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This was a rather simply decorated but very clean hospital ward, with good daylighting and ventilation.
Amanda Jenkins walked in, and seeing the woman lying on the bed with a slightly pale face, her heart softened, and the tip of her nose felt slightly sour as she choked up, "Mom..."
She leaned against the side of the hospital bed, resting her head gently on her mother's pillow, as tears silently fell from her eyes.
After all these years, no matter how much life tormented her, she had never easily shed a tear.
She thought she had become strong enough and had sworn to become even stronger.
But by her mother's side, she was ultimately just a fragile child...
After a long time, Amanda's voice became hoarse as she said, "He appeared..."
"I almost forgot about him, yet he found me at this time... I thought we would never see each other again in this lifetime..."
"I'm so tired..." Amanda lifted her head, her tearful eyes blurry as she looked towards her mother Melissa Thompson, "Mom, what do you think I should do?"
There was no response.
Melissa Thompson seemed to be in an eternal slumber, with only her faint breath proving she was still alive.
Seven years ago, on the day Yvonne Gough first arrived at the Jenkins Family, mom had tumbled down the stairs, been injured, and had since lived in the hospital.
Later, another accident occurred in the hospital.
From that moment on, mom had become a vegetative patient.
The doctor said there was not an impossible chance of recovery, but the possibility was rather slim.
Initially, dad had insisted on giving mom the best treatment, but there was no improvement after two years of treatment.
Latterly, as Yvonne Gough became more influential in the household, dad gave up on mom's treatment and sent her to this sanatorium.
Since there had been love between husband and wife, even though this sanatorium was located in a secluded area, it was still the best in Brocade City.
But Amanda was not satisfied.
She raised her hand to gently stroke Melissa Thompson's face; her mom was so beautiful, she shouldn't lie here like a corpse, especially when the doctor had said there was a chance for recovery.
Even if the hope was slim, she had to try.
She had talked to her father, asking him to send mom to the best hospital abroad for treatment, but Yvonne Gough disagreed.
For this reason, Yvonne Gough even personally invited several authoritative foreign doctors to check on her, and they all said that there was no chance for recovery.
She didn't believe it, nor would she ever give up!
Amanda lifted her head, blinking her reddened eyes.
Don't cry; mom would feel even sadder if she knew she was crying.
Wiping the tears off her face fiercely, Amanda's lips curved into a strong smile.
"Mom, don't worry, within a year I'll be able to stand on my own two feet without the Jenkins Family, and I will definitely make a lot of money and get you the best treatment. Promise me that you will wake up. When you do, I and my brother will be by your side, and our family will never be separated again."
Her eyes curved into a smile, yet they still twinkled with tearful brilliance.
That whole day, Amanda spent at the sanatorium with her mom.
Whenever she felt overwhelmed, only by visiting her mom could she find peace, summon the courage to continue facing life.
It was not until the evening that Amanda left the sanatorium.
```
Just as she walked out of the sanatorium doors, she saw Jesslyn Derei hurriedly getting out of a taxi.
"Amanda, I knew you would be here!" Jesslyn Derei ran over, anxiously looking Amanda Jenkins up and down, "Are you alright?"
Amanda Jenkins shook her head.
"I went to Griffin's Family looking for you, they said you had left early in the morning, and I had just been to your house too, where your stepmother chased me out... I couldn't get through to your phone either, I was so worried."
"My phone fell into water and broke last night."
"Right, I hadn't even thought of that." Jesslyn Derei sighed in relief, "Anyway, now that I see you're fine, I can relax."
"I have a tough life—it won't kill me." Amanda Jenkins smiled.
She had endured so many hardships in the past—what were these in comparison?
Amanda Jenkins felt she was tough as a cockroach—let the storm hit harder! She wasn't afraid!
"So, do you want to go home now or go somewhere else?"
"..." Amanda Jenkins pondered for a moment, then shook her head, "I don't know."
She was sure to face a storm at home, and she wasn't ready yet; she didn't want to confront it for the time being.
"Why don't we go for a drink?" Jesslyn Derei excitedly linked arms with Amanda Jenkins, "You helped me out last night, and I haven't properly thanked you for it. Come on, it's my treat. Tonight we'll hit the bars!"
"The bar?" Amanda Jenkins quickly shook her head, "I've heard it's expensive, and you know, I never go to bars and I don't drink."
As far as Amanda Jenkins was concerned, alcohol not only tasted bad, but it could also rob one of their sense.
She liked to stay alert at all times; she needed a clear mind to tell her what to do.
Once drunk, it was easy to reveal one's flaws and weaknesses, and some secrets unknown to others.
She didn't want people to see into her heart.
"Oh, don't worry about the money for me. I got a good amount for modeling at Griffin's place last night, and if it hadn't been for you showing up, I probably wouldn't have gotten paid." Jesslyn Derei pulled Amanda Jenkins into the car, "It's the best bar in Brocade City; I've never been there before. Please come with me to have some fun, just to relax and also to celebrate your brilliant design from last night!"
Jesslyn Derei came from an ordinary family; she had just graduated from college and relied on modeling jobs to get by, so she naturally had never been to such a place.
But she had always heard many top celebrities frequented 'the bar', and she wanted to see it for herself.
The cocktails mixed in 'the bar' were famously delicious, and even Amanda Jenkins, who didn't like alcohol, found them tasty.
Naturally, the two young girls didn't realize that cocktails, though sweet, could pack a punch.
After half a cocktail, both their faces were flushed with a rosy glow.
Excited by the alcohol, Jesslyn Derei grabbed Amanda Jenkins's hand, asking eagerly, "Amanda, come clean with me, when did you meet Young Lord Griffin? He was so handsome last night! You have no idea how many girls were swooning over him in the audience! Tell me, when did you two hit it off? How come I didn't know about it at all?"
Amanda Jenkins's smile stiffened for a moment, and she took a sip of her drink, avoiding eye contact, "No, I don't know him, and you're my best friend; don't you know that?"
"I indeed haven't seen you two interact." Jesslyn Derei scratched her head in confusion, then suddenly thought of something and quickly persisted, "Right, what about that year you disappeared—were you with him? Every time I asked you where you were and what you were doing that year, you never told me! There's got to be a secret, right?"
Amanda Jenkins stopped talking and continued to drink in silence.
Jesslyn Derei circled the table to sit next to her, cajoling in every way, "Just tell me, please... I'm begging you, please tell me..."
They had chosen a secluded spot on the first floor at the corner, completely unaware that this corner was directly in view of a certain booth upstairs.
A pair of eyes had already fixed on them...