her reaction portrayed utter shock.
Comprehending this, Cassandra went forward and stroked her mother's arms. She wanted her mother
to calm down. Eventually, she turned and brought her focus back to Whitney. In a low-pitched voice,
she asked, "Auntie Whitney, I believe Cloris isn't aware of Courtney's illness, am I right?"
As she asked this, Cassandra broke into a cold-sweat. She was very intuitive and something told her a
bad news was on its way. She sat looking at Whitney expectantly. In spite of her worry, she tried to look
unruffled. She didn't want to heighten her mother's anxiety.
"Well, I believe that's a question Cloris should be answering,"
Whitney said in a detached voice. She turned to stare at Cloris who hadn't uttered a single word yet. In
fact, ever since she came here, Cloris had been sitting still. For an outsider, she would have come
across as mute.
"Cloris, what is going on? Would you just speak up for God's sake? I want you to tell me everything that
you know!"
Edith demanded gruffly. Everyone present here was acting vague. She couldn't take it anymore and
wanted an explanation.
But Cloris was unperturbed by her mother's screech. She didn't even bother to look up. Instead, she
gritted her teeth and turned her head to avoid meeting her mother's gaze.
"Auntie Whitney, is it possible that there is some kind of misunderstanding? We have looked into
Courtney's condition before. I am certain it has nothing to do with my sister!" Cassandra asserted.
Like Edith, Cassandra was beginning to lose her composure. When she saw her own sister's attitude,
her fear intensified. She was afraid that Whitney might know something that they didn't know. 'Besides,
why is Cloris hesitating to speak? From what I know, she is not the kind of person who wouldn't speak
up for herself. Since she has taken the decision to keep her mouth shut, there must be something
wrong. Does it mean that Auntie Whitney is right?' Cassandra's mind tried to reason.
But no matter what, Cassandra made up her mind to support her family. Cloris was her sister hence
she would be on her side through thick and thin.
"Cassandra, I didn't come here to accuse anyone. After all, it's been a long time since this incident. All I
ask for is Cloris's apology. I wish she would meet Courtney in person and ask for her forgiveness. This
is the least she can do. Now do you think it is too much to ask? One apology will sort out this whole
issue!"
Whitney said in a determined tone. She came here expecting an apology and didn't intend to go back
without one. She raised her head and her eyes once again flitted over Cloris. A sorrowful look was
depicted in her eyes.
"An apology? But for what?" demanded Cassandra.
The more Whitney spoke, the more puzzled she became. Now it was certain that something had
happened between Courtney and Cloris. 'Why does she want Cloris to apologize to Courtney? And
does it have anything to do with Courtney's illness?' Cassandra wondered.
"Auntie, I am sorry but I don't get you. Would you please care to explain?"
Now Cassandra sounded really puzzled. Whitney instantly understood this wasn't a pretense. On the
other hand, Edith mirrored Cassandra's muddled look. In spite of this, Cloris didn't speak up or make
an effort to wipe out her sister's and mother's confusion. She sat still, lost in her own thoughts.
Realizing Cloris wouldn't give an explanation, Whitney dug into her bag and took out a plain black
notebook. Quickly, she placed it on the table in front of them.
"I visited our old house yesterday. This is something I found in Courtney's bedroom. Even since she
was a kid, she had a habit of writing. I normally don't spy on her stuff, but I casually went through this
one. That's how I discovered where the problem lies."
On the cover page of the diary, Courtney's name was written in a neat handwriting. In spite of being
meticulous, one could easily tell it was a young child's handwriting. It seemed like the child had put a lot
of effort into it.
Whitney laid her eyes on the diary for a moment before glancing at Cloris. Then she let out a helpless
sigh.
"Cloris, I know this happened in the past. If I had to be completely honest, I didn't want to dig it up. But
now that I have stumbled upon it, I don't have any choice. If you don't believe me then you should visit
us and see Courtney's condition. You will understand that she is still fixated on it and hasn't moved on.
I don't mean to put all the blame on you, that's not my intention. I just want you to meet her and
apologize. I am a helpless mother who is willing to do anything in order to make my daughter better,"
Whitney said genuinely. Her words took Edith and Cassandra by surprise. If what Whitney said was
true, then it meant Courtney's illness actually had something to do with Cloris.
However, Edith wasn't willing to do anything that would distress Cloris. Not matter what she did, her
motherly heart was willing to safeguard her. So although this came as a shock, she was determined to
intervene.
"Whitney, as you can see, Cloris isn't willing to speak. How about let me go and comfort Courtney?
Won't that be just as good?"
Edith asked, feigning smile. She couldn't allow Whitney to force her daughter into doing something she
didn't want to do.
"Edith, I hope you understand I am not here to blame Cloris. But Courtney... Courtney is really in a very
bad place right now. And watching her suffer breaks my heart!"
As soon as Whitney mentioned her daughter's illness, her eyes became red all over again. Everyone
could tell she was on the verge of tears.
"Yeah, I understand you. I am a mother myself and I can feel your pain. But like you said, it happened
in the past. My daughter Cloris is quite well-behaved and gentle. I am certain she wouldn't hurt anyone
intentionally,"
Edith responded defensively. It was obvious that she was willing to do anything in order to protect
Cloris. Even now she was searching for excuses to obscure her daughter's mistake. Whitney instantly
understood her intention and lines of anger appeared on her face. She had come here in pursuit of a
small favor but her pleas had fallen on deaf ears. Unable to take it anymore, she blurted out, "Edith, for
your information, this issue is not just related to Cloris and Courtney. It has affected Cassandra's life
too!"
Her tone was firm this time. With her unflinching eyes, she glared at Edith. A feeling of displease was
etched on her face. It seemed like she couldn't believe how Edith could behave so crudely.
"Edith, I do realize Cloris is your beloved daughter. Time and again, you keep favoring her. But you
have to think about Cassandra too. She is also your daughter. If it wasn't for Cloris's wrongdoing,
Cassandra wouldn't have been left in a small town by you and Vernon for so many years!"
Her words suggested she knew the Qin family quite well. Not a lot of people knew that Cassandra was
sent to a small town at a young age.
Hearing this, Cassandra was startled. 'What is Auntie Whitney trying to imply? Is she speaking the
truth? Was I sent to the small town due to something that happened between Cloris and Courtney?
What exactly had happened?' Cassandra wondered.
Now she was wracking her mind for answers. This was a riddle for which Cassandra couldn't find a
solution. The more she thought, the more muddled she looked. A feeling of unease occupied her. She
felt betrayed by the people she was surrounded with. 'These people are hiding something from me. But
what are they concealing? And why are they keeping me in darkness?'
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