Chapter 144 The Slowly Melting Ice
I opened my eyes and saw a little girl, maybe three or four years old, being held by a young woman. The girl was holding a small floral umbrella and handed it to me. The woman smiled and said, "She saw you standing in the rain alone and wanted to give you her umbrella."
Feeling a bit awkward, I was about to refuse when the woman added, "Ms. Cooper, I watched the case where you defended Alice. Your brilliant defense gave me the courage to divorce my cheating ex-husband. I was lost in the dark back then, but your words in court gave me the strength I needed. Now, I live with my daughter alone. It's tough, but we're happy." She smiled, her eyes showing a resilience born from hardship, like she was recounting a mundane event, without a hint of bitterness.
"Please take it. I can share an umbrella with my mom, but you don't have anyone to share with. Mom says getting wet in the rain can make you sick." Seeing that I hadn't moved, the little girl blinked her big, innocent eyes and spoke again, her small face slightly flushed with urgency.
I gratefully took the umbrella from the little girl and gently patted her head. I opened it up; the children's umbrella was small and barely big enough to cover me. The rain and wind still managed to get me wet, but a warm feeling spread through my heart. Seeing me open the umbrella, the woman kissed the little girl's cheek and softly said, "Anne, say goodbye to Ms. Cooper."
The girl named Anne waved cheerfully at me and said goodbye in a sweet childlike voice. The woman turned and walked away with Anne, leaving me with a gradually receding silhouette.
As I watched them leave, my emotions grew more complex. Both children from single-parent families, both named Anne, yet the differences between them were so vast. I felt a deeper appreciation for how my efforts not only helped my clients but also truly impacted others with similar experiences, changing their lives.
This realization brought a special warmth to me amidst the storm, but just moments ago, I had resigned from Stellar Legal Advisors, and I wondered if I would ever feel such warmth again.
Despite using the umbrella given by little Anne, I was still soaked to the skin by the time I got home. The water droplets from my hair fell one by one onto the floor, creating a clear, ticking sound that was especially pronounced in the quiet room.
I stood the umbrella by the door, kicked off my shoes, and walked barefoot to the bathroom. As soon as I entered the bathroom, I eagerly turned on the faucet, not even bothering to undress, letting the hot water pour over me. I felt chilled to the bone, every inch of my skin wrapped in cold. I desperately needed the hot water to drive away the chill. The little girl Anne was right: getting wet in the rain could make one sick.
I had many important things to do and couldn't afford to fall ill now. I must stay strong. The warm water from the showerhead was like a comforting rain, starkly different from the cold, relentless rain I had just endured. It gradually warmed my body and seemed to slowly melt the ice in my heart.
I wasn't sure if it was the warm shower, Anne's umbrella, or the young single mother's words that warmed me. Either way, I started to feel more comfortable, the chill slowly fading. I filled the bathtub with water at just the right temperature and soaked myself in it. The hot water felt like a warm hug. I closed my eyes, planning to rest a bit in the tub.
But my thoughts wandered, and I suddenly remembered nearly drowning in a bathtub once. Even then, all I could think about was Edward. He was like a thorn in my life, stuck deep in my heart. But now, it seemed I had lost the ability to miss him—I was left only with an overwhelming sense of exhaustion and a determination to cut ties with him as quickly as possible.
When I got back to the bedroom, I noticed my phone, charging on the bedside table, was lit up with an incoming call. To my surprise, it was Clara, whom I hadn't heard from in a long time. I was a bit taken aback and checked the time. It was already late at night. What could she want at this hour?
As I hesitated to answer, the call ended. But before I could gather my thoughts, she called again. Her persistence gave me a bad feeling: Could Hayden’s condition have worsened? With that thought, I quickly answered the call.
On the other end, Clara's voice sounded unusually cheerful and light. "Diana, are you too busy with work? You haven't had time to visit the Howard Mansion and see Hayden and me. We both miss you. Hayden has been discharged and is recovering well. Edward and Anne are also fully recovered. Why don't you come back tomorrow, and we can have a family reunion?" she said.
A reunion? Hearing this, I was full of doubt. I really didn’t see the point of reuniting with their family. Our relationship was so tangled and complicated that it went far beyond what could be described as "family."
However, before I could refuse, Clara seemed to read my mind and continued, "You always loved Melissa's cooking, right? I'll have the driver bring her over tomorrow to make your favorite dishes."
Mentioning Melissa brought her kind face to my mind. Almost as if guided by an unseen force, I found myself agreeing.
Clara seemed surprised by my quick agreement. She paused briefly before her voice came through again, with a hint of delight, "That's wonderful! See you tomorrow night. If you don't want to leave after dinner, you can stay at the Howard Mansion. This will always be your home."
I casually responded and hung up. After putting down the phone, I couldn't help but find it amusing. Edward was planning to have a baby with Aria through IVF, and Anne, who had long coveted him, was still around. In such a situation, why would Clara arrange for me to stay with Edward? Wasn't she afraid of Anne's jealousy? Or did she not care about any of this, only focusing on her own plans?
My head felt heavy, as if enveloped in fog. I closed my eyes, hoping to fall asleep, wishing that all the fatigue and worries would be gone by morning.
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