Later that evening, Elena's secretary called to inform her that the cleaning crew had finished their work. "The place is spotless, ma'am," she said. "They got rid of all the dust and dirt."
Elena nodded, even though the secretary couldn't see her. "Okay, no problem. Thank you for taking care of that."
As she chatted with her secretary, Elena suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I need to go furniture shopping tomorrow."
After finishing her call, Elena turned to her mother. "That was my secretary, Mother. I'm so glad we're together again."
Her mother looked at her curiously. "Why didn't we go back to your father's house?"
Elena's expression turned serious. "A lot has changed, Mother. It's not safe for you there. They might hurt you."
Her mother shook her head, but Elena could see the concern in her eyes. Elina tried to reassure her, using a babyish tone. "Don't worry, Mother. I'm here now. Besides, don't you miss me?"
Her mother smiled, her eyes warm with love. "Of course, I miss my sweet daughter."
Elena asked, pretending to be curious, "But, Mother, how did you suddenly get better?"
Her mother smiled again, her eyes twinkling. "I guess miracles do happen after all."
Elena breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that her mother didn't suspect the truth. She had made a deal, trading half of her life to save her mother, but she couldn't bring herself to tell her mother about it.
********************
The next morning, Elena ordered breakfast for herself and her mother. As they ate, Elina prepared for work. "You'll be fine, right?" she asked her mother.
Her mother reassured her, "Yes. I'll be fine."
Elena reminded her, "I'll be going to work, and then I'll pick out some furniture for our new house. And don't forget, your fake funeral is this afternoon."
Her mother had already been briefed on the plan and was happy with it. Elena bid her mother farewell, "Love you, Mother."
As Elena headed to the office, her secretary was waiting for her. At the office, Elena overheard some employees gossiping about her mother's supposed passing. Derek handed a cup of coffee to a coworker, Stephan, who said, "I really feel Miss Elena's pain."
Just then, Elena burst into the room, surprising everyone. "Is this how you guys gossip? I didn't pay you to gossip here!" The employees were shocked and quickly apologized, scattering to their seats.
Elena walked away, her heels clicking on the floor. She spent the morning attending to files in her office. Her secretary entered, saying, "Ma'am, you have a visitor."
Before Elena could ask who it was, Felix walked in, holding a bouquet of flowers. Elena signaled for her secretary to leave, and Felix approached her desk. "Hi, Elena, my beautiful wife-to-be."
Elena took the flowers from him, dropping them on the table. "Why are you here?" she asked curtly.
Felix smiled. "I just wanted to see my wife-to-be. I felt it was necessary."
Elena raised an eyebrow, skeptical of his intentions.
Felix sat down, crossing his leg, and said, "Well, I'm sorry about your mom's passing, but that's too bad she didn't get to see her handsome son-in-law."
Elena raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. Felix continued, "Besides, I think after the funeral, we'll be meeting. You have to come over this evening. Your father asked me to tell you that we'll be having dinner to discuss the wedding."
Elena's expression turned cold. "Meeting?"
Felix smiled. "I was asked to bring you to the meeting, so can you tell me where you stay now? I heard you no longer stay at home."
Elina's eyes narrowed. "Never mind. I'll be there."
Felix's smile grew wider. "No, no, no, no. I want to be the one to pick you up."
Elena's voice was firm. "What time is the dinner?"
Felix replied, "Seven or eight."
Elena nodded. "Fine. I'll hang around and tell you my location."
Felix stood up, trying to touch her cheek. "That's exactly what you should be saying, my beautiful wife-to-be."
Elena pushed his hand away. "Just stop it, will you?"
Felix's smile turned annoying. "You're resisting me, but mind you, we'll be getting married soon, and all this will belong to me. Then you won't be able to resist again."
Elena's face twisted in offense. She felt like slapping him out of the room. "What kind of rubbish are you talking?"
Felix blew her a kiss and headed out. "See you at the funeral this afternoon."
As soon as he left, Elena muttered under her breath, "Bastard."
**********************
After a long day of work, Elena decided to call her secretary and head to one of the most expensive furniture stores in town. As she entered the store, she was greeted by the staff.
"Welcome, ma'am. We're honored to have you here."
Elena began browsing the store, pointing out the items she wanted. "I need golden chairs,"
Her secretary replied, "Ma'am, I think white chairs will be better."
Elena nodded. "Okay, white chairs then."
She continued shopping, selecting a 12-inch plasma TV, a set of dining tables, curtains, a kitchen cabinet, and everything else she needed to furnish her new home.
As she finished her shopping, Elena instructed the store staff, "I'll send a truck to pick up everything this evening, and once I've confirmed everything, I'll send the payment."
The staff assured her, "Everything will be ready by this evening, ma'am."
Elena took a final walk around the store, admiring the furniture she had chosen. She spotted a beautiful white chair and exclaimed, "Oh my God, this chair is heavenly!"
She also picked out a pink fluffy chair for her bedroom, a small TV, and a few other items. With her shopping complete, Elena left the store, feeling satisfied and excited to start her new life.
***********************
Elena returned to the hotel, where her mother was asleep. After a quick shower, Elena gently woke her mother.
"I'm so sorry, Mother. I just wanted to let you know I'm back," Elena said.
Her mother rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Don't worry about me, just go and sort everything out. Make everything right, okay?"
Elena smiled. "And guess what? We'll be moving to our new house tomorrow, probably in the afternoon."
Her mother's face lit up with excitement.
Elena got dressed in a black gown and sunglasses, preparing to attend her mother's fake funeral. She drove to the funeral venue, where she was greeted by her father and stepmother.
Her stepmother approached her, feigning sympathy. "I'm so sorry about your loss. I can only imagine how alone you must feel now."
Elena's expression remained stoic. "It's better this way. At least she's at peace now."
As Elena walked through the venue, she saw her mother's picture hanging, surrounded by flowers. She bowed her head, pretending to mourn.
Felix appeared beside her, his presence unwelcome. "Sorry again about your mother's passing."
Elena's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Felix?"
Felix smiled. "I hope you're preparing for dinner this evening. Our wedding plans will be discussed."
Elena's voice was icy. "Do I look like someone who can't remember things? You already told me about the dinner, and I agreed."
Felix's smile faltered. "I just wanted to remind you, considering your mother's passing. You might be a bit... forgetful."
Elena's eyes flashed with anger. "Are you insulting me?"
Felix held up his hands. "I'm just trying to be nice."
Elena's expression turned cold. "Save it for someone else."