Chapter 375
“I can’t find her p>
“I can’t find her anymore p>
“I… can’t find her p>
Donald repeated the words three times as Penelope walked away, his voice trailing behind her. Of course he couldn’t find her. Twenty years ago, Edith had been released from prison and changed her name to Rachel Laurier. The world no longer had an Edith. It was a complete and final erasure.
Penelope strode out of the garden and didn’t look back, not even as she drove away.
Back in the city, she was about to call Timothy when he called her first. “Dad bought a ticket for next Wednesday. He said we don’t need to go pick him up. He’s busy saying proper goodbyes to his old friends and won’t have time for us for a few days p>
Before Penelope could say anything, Timothy sent her a photo of the train ticket. It was for the following Wednesday.
“Alright. I’ll pick him up from the station on Wednesday, then p>
“I don’t have class that morning. We can go together p>
“Okay p>
Just as she hung up, a notification popped up on her phone. A deposit of $68,000— the money from the sale of the house. She called her father, but it was loud on his end. He said he was at the park, singing with his old friends. They only spoke for a moment before he hung up. Neither of them mentioned the money. He trusted her, and she understood his intentions.
Theodore had a business dinner that night, so Penelope went straight to the Johnson estate and had dinner with Mr. Johnson. Afterward, they took a walk around the neighborhood. But her mind was consumed by the garden and its meticulously cared-for flowers.
“How long have you known Donald?” she asked suddenly. It occurred to her that the Stapletons and the Bishops were old family friends, and with Mr. Johnson being Hans’ protégé, he would know Donald well.
“Many years. I first got to know the Bishops through the Stapletons, and then became familiar with Hans and Donald p>
“Did you… did you ever know Edith p>
“I heard her name, but I never met her p>
“Who did you hear it from p>
Mr. Johnson paused. “Why the sudden interest p>
Penelope debated telling him that she was Edith and Donald’s daughter but decided against it. She didn’t want to be labeled as Donald’s
child; the thought was ren Donald’s
“I acquired one of Edith’s paintings at an auction. Donald asked to borrow today He wants to hold an
exhibition for her. I refused p>
“If you don’t want to lend it, you don’t have to. Don’t feel pressured because of me
or the Stapletons p>
He had misunderstood her. “I’m just curious about their relationship p>
“You asked who I heard her name from, didn’t you p>
“Yes p>
“Mrs. Bishop p>
“Her p>
“To the public, she and Donald are a loving couple, but in private, they fight constantly. The arguments are always explosive, and the trigger is always Edith.” “But… why p>
“On several occasions, in front of outsiders like us, Mrs. Bishop would break down and scream at Donald ‘What does Edith have that I don’t? Why can’t you love me? Why can’t you spare even a fraction of the love you have for her and give it to mes suppose that’s the reason. Donald doesn’t love Mrs. Bishop. He only loves Edith p>
“But he abandoned Edith to marry Mrs. Bishop. How do you explain that p>
“I don’t know the whole truth. I’ve
the
only heard bits and pieces from Mrs.
Bishop. She said that back then, Mr.
Hans Bishop refused to let Donald
marry Edith. But Donald was so deeply in love that he was willing to culties
cut ties with his family. He went
ahead and married Edith anyway p>
“After they moved out of the Bishop estate, they struggled financially. Edith couldn’t handle the hardship and ended up cheating on him with a wealthy man. Donald still loved her, but his pride wouldn’t let him forgive her. So he divorced Edith and then married Mrs. Bishop p>