Love's New Bloom by Simone Hastings

Chapter 207 Visiting Cherry

After Simon apologized, he was ready to leave. He wanted to continue talking to Erin, but he didn’t have a good

reason to stay. He wanted. to ask for her phone number but couldn’t bring himself to ask. Finally, before leaving,

Simon gave his business card to Erin, saying that she could contact him if she ever needed any legal advice.

After accepting the business card, Erin went into the supermarket to buy groceries. Today, she was going to visit her

mother, Cherry.

Half an hour later, Erin drove to the suburbs with a big bag of fresh ingredients she bought from the supermarket.

When Erin arrived at the

villa where Cherry lived, it was almost noon.

As soon as she walked in, she saw a variety of vegetables planted in the yard. She could tell that her mother was

living a tranquil and fulfilling life. Cherry had already returned from her hometown yesterday morning.

Last night. Erin had called Cherry in advance, pretending to be an elementary school classmate who wished to visit

her. Lying to Cherry over the phone that she was Erin’s classmate felt quite weird to Erin. It was even more

dramatic than any plot one would see on screen.

Erin disguised herself as her own classmate. She would never have expected that her life would be even more

dramatic than those she

saw on television.

As she pondered that, she’d already reached the doorstep of the villa.

Before she could ring the doorbell, Cherry had already opened the door. She looked at Erin and beamed. “Are you

Pamela, Erin’s elementary school classmate?”

The moment Erin saw Cherry, blood rushed up to her head, and she was full of intense emotions. She almost

rushed over to tightly hug. Cherry and call her “Mom“.

But she held herself back. Having rehearsed it countless times in her mind before, Erin held back the overwhelming

tears. She forced a smile to conceal the excitement she felt upon seeing her mother. Smilingly, she greeted her,

saying. “Hello Cherry, I’m Pamela.”

“Welcome! Please come in.” Cherry welcomed Erin into the house warmly.

After entering the house. Erin put the groceries she bought in the kitchen. She initially wanted to cook for Cherry,

but Cherry insisted that

the guest shouldn’t do any work. With that, Cherry asked Erin to sit in the living room and watch TV. The coffee

table was filled with various

fruits, as well as some imported chocolates and candies.

She urged Erin to eat freely and make herself at home. Before long, Cherry went into the kitchen to make them

food. Erin put the

vegetables she bought into the refrigerator, and Cherry busied herself in the kitchen in a good mood. Standing not

far away from her mother and watching her cook, Erin’s eyes became slightly reddened several times.

One hour later, when the dishes were all served on the table. Erin had already secretly cried twice in the bathroom.

When everything was

set, Erin and Cherry sat quietly in the dining room and began to eal.

Cherry’s graying hair had been dyed black, and she’d put on light makeup on her face. She wore branded clothes,

and all of this somewhat

comforted Erin. At least her mother was doing well financially, indicating that her younger sister Yvette was taking

good care of their

mother.

“Pam–is it okay for me to call you that?” Cherry smiled and picked up a piece of pork rib and placed it on Erin’s

plate.

Erin quickly responded, “You can call me whatever you want. Just treat me as you would treat your daughter,

Cherry.”

“As long as you don’t mind, Pam. To be honest, I don’t really remember you. Erin didn’t have many friends growing

up, aside from her good friend Holly, whom I’m familiar with. I haven’t heard her mention anyone else to me.”

Cherry’s words made Erin slightly nervous, and she immediately eased the situation by saying, “I transferred to

Erin’s elementary school. and didn’t stay there for long. But during that time, I had a good relationship with Erin, so

I know a lot of things about her.”

Hearing that, Cherry didn’t doubt Erin. She nodded and smiled. “Let’s eat, Pam.”

After the two of them had been eating for about five minutes, Erin took the initiative to ask, “If you don’t mind me

asking, in all these years when Erin is absent, was Yvette treating you well?”

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was unmistakable sadness in her eyes. “Yvette treats me well. She’s become a famous starlet now! Although she

comes home less often. she always has her assistant buy things for me. The clothes I’m wearing right now were all

bought by her. That assistant said this coat alone costs a hundred thousand. At the time. I didn’t dare to accept it.

Wearing these kinds of clothes makes me feel uneasy… But Yvette said that if I don’t accept them, all the money

she earned would be meaningless. Oh well, this daughter of mine often says sweet words

like these-”

Cherry’s voice trailed off and she sighed heavily. “If Erin were still with me, I could see both of my girls. Then, I

would have no more regrets in this lifetime.” Cherry’s expression fluctuated between joy and sadness, and she

looked deeply conflicted.

Erin didn’t want her mother to continue feeling upset, so she comforted her. “Cherry, let me tell you something.

One time, when Erin and I were coming home from school we passed by a fortune–telling stall. The fortune–teller

grabbed Erin’s hand and said that when she turned. twenty–five years old, she would encounter a great calamity,

but after that, she would be successful and wealthy! At that time, we thought. the fortune–teller was just saying

random nonsense. But now, I think that might be true Erin will definitely overcome the odds and come

back to find you sooner or later.”

She then confidently placed her hand on Cherry’s arm to reassure her. Erin felt a mix of emotions in her heart.

There were several times she almost revealed her true identity, but every time she thought of Asa, she gritted her

teeth and held back.

“Mom, please wait for me a little longer! When Asa accepts me. I’ll definitely reveal my identity to you by then. I’m

truly sorry, my dear

mother. Please forgive my selfishness!” Erin exclaimed inwardly.

As long as Asa accepted her, it would be easier for everyone else to accept her new face. Even if it would take

some time to adjust to it, they would eventually accept her again. But Asa was different. He was only six years old,

and what worried Erin the most was that she

might not be accepted by Asa.

After all, Asa’s impression of her was based on the photos that Chandler showed him. They were all her past photos

that showed her

former appearance. Hence, she really didn’t dare to take that risk.

A stray tear trickled down from one of Cherry’s eyes. “Pam, is that true? Did the fortune–teller really say that?”

Erin said with conviction, “It’s true! I wouldn’t joke about something like this. Cherry. Let’s patiently wait for Erin’s

return. In the meantime, please take good care of yourself. You still have your daughter, Yvette, and your grandson,

Asa!”

“Yes, I still have my adorable grandson, Asa-”

Cherry wiped away the tears from the corner of her eye. Then, with a smile of excitement, she continued, “Let me

tell you, my grandson is unbelievably handsome. I have his photos. Let me go get them so that you can have a

look.”

Erin felt a sense of relief. As long as her mother had something that brought her joy in life, it would greatly improve

her mood. Cherry brought a stack of photo albums from her bedroom. She asked Erin to sit on the sofa and look at

the pictures, and Erin gladly complied.

She saw the proud look in Cherry’s eyes as she showed photos of Asa at different ages. Erin’s heart melted when

she saw her son’s photos, and she discreetly wiped away a few tears. Fortunately, Cherry was too excited in her

storytelling to notice Erin’s gestures that were slightly out of place.

When they came across a photo of Chandler and Asa together, Cherry exclaimed with excitement. “This is my son–

in–law! What do you think? Have you ever seen such a handsome man? I don’t know how Erin did it, but she’s so

lucky to have caught the attention of such a

handsome and wealthy man.”

Erin looked at Chandler’s fatherly expression as he gazed at Asa, and ripples stirred in her heart. Calmly, she asked.

“As far as I know, he’s already married to Alana. Why do you still refer to him as your son–in–law? Besides, he and

Erin have never been married.”

Her words didn’t annoy Cherry at all. She explained, “Pam, let me tell you something. Actually, Chandler’s marriage

to Alana is fake. They never officially registered at the Civil Affairs Bureau. They only had a fake wedding ceremony

back then. Chandler confided in me that his marriage to Alana was mainly for Asa’s sake because he relied heavily

on Alana.”

Cherry then went on, “But Alana, being a daughter of a wealthy and prominent family, would attract gossip if she

constantly lived in Chandler’s villa without a proper title. Alana’s parents also had objections. Chandler also

mentioned that Alana had severe depression at the time, so he wanted to help her by spending more time with her.

So, to me, Chandler is still my son–in–law. I’m waiting for Erin to come back so that I can finally attend their

wedding ”

Cherry’s expectant expression made Erin feel uneasy in her heart. She lamented internally, “Mom, Alana is

pregnant now.”

chatter about family matters. Unknowingly, two hours had passed as Cherry prattled on.

When Cherry realized how long she’d been talking, she felt embarrassed. “Oh, Pam, I tend to talk a lot as I grow

older. Please don’t mind me. I hope I didn’t bore you with all my trivial stories.”

“Mom, no matter how much you talk, I won’t find it annoying.” Erin replied in her heart.

Erin smiled and shook her head. “I love listening to you.”

Cherry chuckled. She was about to say something else when the doorbell rang.

“Pam, I’ll go and answer the door first.” Cherry smiled, stood up, and hurriedly walked to the entrance.

Not long after, while she remained seated on the living room sofa, Erin clearly heard Cherry say, “What made you

decide to drop by, lan?