After the two young girls, a young boy kept staring at the Helen. He had seen her running around the shopping mall. Fascinated by little things, her innocence and adorableness was what led him to her.
He had not seen the pair of girls for long only for a minute or two while they were shopping and had not heard of their conversation with each other of Xuan.
The young boy was upset and had wandered off to calm himself down. Soon after the boy left, the certain area.
He was gone without a trace.
…
On the other hand, Athena was confronted by her mother. They were in Athena's room, while her mother asked questions on, 'how much she had spent?' and 'why she had spent so much?'
Athena had took Helen's stationary into her room, so if Maria saw the depreciation of money on the cards, she could show why she had spent so much.
"Do you have a receipt?" Maria did not want her daughter to spend too much money, she could use that to buy more useful stuff. A new dress, bracelets, jewellery, purse and many other things.
"No, I think Helen had it but she probably left at the cafe." Maria gave her a questioning look.
"Helen saw a cafe and felt like eating cake or something. The nanny was there so I couldn't refuse and that's why it took us longer. I also had to pay for the cafe bills. I'll try to save money." Athena gave quick replies and cleared all her mother's doubts.
They both went down to eat. Helen was sitting there waiting for the pair of mother daughter, to arrive.
The three started there lunch, Athena looked at her mother who was talking to Helen. Trying to create a mother-daughter bond.
Athena tried to avert her gaze, when she was her mother tried to gobble down bread. Athena knew her was trying to lose weight to Han. ``Darling, you couldn't be any more wrong.' The low carb diet had not been introduced yet, there is still 2-3 years. 'Let's see if she still eats bread after 2-3 year.'
Athena tried not to laugh out loud.
The lunch finished peacefully, Maria and the two sisters went to the garden, where Maria only conversed with Helen.
Athena was happy she had the time to think and have a fresh mind from the open area.
…
During dinner.
The family conversed happily, Maria 'complained' on not give Athena so mu, it would spoil her since he never had so much money before and wasn't used to it.
It worked. Han felt more pity for his daughter, who couldn't have $500 to spend.
"Athena you can spend as much as you like, you deserve it." Han said with a fatherly smile.
Helen felt weird, she was uncomfortable of how lovingly her father was looking at someone else other than her.
Athena felt her sister's emotional turmoil and reached out to hold her hand, which was under the table.
Give her sister's hand a squeeze and pat. From her memories she knew her sister had crave the fatherly love after her mother's death. But because of her she didn't get it.
This made Helen more quiet and timid.
…
The dinner finished.
Han felt that he had neglected his daughter and therefore felt guilty.
But somehow 'Han' had forgotten how he had given the mother-daughter monthly allowance of $5000. 'Where did that money go?'
Han had also given them extra money because Athena was regularly sick.
But these logical thoughts were somehow forgotten because of the continuous chatter of Maira. The hardships Maria talked about after there nightly activities, regularly only made Han think of their hardships.
…..
Athena met up with her sister. They were currently in her room.
"Did you see what happened during dinner? Maria will continue to do this small tricks of making Han closer to me. Acting pitiful and making guilty is the easiest way. I know you love him because he is your father, but he doesn't deserve you. Don't feel sad." Athena said, she had noticed her previous moods during dinner every time Han looked at her with fatherly love.
She knew about how Helen was feeling and Athena knew it was completely reasonable.
She had felt that way before.
…
Helen left the room and headed to her bedroom. She took a shower fro 10 - 15 minutes. She felt so much more calm talking to each other.
Helen was after all a smart girl, she knew what other people thought of her sister and Maria. If people knew that Maria had tried to kill her mother, they would blame Maria and Athena but, Helen believed Athena.
When learning about her mother's death, Helen was angry and had ideas of revenge, but Athena was there telling and helping her.
Helen knew that Athena was also a smart girl, she would go against her mother because she probably had her own reasons.
Probably Athena had gone through her own set off hardships with that devilish woman.
…
Athena on the other had taken her shower and was now lying in bed with her body limp. She was snoring her heart out.
She looked really relaxed. But her brain was 55% awake.
You know what they say, habits don't die easily.