ENCHANTED LOVE, VOLUME 2 - Season 9 Episode 96

“Sue…” Sheryl couldn’t help but sigh deeply. “My Grandma is rather fragile now. Let’s not bother her.”

Amy put on an amicable smile and slightly waved her hands to brush off the remark. “It doesn’t matter. Look at me. I have a healthy body. Cooking is no big deal for me. Just tell me if you want to eat anything and I’ll prepare it nicely for you. My little girl, please take care.”

“Thank you Mrs. Murphy.” Sue smiled and looked at her with deep appreciation. “I should get going now.”

“That fast?” Though Sue was not her real granddaughter, Amy had always treated her with as much love as she did to Sheryl. At times, she even felt more affection for her because of her situation. Amy’s heart went out to Sue who had been mistreated horribly by her own family. She wanted to give the girl as much care and love as she could.

After living under the same roof for many days, Amy had grown very fond of their new family member and found it hard to let her go.

“Yes, Mrs. Murphy.” Sue nodded in understanding. She held the same sentiments in her heart and felt reluctant to part with Sheryl and Amy, but it was time for her to leave. “I can’t live off you for too long. It’s time for me to go. Thank you so much for everything. You made it feel like home.”

Amy smiled at that. “I’ll send you off, then.” She brought Sue to the door and watched as she loaded her things into Anthony’s car.

As she thought about the memories that were made in that house, Sue paused and turned around. She thought of the immense care and concern Sheryl and Amy had given her and felt a surge of sadness overcome her that could almost make her cry. She looked at the two kind faces that she would never forget. “Sher, take Mrs. Murphy inside. It’s hot out here.”

“We’ll go back inside after you leave,” Amy stated firmly before Sheryl could even have a chance to respond. Still reluctant to let her leave, Amy reminded Sue in a worried tone, “If you’re bullied, tell me. I’ll handle it for you. I’ll always be here for you.”

“Mrs. Murphy, rest assured. I’ll take care of Sue. I promise,” Anthony eagerly tried to comfort and assure Amy. For what happened to Sheryl, Arthur had already been furious with him before. If Amy were to bear such anger for him, he would have no way to deal with the guilt.
Amy scoffed at his assurance and warned him with a scornful scare, “Easier said than done, especially with you, someone with a bad record. I’m not just going to take your word for it.

Remember, Sue is also my granddaughter. If I ever find out that you have done anything irresponsible or uncaring to her, you’ll regret it.”

“I understand. I will treat her well,” Anthony said solemnly in embarrassment. What she said was true, after all, so he had no right to argue back.

When they got settled in the car, Sue waved her new family off with a broken heart. After giving them enough time to bid each other farewell, Anthony started the engine and drove off.

It was not until the car was out of sight when Sheryl and Amy went back inside.
A few minutes into the drive, a soft sobbing sound filled the car. Tears were rolling down Sue’s cheeks. Anthony stopped the car and handed her some tissue. With his eyes full of love, he asked tenderly, “What happened? Why do you suddenly cry out?”

“Nothing.” After her one-word reply, Sue continued to indulge in her sorrow and kept sobbing as quietly as she could.

“Is it because you don’t want to leave Sheryl?” Patting her on the shoulder, he tried to console her, “Anytime you miss them, I can always drive you up there to see them. Just because you don’t share the same room doesn’t mean you won’t ever see her again.”

“I know.” Sue nodded and felt her emotions surfacing even more. After another sob, she felt the urge to open up to the caring man. “I just… can’t help but feel sad. I’ve been living with Sheryl and Amy all this time and… it was the first time in my life that I’ve truly felt I was loved and cared for. They cared for me unconditionally and never expected anything from me. Amy is like a real Grandma to me. I…” Her tears didn’t let her continue.

“My little girl…” Anthony gently stroked her hair and assured her in the softest tone he could muster. “From today on, I will treat you the way they have done.

You’re also my family, Sue. No matter what is waiting for us ahead, we’ll face it together. Okay?”

“Anthony,” Sue suddenly called his name. With a hesitant and doubtful look, she asked, “Have you really decided?”

Her insecure nature urged her to ask. She couldn’t help but seek for the confirmation that she needed. Although Anthony had been determined to make things crystal clear for her, she still couldn’t trust him completely.

For the last time, she wanted to be reaffirmed once again.

If… If Anthony wanted to take his words back, he should do it before making the potential damage worse.

Anthony, on the other hand, only felt upset when he heard the question once again. Looking into Sue’s eyes with a hint of disappointment, he said, “You still don’t trust me?”

She shook her head slightly and explained, “It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s… It’s that I’m afraid to trust you again.”

Anthony’s face suddenly turned serious and he stated solemnly, “Sue, I will say this for the last time. If… If you ask me that again, I’ll probably go mad.”

Sue blinked the tears away and listened to him attentively. “From now on, I will do my best to protect you and our child. I will strive to be a good husband and a good father. Please trust me.”

His words and the sincere love in his voice and in his eyes finally expelled the last bit of uncertainty in Sue. She was convinced to accept him with her whole heart.

She nodded vigorously, tears still in her eyes, but this time, they were tears of joy. Wiping them away with gently strokes, Anthony said with affection, “Alright, let’s wipe these tears away. Knowing that I was bringing you back today, my mom woke up early and prepared some chicken soup for you. She must be excited to see you arrive now.”

Anthony knew that Sue was still worried about his mother’s attitude, so he assured her. Regardless what, he was not going to let any harm come to Sue anymore for as long as he lived.

Back home, Laura was indeed eager to see Sue arrive. She was so anxious that she stood right at the door as she waited for them. She walked up towards the car the moment it stopped and hurried to open Sue’s door for her. “Slow, be careful of your steps.”

“Mrs. Clark, thank you. I’m fine,” Sue replied politely. “I don’t need special care.”

Laura simply shook her head. “This is a special time in your life. Of course you need special care,” she retorted as she glued her eyes to Sheryl’s swollen belly.

“From now on, just stay here and don’t worry about anything else. If you want to eat anything, just tell me. I’ll prepare it for you immediately,”

Laura promised with a huge grin. She was overwhelmed with joy at the sight of Sue’s belly. She could even envision her grandson now and it kept her smiling.

Such a demeanor on Laura was a surprising sight for Sue. Compared to how she knew Laura in the past, it was like she did a complete one-eighty.

Sue’s surprise wasn’t even registered by Laura, whose attention was fully occupied with looking out for Sue as she led her to her room. “I’ve cleaned every nook and cranny of this room and sanitized the whole area as well. You might not find everything you need here, so I thought that we could go shopping tomorrow to look for anything else you might need. How about that?”

“That’s not necessary, but thank you,” Sue replied flatly. She was rather satisfied with the room and she could see that Laura did put a lot of thought into it. “This is a really nice room,” Sue continued. “I don’t need anything else.”

Laura waved her hands in denial. “No, no, this is far from nice.” She was delighted to hear it, though, feeling content with Sue’s response. “I was really excited to hear that you would come and stay with us. It’s just that I didn’t have much time to prepare. Otherwise, I would refurbish the entire room for you.”

Sue was elated to see Laura treating her so kindly.

Before she came, the only worry she had on her mind was Laura. She still remembered Laura’s attitude towards her in the past, and she was rather scared to see this woman again. Now, though, it seemed that everything was going well. There was absolutely no need for her to worry about that.

Moved, she held Laura’s hands and expressed her heartfelt gratitude, “Mrs. Clark, thank you so much.”

“No need to thank me,” Laura said as she waved it off. As the talked, Anthony managed to take care of the luggage and brought her things into her new room. “Just put it down there,” Sue said to him. “I can handle the rest later.”

“No, please,” Laura intervened hurriedly. “Look at your belly. You’re pregnant, now. You can’t do these things by yourself.

Anthony,” she turned to him, “open up her suitcase. I’ll help her tidy up the rest of her things.”

“I can do that myself, Mrs. Clark. It’s no problem, really,” Sue insisted and rejected Laura’s offer. Laura’s attitude had been a tad too hospitable for her to believe and get used to, so she had to insist, “I can arrange my own stuff. It’s nothing tiring at all. Just let me do that, at least. I’m fine.”