Chapter 325 Happy New Year
Mira sat by the window, staring at the snowy landscape outside, her mind flooded with memories. She thought back to Debra's journey growing up, recalling the joyful, sorrowful, and regretful moments that fell upon her heart like the snowflakes outside.
She couldn't pinpoint when it started, but Debra had changed, and everything spiraled out of control.
Mira finally decided to reach out to Debra's friends or classmates back home to get a sense of her recent situation.
Over the next few days, Mira used various means to track Debra and Dash's whereabouts and activities. Eventually, she confirmed her suspicions: the father and daughter hadn't left the country. Instead, they were living comfortably back home, using the monthly allowance she sent them.
Faced with this reality, Mira felt a mix of anger and disappointment. The fury and disillusionment intertwined within her, making her almost want to investigate further and expose Dash and Debra's lies.
However, she reconsidered and abandoned the idea. She realized that no matter how deceitful they were, she would cut off all financial support once Debra finished her studies. Whether Debra was genuinely attending school or not, Mira had lost all trust and patience with the Foster family.
Taking a deep breath, Mira tried to calm her emotions. She understood that anger and disappointment wouldn't solve the problem and might even make things worse. She decided to handle the situation in a more composed and rational manner.
Mira sat on the couch, reflecting on the years of effort and sacrifice she had made for Debra and Dash. Her heart was filled with complex emotions. She realized that her years of dedication hadn't brought the expected returns or respect, but had instead led to endless pain and conflict.
Though the disappointment and hurt caused by the Foster family couldn't be completely erased, she had learned to face and accept it. She understood that everyone had their life path and choices. She couldn't change the Foster family's decisions and actions, but she could choose how to live her own life well.
Mira's biggest regret was abandoning Bella and raising two ungrateful members of the Foster family. From now on, she would make sure to compensate Bella properly.
Bella and Anna were quietly leaning by the window, captivated by the lively fireworks display in the square outside. The colorful fireworks lit up the night sky, each burst seemingly celebrating the joy and hope of the new year.
Their laughter and conversation intertwined, adding warmth to this special night.
As they were immersed in the tranquility and beauty, Bella's phone rang again, a new message appearing on the screen. She glanced at it, noticing it was similar to previous ignored messages. Without much thought, Bella dismissed it as irrelevant spam and ignored it.
"Bella, who messaged you? Why don't you check it?" Anna asked curiously, her gaze shifting from the fireworks to Bella's face.
Bella smiled and shook her head, softly saying, "It's nothing, just some unimportant messages, not worth our attention."
Anna nodded in agreement and turned her focus back to the fireworks. They continued chatting, sharing their dreams and plans, as if the outside world had no bearing on them.
The two remained close, watching the fireworks gradually fade, still savoring the warmth and connection between them, enjoying the rare peace and comfort.
"Bella, I think we're really lucky," Anna suddenly said, her voice filled with gratitude and happiness.
"Yeah, being able to be with you now is my greatest luck," Bella responded gently.
That night, they talked about many things—about the future, their dreams, each other—but they tacitly avoided mentioning the past.
Finally, as the outside noise quieted down and the city night returned to calm, they hugged tightly. "Bella, let's take a photo to commemorate the last day of this year. Tomorrow is the first day of the new year."
"Sure," Bella immediately took out her phone, wanting to capture this moment of happiness forever.
As for those irrelevant messages and disturbances, they chose to face them with a calm and resolute heart.
The midnight chimes quietly rang out, the city seemingly draped in a veil of tranquility, finally breaking free from the day's clamor and sinking into deep silence. The streetlights glowed dimly, sparse pedestrians hurried by, leaving long shadows that were soon swallowed by the night.
Bella lay on her soft bed, the day's fatigue gradually fading from her body, but her thoughts surged like waves, hard to calm. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, trying to relax and welcome the new year. Before sleeping, she habitually checked her phone.
The screen lit up, the bright light making her squint slightly. Among the numerous notifications and messages, one unread message stood out, catching her attention. It was from an unknown number, simple and direct, with just a brief greeting: [Happy New Year.]
Bella's heart skipped a beat. She scrutinized the message, trying to discern any unusual meaning. No punctuation, no extra pleasantries, not even the common exclamation mark at the end. The message was exceptionally calm and restrained, yet carried an indescribable warmth and familiarity.
Bella was certain this wasn't one of those generic holiday greetings from companies or platforms. Those messages were often filled with flowery language and excessive enthusiasm, always ending with a prominent exclamation mark, striving to convey the festive cheer and sincere wishes.
But this message was different. It was simple, direct, like a long-lost friend, using the most unadorned words to convey the most heartfelt blessing in the quiet of the night.
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