After Scarlett left, I sat frozen on the couch.
My husband, Elio Smith, came home early from work. The moment he saw me, the emotions he had been holding back burst out.
He broke down crying. "Babe, I thought I'd never see you again or live with you anymore!"
I gently patted his back as tears welled up in my own eyes.
He had been reborn, too.
The next day, we discussed how to handle everything that was about to happen.
In the middle of our conversation, the doorbell suddenly rang.
I got up to open the door, only to find Scarlett standing there with an overly sweet smile. She was holding several large gift bags, and her children stood behind her.
"Felly, I'm here to see you."
Although her voice was gentle as usual, I could sense the fakeness hidden in her words.
I looked at her coldly, sneering silently in my heart. But on the surface, I calmly stood aside to invite them into the house. "Come in. Just make yourself at home."
My tone was flat, stripped of the warmth I once had in my past life.
Scarlett walked into the living room, set the gifts down, and pulled her children closer. "Kids, come over and say hi."
The twins obediently greeted us but sounded timid.
Elio came out of the kitchen. When he saw Scarlett and her kids, a flash of disgust crossed his eyes, but he quickly masked it with composure.
"Ms. Thorne, what brings you here? Have a seat. What do you need from us?" Elio's tone was direct, not a hint of small talk.
Scarlett acted as if she didn't notice our coldness. She forced a few tears and began to sob.
"As my health has been declining recently, I can't stop worrying about my kids. I know you two are kind-hearted people, so I'm wondering if you…"
Scarlett went on and on about how hard things had been for her, subtly hinting that she wanted us to adopt the kids.
Elio and I exchanged a glance and caught the mockery in each other's eyes. Yet, we stayed patiently and responded politely.
"I knew you wouldn't turn your back on me. You saved my life before. If you could take in my kids, I could finally rest in peace."
Scarlett grabbed my hand with her tearful eyes.
I let my eyes glisten a little to feign empathy as I held her hand to comfort her.
"Hey, don't be so pessimistic. Medicine has come a long way, and new treatments and drugs are being developed all the time. You're still young, and I'm sure a miracle could happen!"
I got up and reached for my car keys.
"I actually know a few top oncologist specialists. I'll take you to the hospital today for a full checkup. Maybe there's still hope."
Scarlett's expression froze and stiffened. Her gaze darted nervously as she instinctively took a step back.
"No need to go through all that trouble. I've already done tons of checkups before."
Feigning confusion, I looked at her with concern. "Oh, come on. One more test can give you peace of mind. Maybe a more advanced treatment is available now.
"Don't turn it down. I'm sure your kids would want you to get better, too. Am I right, kids?"
As I spoke, I smiled at the twins hiding behind her.
Before Scarlett could say more, I tugged at her arm jokingly and walked toward the door. "Come on, the car is right downstairs. We're doing this checkup today. No excuses."
Her body stiffened immediately. Panic flashed in her eyes as she tried to pull away.
Then, she suddenly smacked her forehead, as if she had just remembered an urgent matter. "Oh, I almost forgot! The daycare teacher just texted me. The kids forgot something important, and I need to send it over right now. I really can't go today."
With that, she quickly yanked her hand free.
She ignored her children's flinching and snatched her bag off the floor.
Not even wearing her shoes properly, she bolted for the door.
"Next time! We'll go next time!" she blurted before slamming the door shut behind her.
Her footsteps faded quickly down the hallway.
A few days after Scarlett's panicked escape, I got a call from an unfamiliar number.
The moment I picked up, an anxious voice came through the line.
"Hello, is this Ms. Felicity Quinn? This is the city police department. Scarlett Thorne has passed away in an accident. You're listed as her emergency contact, so we need you to confirm her identity."
Elio and I exchanged a glance and rushed to the scene.
The police had brought the two children with them.
Their faces were tear-streaked, and they looked pitiful.
However, Elio and I weren't the soft-hearted fools we had been in our past lives.
We remembered all too well how the two children had joined Scarlett in setting us up.
Sure enough, while we were talking to the officers, Scarlett's son, Caleb, secretly signalled his little sister, Charlene, with a knowing look.
His scheming look was far too sharp for an eight-year-old.
When the police asked about the children's placement, Caleb intentionally dropped to his knees with a loud thud and cried out, "Ms. Quinn, Mommy is gone! You're all we have left! Please adopt me and my sister. We promise we'll be obedient."
Watching his little act, I scoffed inwardly but remained calm.
Elio helped Caleb up and said gently, "Hey, don't say that. Don't worry. I believe your grandparents and relatives won't abandon you."
Caleb took a step closer and clutched tightly at my sleeves. His voice trembled with sobs and desperation.
"Ms. Quinn, please take us in. We don't have parents or a home. We'll do anything. We can clean, cook, or whatever you need… Please…"
Charlene peeked out timidly from behind him. "Ms. Quinn, I promise I'll be good."
When I still didn't respond, Caleb dropped to his knees again and cried out, "Ms. Quinn, did you forget? My mom saved your life! She risked everything for you! Now that she's gone and we've got no one else, how can you turn your back on us?"
Charlene started crying too, wrapping her arms around my leg. "Ms. Quinn, if you don't take us in, Mommy won't be able to rest in peace!
"Mommy always talked about how you're the person she cared about most. She got sick while trying to rescue you back then. Now that she's gone, you're all we have left. How could you let your saviour's children end up on the streets?"
