Chapter 6: Back to the house

Sitting in a black Mercedes, the leather car seats are very comfortable.

Helena fiddled with her seatbelt while looking out the window at the gradually darkening sky, the crowded streets, and the dimly lit shops.

All of this is so familiar yet so distant… ever since leaving her home of sixteen years, Helena’s heart has grown heavier.

 The memories of her past humiliations keep flashing through her mind, and the more she thinks of them, the more resentment she feels.

In her past life, she had been repressed, constrained, and cautious.

 In the eyes of outsiders, she was inferior to even a dog in the York family.

And what was the result? She suffered a tragic fate.

Therefore, in this life, she wants to be domineering and arrogant. She wants to settle all the grievances she suffered in her past life, piece by piece, and to do so for her mother as well.

Since she has already died once, she isn’t afraid of death anymore, not even if she’s tied to a bomb, let alone anything else.

“Hmm…” Lngram cleared his throat, seeming to want to say something to Helena. He also felt apologetic towards her.

“Dad, what is it?” Helena turned to look at Lngram.

She has never had the kind of affection or dependence that a daughter has towards her father towards Lngram, who, be it in her past life or present, has a faint presence as a father figure in Helena’s life.

“Oh, we’re almost home,” Lngram said.

 “Your stepmother is the type who appears cold but is actually warm-hearted, and your sister Theresia, although mischievous, is a kind girl. You should get along well with them. And your younger brother…”

He initially intended to say ‘your mother,’ but now he feels it’s too early, since they haven’t met yet.

Moreover, even though he has been long divorced from Yolanda, Yolanda is still in the world.

 If Helena were to call Vanessa ‘mom’ directly, she would probably feel a bit repulsed. So, Lngram hopes that Vanessa’s tenderness will be able to win over Helena.

“Is that so?” Helena interrupted Lngram’s words and replied coldly.

 A stepmother who appears cold but is warm-hearted?

And a kind but mischievous little sister?

That mother and daughter pair must be really good at acting.

The way they played out motherly love and filial piety was so perfect.

That gentle and kind stepmother is simply the model of California’s high society.

Only she knows Vanessa’s true visage.

Thinking of this, Helena subconsciously clenched her wrist, and the memory of that piercing pain resurfaced in her mind.

“Helena, don’t come to the garden anymore, you scared my dogs.”

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…” Clutching her bloodied wrist, the weak and skinny she tried to hold back her tears and apologize meekly, “Mom… I’m really sorry…”

…

“Helena? Helena?”

“Hmm?” Helena snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Lngram.

“What are you thinking about?” Lngram pulled out the car keys and said, “We’re home, get out.”

“I know, Dad.” Helena looked at the door that had opened, and the bright light shone through, making everything look warm and beautiful.

Only Helena can truly understand the coldness and ruthlessness behind this beauty.