83. A Man from Her Past (4)

Ashley searched through tons of articles about her family, Josh's family, and what incidents had happened all this time.

Ever since she was forced to return to Auckland, the pain in her heart made her not want to know anything about anything concerning her family. She seemed to leave everything behind. That's why she really didn't know anything.

Her head was throbbing with pain when she finally ended her search and closed her phone. The news she had just gotten made her shoulders slump instantly. It was as if her energy and life had evaporated without a trace.

Until a knock on her bedroom door finally woke Ashley up from her empty reverie.

"Miss, it's me. I brought you a snack."

Mrs. Go's voice came from behind the door.

“Yes, come in,” Ashley said, and the woman walked in.

She walked over to Ashley who was sitting in front of her dressing table. She placed the tray she was carrying on the empty part of the table.

"You didn't come down for breakfast earlier. Mrs. Gu got nagged because you also refused when she brought you breakfast."

Ashley just stayed silent. She turned her head, and her eyes stared unfocused out the window right beside her.

"Your stomach must be uncomfortable from the long journey yesterday. You didn't even have time to eat lunch."

Again, there was no response. Ashley felt she had no answer to the woman's curiosity. She didn't know why she chose to sacrifice her breakfast time this morning—either because she just doesn't have an appetite, or her body was still too tired from the events, or perhaps her heart couldn't bear to face her parents again.

Even though her stomach rumbled a few times indicating that she was actually hungry.

But when Mrs. Gu came and brought her a tray with a full breakfast menu, her stomach churned violently. The buildup of pressure in her head and the outburst of her emotions created a nauseating and twisting sensation that instantly made her completely lose her appetite.

She vomited and was in pain. But she told no one and held it in. Until it all slowly subsided on its own.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Go, who knew Ashley's habits and body condition, could probably sense that she was not okay.

“Shall I make some pumpkin porridge to make you feel better?”

Ashley sighed, "I'm not hungry. I'll just eat the snack you brought."

Mrs. Go smiled. "Okay. But make sure you finish it. I didn't use flour and just coated it with a little honey."

The woman picked up the comb on the make-up shelf and began to gently comb Ashley's loose hair. “From today on, we may not see each other often, Miss.”

Ashley lifted her head and turned her body to face Mrs. Go. She stared at the woman with silently rounded eyes. Mrs. Go knew that the girl in her care was demanding an explanation even though there was no verbal question.

"Madam asked me to return to being her personal assistant. And I'm going back to my own home.”

Ashley's forehead furrowed deeply. "All of a sudden? Can't you just stay here?“

”This house has Mrs. Gu looking after it. I can't stay here and disturb her. I'll be seen as trying to take her job," Mrs. Go laughed lowly, considering herself successful at cracking a joke.

But that didn't make Ashley laugh. Instead, it made her feel even worse.

And Mrs. Go, who saw the look on Ashley's face, immediately realized that she had chosen the wrong phrase.

"I'm not saying we won't meet at all. We will definitely still cross paths often."

“But you still won't take care of me anymore,” the expression on Ashley's face was still sour.

Mrs. Go inhaled slowly. She put the comb she was still holding back onto the table, then knelt in front of Ashley to level their line of sight.

"I can't take care of you forever, Miss. You're getting married," Emotion suddenly welled up inside her chest. Making it tight and punching it massively. There was no blood bond between the two of them, but facing the fact that the little girl in her care had become a grown-up girl and was about to get married, made Mrs. Go overwhelmed by sadness.

But no matter how close the bond that eventually created naturally between her and Ashley, she still had no authority. She took care of Ashley and raised her because that's what she was told to do. And now, when her duty was considered complete, she had to obey her employer's orders.

It took all of Mrs. Go's willpower to keep her tears from welling up and flooding her face. Ashley had suffered enough from carrying so many burdens. She couldn't add to the girl's mind by letting the girl see her sadness.

“I'm sure your husband will take better care of you than what I did.”

Ashley gritted her teeth. "My parents, they sold me, Mrs. Go. They wanted the new town people talked about. I hear they also have a good law firm. I guess that's the kind of profit they want." She spoke passionately, as if her heart could no longer hold all the turmoil. "Do you know what they used to force me, Mrs. Go?" Her eyebrows bent downward. Pain was clearly drawn on the tired lines of her face.

“They were going to kill my mother if I refused.”

Mrs. Go could imagine what Ashley’s parents might do to make that marriage happen. But she didn't think they would be so desperate to take advantage of the woman who was in a coma.

She couldn't keep the shocked expression off her face. And Ashley could see that reaction. 

Until now, apart from her parents, the only one who knew that Ashley already knew about the truth that she was not her mother's biological daughter was Mrs. Go. While her uncles and aunts just pretended not to know anything.

A bitter taste suddenly rose up in Mrs. Go’s throat and made her feel suffocating.

“I've always hoped that you could get out of all this and find your own happiness, Miss,” Mrs. Go paused, arranging her sentences to sound a little more comforting to the girl, "And I thought that getting married might be a way out for you. Regardless of Master and Madam’s plan, what do you think of Mr. Lim? I heard that you were friends back in school. And I saw that he was very nice to you last night."

'I liked him once, Mrs. Go.'

'And I think I still like him now.'

'But back then my feelings were unrequited.'

That was what she wanted to say, about her feelings and what was really going on between her and Josh.

But Ashley just shook her head, "I don't know him very well. But being with him is probably not worse than being under my parents' control."