I Slept with My Boss and Ran Away

Justin’s revelation shook Meredith to her core. “Chloe is my mother?” she asked in disbelief. “How is that possible? How do you know?”

Justin explained, “I recently met with Mr. Oakley. He shared that Chloe had been to the orphanage inquiring about you. You have a birthmark on your waist, and Mr. Oakley mentioned that Chloe’s daughter had the same mark.”

Meredith was stunned, her thoughts racing back to Chloe’s strange behaviors and the odd questions Justin had previously asked. “That explains it…” she murmured. It made sense why Chloe had deliberately knocked over the sauce bowl and why she had tried to peek at Meredith’s waist.

“And she’s not married and doesn’t have children, right?” Meredith questioned, the irony not lost on her that her own mother was someone she felt indifferent towards. “Terrence Sterling had asked his mother, and it was confirmed Chloe wasn’t married and had no children.”

Justin speculated, “I guess Chloe must have her reasons, maybe something too painful to disclose, that keeps her from acknowledging you.”

What could be so painful? The only explanation Meredith could think of was that she was a child born out of wedlock, hidden from the world. “Alright, I understand,” she said, maintaining a calm demeanor while her emotions churned inside. The news was too sudden, and she needed time to process it.

Deep down, she yearned for familial connections, but if that person was Chloe, she felt some truths might be better left unknown. If Chloe truly was her mother and chose not to acknowledge her, Meredith would not impose herself.

After Justin left, Meredith sat in the garden downstairs, her mind in turmoil. Betrayal from a friend and the truth about her origins had caught her off guard. She didn’t know how long she had been sitting there when a figure approached and sat beside her. It was Terrence Sterling. Exhausted more by emotional strain than physical tiredness, she leaned her head on his shoulder.Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.

“What did she say when you confronted her?” Meredith asked.

“She confessed,” Terrence replied, indicating that Fiona was already in police custody. If Fiona hadn’t grown up with Meredith, she wouldn’t have been treated so leniently in her arrest.

Considering Fiona’s actions, Terrence had been relatively gentle. “Did she say why she did it?” Meredith asked, struggling to keep her voice steady, the betrayal still fresh.

“It’s all in the past now. Everyone must pay for their actions,” Terrence said coldly, devoid of emotion. “The fact that she’s fully responsible and has been arrested is already a bargain for her.”

Initially, when Terrence had sent Mason to jail, he had broken his arm. The grudge against Fiona was even greater since she had targeted his child. That he hadn’t thrown Fiona off a building already was restraint on his part.

Meredith sat up straight, exhaled a troubled breath, and asked, “How many years will she get?”

“At least eight,” Terrence replied, his expression stern. “Some people can’t be taught by words alone; they need to learn through consequences.”

Meredith asked no further, her eyes downcast. “From the moment she pretended to be someone else, things changed. We can never go back to how they were,” she said. People don’t cling to what they’ve never had, but losing what one has possessed breeds resentment.

What Meredith couldn’t understand was why Fiona’s hatred was so profound that she would risk so much just to see her suffer.

Just then, Terrence’s phone rang. It was Stella, informing them that Bianca had come to the hospital to visit Meredith. Since Meredith wasn’t actually admitted, Bianca’s visit had caused some confusion.

Stella suggested they return to the hospital room. “I’ll take Meredith back first, mom. Just let them know,” Terrence said. Now that Fiona had confessed and the perpetrator was identified, Meredith didn’t need to stay at the hospital.

Hearing that Bianca had come to the hospital, Meredith, remembering Justin’s words, grasped Terrence’s hand. “Bianca came to see me; I should at least meet her. She was kind to me before, and now that she’s rushed here worried about me, it would be rude not to see her.”