"Mom... I'm sorry," Abigail said with tears streaming down her face while feeling both warm and guilty inside.
"It's okay. You have your own path to follow. All I can do as a mother is to make sure I cook your favorite meals and wait for you to come back home," Scarlett said gently.
From the moment Abigail returned until she sat down to eat pasta, she felt like she was in a dream that was not quite real.
But now, she truly felt like she was back.
Everything at home was just as it was before, and everyone was waiting and thinking for her.
It felt good.
"Oh my! I need to get back to making breakfast. What would you like to drink? I'll make it for you," Scarlett said, nudging Abigail aside.
Abigail smelled something burnt and laughed. "I'll have some coffee. I'm going back to Quinn Village later to see Grandma, so I need to be alert."
"Sure thing," Scarlett replied.
Abigail sat back in the dining room and watched the morning sun cast its golden glow outside. After six months of drifting, her heart finally found its anchor back home.
After finishing breakfast, Abigail boarded a plane back to Pendorf.
Instead of heading straight to Quinn Village, she decided to make a stop at the mall.
Six months had passed, yet Pendorf remained unchanged.
As Abigail wandered around, she unconsciously found herself on the commercial street where Graham International was located.
She looked up at the skyscraper belonging to Graham International, and her thoughts began drifting a little too far.
At eleven o'clock in the afternoon, employees poured out of Graham International with smiles on their faces.
Abigail felt a twinge of unease and slipped into a nearby coffee shop. She pretended to order a drink, but her eyes kept darting towards the entrance of Graham International.
Is Sean... doing well?
Is he really going to marry another girl?
She watched for a while, but Sean never appeared, even after everyone else had left.
Abigail let out a sigh. Yeah, when he's busy, it's always Xavien who directly calls for meals.
Just as she was about to leave, she noticed Kevin's car slowly pulling up in front of Graham International.
Abigail craned her neck to see.
Kevin stepped out of the car and swiftly moved to the other side to open the door for her.
A pretty girl got out of the car. She looked lively, with a smile on her face as she chatted with him.
Kevin reciprocated her warmth with a friendly demeanor, though maintaining a respectful distance, much like he did with Abigail in the past.
While observing the interaction, Abigail's actions halted as if frozen in time.
It wasn't until the sound of her phone hitting the ground broke her reverie that she snapped back to reality. She quickly picked it up, placed a random order, and walked to the side to wait.
Is that girl Sean's current girlfriend?
Abigail entered with her belongings and noticed the yard's flowers and plants were withered and overrun with weeds. She felt guilty knowing Analise hadn't been doing well during her six-month absence.
"Where have you been for the past six months? Do you know how worried I was about you? You didn't even give me a phone call!" Analise continued scolding after closing the door.
Once inside, Abigail set down her things and turned to hug Analise. "I went to take care of some things. Grandma, I'm sorry."
"Sorry doesn't mean anything!" Analise burst out.
She was genuinely concerned about Abigail, but she was also upset that the latter had left without a word.
"Then you can scold me a bit." Abigail tried to lighten the mood.
"Don't try to charm me. I'm getting old. Can't you explain your actions to me?!" Analise wasn't buying it.
This time, Abigail had been gone not just for a day or two but for a whole six months without a single phone call, as if she had vanished into thin air.
Analise had gone to the Pearsons numerous times to inquire, but they claimed to have no news.
Countless times, day and night, Analise woke up from her dreams in fear. She dreamed that Abigail had fallen into the sea and no one rescued her. She sank into the sea and disappeared completely.
"I'm sorry, Grandma," Abigail sincerely apologized.
"Are you hungry?" Analise didn't want to dwell on the topic anymore. "You haven't eaten. I'll make something for you. Reflect on your actions because I won't forgive you easily. If you leave without a word again next time, I'll pretend I never had a granddaughter like you!"
Abigail murmured in agreement. "Next time I leave, I'll definitely tell Grandma."
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