Chapter 174 - 173: Everyone in the Fletcher Family Has Problems Too

Chapter 174: Chapter 173: Everyone in the Fletcher Family Has Problems Too

I quickly hid under the bed and watched the person who walked in...

It was the housekeeper.

The fact that Victor Quinn and Erin Whittaker could move about so brazenly in the Fletcher family’s home was enough to show that there was something wrong with this housekeeper.

Her name was Mrs. Wright. From the moment I first came to the Fletcher family, she had been the one personally taking care of both me and Julian Fletcher.

We called her Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Wright was forty-eight this year. She always dressed plainly and didn’t wear much makeup, which made her look a bit old for her age. But it wasn’t hard to see that her features were still quite refined; she must have been a beauty in her youth.

Mrs. Wright had a very gentle temperament and was also a smart woman. She never said more than necessary. Mrs. Fletcher trusted her a great deal, which was why she dared to entrust both me and Julian Fletcher to a single housekeeper’s care.

I hid under the bed, watching quietly.

Mrs. Wright slowly walked to the head of the bed. She stood there silently, looking down at the soundly sleeping Julian Fletcher.

I frowned, remaining hidden and on high alert.

’A housekeeper sneaking into the master’s room in the middle of the night and staring at him so strangely... Just the thought of it is creepy.’

"Mrs. Wright, what are you doing up in the middle of the night? Who are you trying to scare?" From the doorway, Erin Whittaker walked in, startled by Mrs. Wright.

The room was dim, and Mrs. Wright standing by the bed was indeed a bit terrifying.

"That medicine... Are you sure it’s not bad for the young master’s health?" Mrs. Wright finally spoke, asking in a low voice.

"Cecilia Caldwell’s death was a huge blow to Julian. He has depressive tendencies. If you hadn’t found him when he tried to kill himself before..." Erin Whittaker sighed. "We’re just doing this for his own good."

Mrs. Wright nodded. "Alright then. I was just worried about the young master. You should get some rest too, Miss Whittaker."

Mrs. Wright left, pausing for a moment at the door.

I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I felt like Mrs. Wright’s gaze was directed toward me...

My fingers clenched. I took a deep breath and didn’t dare make a sound.

’Somehow... I feel like I can’t see through anyone in the Fletcher family anymore.’

’Ironically, Julian Fletcher, the one person I could never understand before, has become the most transparent of them all...’

"Julian... you can’t blame me... You were the one who came to me first, asking me to help you get rid of Cecilia Caldwell, saying she was always clinging to you... I helped you, so you have to help me." Erin Whittaker sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Julian Fletcher’s face. "Julian, I really do love you..."

"Do you know how jealous I am of Cecilia Caldwell? Why could she get your mother’s approval, but I can’t? Am I any worse than her? If your mom hadn’t been against it, we’d probably have been engaged and married long ago, right? I wouldn’t have had to resort to such extreme measures... For you, I was even... assaulted... and got pregnant. This is what you owe me. You’ll always owe me this." Erin Whittaker’s voice went from hoarse to full of hatred.

I frowned, flattening my breathing under the bed, afraid that Erin Whittaker would discover me.

’No wonder Julian Fletcher insisted on keeping her by his side. It wasn’t just because she saved his life, but also because of guilt.’

’Julian Fletcher said Erin Whittaker’s child wasn’t his. It seems there’s more to their story...’

"Julian, you can only be mine... I don’t care if that Silvia Lynch is a real ghost or just pretending to be one, I can’t let her stay," Erin Whittaker said through clenched teeth.

She wanted to get rid of me.

Because she had a guilty conscience.

She and Victor Quinn were planning something big, and I was an obstacle.

"Get a good night’s sleep. Before long... I’ll be living by your side as Cecilia Caldwell." Erin Whittaker smiled, then stood up and left.

Once I was sure Erin Whittaker had gone, I let out a sigh of relief.

I crawled out from under the bed and glanced at Julian Fletcher...

’I used to think he was so high and mighty, but in reality, he’s just been manipulated by others all this time. How pathetic.’

"Oh, Julian Fletcher, Julian Fletcher... you’re on your own now..." Shaking my head, I turned and left.

As I quietly closed the door, I thought I felt Julian Fletcher move, but I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination.

’He couldn’t be faking it, could he?’

「...」

Back in my room, I continued to scroll through my parents’ account.

"Cece’s been diagnosed. Victor Quinn says it’s Asperger’s syndrome, a type of autism spectrum disorder. I don’t know why this happened to my child. I just want her to grow up healthy and happy."

When I was five, my parents told me I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. My only understanding of the condition was that it meant having an introverted personality and an extremely high IQ.

I scratched my head. ’Am I just the simply introverted type? Looking at my IQ... it’s just average. I remember during the college entrance exams, I burned the midnight oil just to be an ordinary good student. I was nothing compared to a genius like Asher.’

"Today is Cece’s first day of inpatient treatment. Victor Quinn said her condition isn’t serious, and with proper treatment, she’ll definitely be able to live like a normal person."

"Today is Cece’s second time being admitted for treatment. Victor Quinn says Cece is getting better and better, and she’s starting to play games with other children."

"Today is Cece’s third time being admitted for treatment. Victor Quinn says her condition has worsened."

"Shaun ran away from home today. We looked for him for a long time. He secretly snuck into the sanatorium to find Cece."

"After Shaun came back, he wouldn’t eat or drink. He’s unhappy, just lying by the door. I know he’s waiting for Cece."

The photo was taken by my mother. It showed Shaun lying by the door, his head hanging low, a desolate figure from behind.

My chest tightened painfully. My fingers gently touched the photo, wanting to reach out and touch Shaun.

I have no memory of Shaun at all, but seeing his picture still made my eyes well up with tears.

"Victor Quinn said Cece can return to a normal life and told us to come get her from the hospital. I’m so happy, I cried all last night. We can finally go pick up Cece."

According to the log, I went to Victor Quinn for treatment three separate times. The last time, I was hospitalized for half a year. The entire course of treatment lasted for a year. What did Victor Quinn do to me during that year? Why can’t I remember any of it?

That memory was as if it had been erased from my mind.

Wiped completely clean...

"Cece and Shaun."

After my first round of treatment at the mental hospital, my Shaun was still alive.

I successfully started kindergarten. Although I was a bit of an introvert, I could live normally with the other children and teachers.

When I was eight... the same year I met Asher.

I was admitted to the mental hospital again.

The reason was that I had stabbed a child at the orphanage. None of the cuts were fatal, but I scared them half to death.

The log also said I killed the orphanage’s chickens...

I rubbed my temples. Reading my mom’s records of me gave me a headache.

’Was I really that wild as a kid? Why would I kill someone’s chickens?’

The most terrifying part was... reading these records now felt like I was reading about someone else’s life.

It was as if the memories from that time didn’t belong to me at all.

’What kind of person was I, before I lost my memories?’

’Julian Fletcher was wary of me, afraid of me, yet he said he loved me...’

’The person Asher was obsessed with, protected, and loved... was also the me from back then...’

’Was the me from back then really so much better than the me I am now?’

I collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.

I was actually a little jealous of my past self.

Even though I didn’t know why I had amnesia, the me without those memories actually envied the me who had them.

"Miss, it’s time for breakfast."

Around seven-thirty, the housekeeper came knocking.

I didn’t make a sound.

Half an hour later, the housekeeper came again. "Miss, it’s time for breakfast."

I reluctantly opened the door, only to see Julian Fletcher standing outside.

"Cece, come down for breakfast." He had been about to knock, but seeing that I’d opened the door, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Did you sleep well last night?"

I looked warily at Mrs. Wright, then asked Julian Fletcher in return, "Did *you* sleep well last night?"

Mrs. Wright subconsciously glanced at me. Out of Julian Fletcher’s line of sight, she made a "shushing" gesture and then gently shook her head.

I froze for a second, my body stiffening.

’What does she mean by that? Did she realize I was in Julian Fletcher’s room last night?’