Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Esther pulled out her phone to call Jasper from the cab’s backseat. “Jasper, it’s me. My daughters are in Sunflower Welfare.” Jasper arched his brow and asked, “How do you know?” Esther told him about how she and Felix had worked together, and Jasper asked with a frown, “Esther, do you fully believe what a child says? Aren’t you afraid that it’s a trap?” “I can’t care as much now. Even if there’s only a sliver of a chance, I want to give it a go.” Jasper replied, “Alright, we’ll meet at the welfare home later.”

“Okay.” Esther had lost her freedom behind bars for five years. Now that she sat in the backseat of the cab, she appreciated the bright neon lights of the city at night. The cool breeze kissed her face, and she took a deep breath before smiling genuinely. This was the smell of freedom. The map showed that Sunflower Welfare was on the other side of the city. Even though it was not peak hours, the roads were still congested. The experienced cab driver ended up stuck on the overpass a kilometer away from the welfare home. “Mister, may I know how long till we’re there?” The cab driver swiped the navigation app and pointed at the red route. “At least 20 minutes with how we’re currently stuck.” “Isn’t it just one kilometer?” Esther asked anxiously. “From the map, it is only one kilometer, but we can’t turn left right away after the overpass. We have to go up front and make a U-turn at the junction. You saw it too.

They’re building a subway here…” Esther paid for the sum on the meter. “Mister, I’ve paid you. Please unlock the door. I’ll get off now.” The cab driver agreed easily. “Watch out for the cars, miss.” Esther saw Sunflower Welfare once she got out of the car. With her bag, she ran toward where her daughters were at. The night breeze swept her hair, and her heart thumped. Just as she ran off the overpass, an ambulance sped past her, its siren blaring. Her shoes did not fit. Despite that, she was eager to meet her daughters, so she ran so fast that her heart felt like it was leaping out of her throat. Impatient drivers were honking in a frenzy as they were stuck in the congestion. The loud honks drowned the ringing of Esther’s phone in her purse. In the end, she held her flats in her hands and ran for Sunflower Welfare with some stumbling. When she dropped her shoes to wear them again, a luxurious Bentley car stopped beside her. Jasper, who was in a suit, got out from the back and caringly helped Esther to the car’s backseat when he saw the blood on her feet. The affluent heir slowly crouched down and attentively picked up Esther’s foot to wipe the blood off with his handkerchief. “Esther, this is your first time meeting the girls. You have to leave them with a good impression.” Esther looked at Jasper’s hair and pulled her foot back in embarrassment. “I can do it myself.” “I’ll do it. Tidy your hair so that we can meet them sooner.” Jasper placed Esther’s feet on his knees and wiped the blood off softly until they were all clean. After he saw the blisters on her toes and heels, he asked with a frown, “Esther, the shoes don’t fit?” “I wear shoes of size 37 now.” Esther did wear size 36 before she was pregnant, but her shoe size went up a notch after she gave birth. The shoes Jasper had sent over were size 36.

Esther could still fit in them if she squeezed her feet in. It was just that the shoes were too small and gave her blisters. Jasper paused before he said apologetically, “Sorry, I thought you were still wearing size 36. Hold on. I’ll get my assistant to bring a new pair.” “Jasper, it’s fine. I’d like to see the kids first.”

Jasper could only agree weakly. “Alright.” At the same time, he texted his assistant to send size 37 shoes over. Esther stood wearing the relatively small shoes. Her feet still hurt. Compared to the joy of meeting her daughter soon, though, the pain was nothing. “Jasper, let’s go in.” Jasper put out a hand to help Esther, who was not walking quite well into Sunflower Welfare slowly. When the security guards saw how they were dressed and the outstanding aura they exuded, they thought they were a couple who came here to adopt a child. They greeted them warmly. “Are you two here to adopt a child?

Children here are very well behaved…” “I’m here to make a donation.” The guard beamed at them upon hearing what Jasper said. “Hold on. I’ll let the director know right now.” Sunflower Welfare was a charity project, but there were plenty of orphans, most of whom were terminally ill. Although the financial and management situation was not the worst, it was not easy. The security guard made a call, and Camila Jenner welcomed Jasper and Esther to the guest lounge personally. Camila praised them.

“You two make a great pair. I thank you for your kindness on behalf of the children here.” Jasper placed a check of $150,000 in front of Camila. “Madam Jenner, a pair of twin girls were sent over in August five years ago, correct?” Camila’s expression looked unnatural for a moment before she pushed some stray hair away and answered with reservation, “I wasn’t the director yet five years ago, so I’m not too sure about the particular situation.” Esther opened her purse with shaky hands and took out Pixie and Tinkerbell’s photo to place it in front of her. “Madam Jenner, can I see them?” Camila picked up the photo and took a closer look after putting on her glasses. “This is Pixie and Tinkerbell. Who are you to them?” “I’m their mother,” Esther admitted eagerly. Camila put down the photo and scanned Esther judgingly for a few seconds before saying gently, “I can see that you’re quite well-to-do. Why did you abandon your daughters?” Esther’s heart ached. She had delivered prematurely in prison five years ago. The doctor had said back then that it was critical as her premature labor caused an amniotic fluid embolism. The doctor had done their best and only managed to save the mother. She had not even gotten to see her babies when they were taken away. All these years, Esther had been under the impression that her children were no longer around. If Bradley and Liliane’s son, Felix, did not need her bone marrow, she guessed that a cruel man like Bradley would permanently punish her by separating her and her children. “They were born in prison.” Camila actually did not ask further after hearing this.

She just asked, “Are you here to bring them back from the home?” “Yes.” Esther wanted to take her kids back. She wanted to compensate for the five years she owed them. “According to the procedure, we can’t let you take them away for the time being. After all, we can’t just believe what you said. I think we’ll get the officials tomorrow as witnesses and do a maternity test with you and the kids. Once we confirm that you’re their mother, we’ll further discuss it.” Esther understood Camila’s considerations and worries, so she naturally agreed. “Can I see them now?” Camila checked the time on her watch. Before she could answer, Jasper pushed a bank card to her. She kept the check and the bank card and got up to take them to the lobby outside the office. There were children reading books in twos and threes.

Esther looked over and spotted the girl crying in the corner at first glance.