Chapter 124 She'll Forgive You
It was then that Adeline remembered sending Helen a message after leaving the psychiatric hospital.
They had agreed to meet that evening in the house she had lived in before June to spill all of Molly's past misdeeds to Helen.
The situation with Mia Turner had preoccupied her to the point of nearly forgetting about it.
Taking a deep breath, Adeline glanced through the window at the dusky sky. "I'm on my way."
She ended the call, hopped out of bed, and started changing her clothes.
"Mom, are you really going?" from the necklace came Blake's voice. "Do you think, after Molly gets out, she'll go see grandma? Grandma trusts her so much. Even when she was locked up, the first thing she did was turn to grandma for help."
Adeline paused.
It wasn't impossible.
What if Molly hadn't gone to Helen at all?
Helen had her reservations about Adeline, who had finally obtained a recording that would expose Molly's true nature. She wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through her fingers.
"Let's do this."
With a sigh, Blake said, "I'll have Bennett get in touch with Tim and Tom. They'll go with you to see Grandma."
Adeline hesitated for a moment but then nodded, "Okay."
Half an hour later, she received a call from Tim.
"We're at Blue Bay now."
Adeline took a deep breath, relieved, and went downstairs.
In the living room, Bennett was doing crafts with Lauren, who was in charge of drawing, while he handled the assembly.
Seeing her descend the stairs, the little ones flashed her a cheerful smile. "Have a quick trip!"
A wave of warmth washed over Adeline.
She smiled at the two youngsters. "Is there anything you'd like me to bring back for you?"
The kids furrowed their brows in thought, then replied, "No need."
After that, they pointed to the cardboard on the coffee table. "You better come back early and help us with this project. It’s such a childish homework assignment."
Adeline shook her head with a hint of resignation and then headed out the door.
Tim and Tom drove up in an old beater of a van.
When they saw her emerge, the tall, burly men offered a sheepish grin. "There you are."
"This old clunker sure looks pathetic next to this fancy house—we're kind of embarrassed to be seen in it," they admitted.
Adeline remained composed, offered a light smile, and briskly opened the battered vehicle's door to get in.
Despite its exterior, the interior of the van was immaculate. She could tell the brothers had gone out of their way to spritz some cheap air freshener inside, likely in anticipation of her arrival.
Touched by the gesture, she struck up a conversation, "How long have you been in Denver?"
"Six or seven years now."
Tom managed a soft smile as he drove along. "Don't mind our modesty. Living frugally here means our mom can have a comfortable life back home. Most of the money we've made over the years has been sent back."
Adeline sighed, "With that kind of dedication, you'll make it big one day."
"No chance! We're too cautious for that—just small earners."
Tim was at the wheel, gazing out the window as he spoke with a certain heaviness, "When we first came to Denver six years ago, someone offered us a job to run someone over. A million for a life.
"We were too scared to do it. But this guy we knew took the job, made a fortune, and now he's living it up abroad. He's not planning to come back and doesn't keep in touch with us anymore."
Adeline was momentarily stunned.
No way, right?
She pursed her lips, tentatively breaking the silence. "That buddy of yours... He has a sister, doesn't he?"
"What? Sister? She was his cash cow."
Tim chuckled sardonically, "That girl was a rich heiress. He was taking great care of her, all to set himself up. Once she turned eighteen, it would have been a done deal. Then he would have relied totally on her wealthy family.
"But who could've predicted that six years ago, her family's fortune would collapse, rendering the heiress worthless? So he took their money, committed murder, and fled the country."
After saying this, Tim realized something was off. "How did you know he had a sister?"
"Just a guess."
Adeline leaned back in the rear seat of the car, gazing at the night sky through the window.
Suddenly, the unwavering eyes of Mia Turner came unbidden to her mind.
"My brother loves me; he's always loved me the most in this world!"
"If he didn't love me, why would he have sacrificed so much? Why would he give me everything?"
A cold smirk played at the corners of Adeline's lips.
Indeed, emotions were the most futile of all.
Now, Mia Turner, like the old Adeline, foolishly inspired sympathy.
The car soon arrived.
Tim and Tom guarded Adeline closely as they ascended the steps to her apartment.
The door to Adeline's rented flat stood wide open.
Inside, the lights were off.
Guided by the moonlight, Adeline spotted the frail silhouette on the sofa.
The woman furrowed her brow and flicked on the wall light.
Helen was curled up on the sofa, sound asleep.
As the light came on, Helen frowned slightly and woke up.
Regaining her composure, she gave Adeline a detached smile. "Miss Wilson, you've finally arrived. You said you saw Molly today, didn't you?"
"Yes."
Taking a deep breath and ensuring they were alone, Adeline closed the door behind her.
She sat on the couch opposite Helen. "I have an audio clip I want you to listen to."
Taking a sip from a glass of water on the coffee table, Adeline pulled out a voice recorder, hit the play button, and placed it down.
Molly's hysterical voice filled the room from the recorder.
"I've been jealous of Adeline since we were kids; I lived in her shadow!"
"So I wanted to destroy her. I wanted to destroy everything she had!"
"That bastard Lauren! I should have killed her a long time ago!"
...
Helen's face turned paler with each venomous word spilling out of the recorder.
How could she have ever imagined that Molly, the sensible, sweet girl whom Helen thought she knew, had actually said those words?
Each syllable Molly uttered was like thunder, exploding right by Helen's ear.
She couldn't help but tremble.
Eventually, she collapsed weakly onto the couch, fighting to stay conscious.
What was happening?
How could this be?
When the recording finally ended, so did Helen's ability to hold back her tears.
Lifting her tear-streaked face, she looked at Adeline. "Could I have misunderstood you, Adeline?
"Would my eldest forgive me?"
Watching her mother, Adeline felt an invisible hand wringing her heart.
This woman was her birth mother.
For over twenty years, she thought her mother understood her the best.
Yet, she had been fooled by Molly until now.
If she hadn't recorded Molly herself, would Helen have never realized her mistake?
Adeline closed her eyes and let out a rueful chuckle. "I think she might forgive you."
Helen looked up with a glint of hope in her eyes.
"But she won't respect you as a mother anymore because it's not worth it."
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