"Who's that kid?"
Estrella turned to look at Chelsea, surprised to find out she had a story of her own.
Catching Estrella's gaze, Chelsea smiled softly and began to walk as she spoke. "About thirty years ago, my family hit a rough patch. Then this guy showed up, asking me to go abroad to have a child for him."
"I was in desperate need of money back then, so I agreed."
"On my way there, I was pretty anxious—worried it might be a scam or worse, that someone would sell me off. But the guy had already paid me in advance, and I’d managed to sort out my family issues. I figured, even if I got sold, it was a fair trade."
"When I got there, it turned out to be legit. The person who needed the child never showed up; it was always his secretary handling everything, including meeting me."
"They took really good care of me over there. I overheard the secretary talking on the phone with their boss, but whether it was Ms. Estrella or Mr. Jason, I couldn’t quite catch."
At this point, Estrella's expression tightened. She breathed more slowly, her eyes grew heavier, and her hands slightly clenched together.
Estrella didn't say a word, just silently walked with Chelsea out of the yard, listening to her story.
She was just a listener.
Chelsea sighed and continued, "The child was taken away by the secretary when he was a month old, as if the whole affair never happened. The servants who looked after me left two months later, and the secretary left me a significant sum of money."
"After returning home, I used that money to ask around, trying to find out what happened to my child, wanting to see the baby I had only been with for a month. But those people just vanished from my life, without a trace, no matter how hard I looked."
Chelsea turned to face Estrella with a smile. "Then I met your Dominick. He was so good to me, took such great care of me. Without him, I might have driven myself mad over that child! I told Dominick everything."
"Once I came to terms with never finding that child again, I married your Dominick, and then we had Lily."
"Though I've been secretly searching for that child all these years, I've never found a trace."
Chelsea's voice softened, filled with helplessness and many regrets.
She didn’t tell Estrella that she had imagined that child’s face for thirty years until she knew of her existence, and her imagined picture merged with reality.
So, she always cared deeply for Estrella, even if from afar, through Sandy's help.
Though these gestures were minimal.
After Chelsea fell into a gentle silence, Estrella, with trembling hands tucked into her coat pockets, smiled. "Auntie, you’re such a kind person. That child must be doing well too. You now have your husband and daughter; cherish the happiness you have right now!"
Chelsea, her eyes reddening, nodded. "Yeah! My child was born lucky, and that couple wanting a child were so kind to me, a stranger. They must be treating my child well, especially since that’s their real child."
Estrella nodded lightly. "So, Auntie, you don’t have to secretly search anymore. I believe your child wouldn’t want you to dwell on the past. She surely hopes you can live happily and enjoy the present."
With Estrella's comforting words, Chelsea wiped her eyes, nodding forcefully. "I won’t search anymore. It wouldn’t be right to trouble her."
Estrella couldn’t help but smile, sensing the underlying truth.
Later on, Chelsea shared much more with Estrella, who listened quietly, smiling, never bringing up the topic of that child again.
Chelsea's demeanor visibly lightened, becoming more relieved and cheerful.

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