Chapter 904
Gasping for breath, Thalassa set down the dining chair, pacing like an ant on a hot pan, anxiety written all over her face. A sudden thought flashed through her mind-there was a spare key to the room in the drawer at the entrance hall. Rushing to the drawer, she rummaged through its contents and, thankfully, her fingers closed around the cool metal of the key. With the urgency of a wildfire, she hurried back to the room and swiftly unlocked the door.
The door swung open to a scene that sent shivers crawling up Thalassa’s scalp; her mind went blank, and fear exploded like thunder in her ears.
Dangling from the ceiling light was a long piece of fabric, and hanging from it was a body-Evelyn!
Her limbs were still, her entire being suspended in silence.
“Mom!” Thalassa’s heart-wrenching scream filled the room as she rushed forward, climbing onto the bed to relieve the pressure of the fabric from Evelyn’s neck.
In her overwhelming panic, she struggled to untangle Evelyn from the makeshift noose.
Her body weakened by fear, and she mustered every ounce of strength she had to lift Evelyn down from the dreadful suspension. Evelyn was unconscious, her body limp and collapsing.
Thalassa, drained of energy, laid her gently on the bed, slapping her cheeks and crying out in trembling sobs, “Mom, wake up, please, Mom!”
She had watched Leopold die before her eyes; the memory of that despair and heart-wrenching pain was unforgettable. The fear that Evelyn might also slip away in front of her was unbearable.
Trembling, crying out in despair, tears streaming down her face, Thalassa pleaded, “Mom, don’t leave me, please don’t leave me.” She sat up straight, pressing on Evelyn’s chest, desperately performing CPR.
Her body felt numb, devoid of strength, but she persisted, pouring all her remaining energy into reviving Evelyn.
Minutes passed with no response, and Thalassa’s tears broke free as she pinched Evelyn’s philtrum-a last attempt to stimulate her-and continued with the CPR.
Evelyn remained unresponsive, intensifying the fear and agony in Thalassa’s heart.
Despite Thalassa’s trembling body and limp hands, she persevered with the CPR.
Suddenly, Evelyn coughed.
Hope surged through Thalassa as she wept with joy, “Mom, Mom, please wake up…”
She continued to pat Evelyn’s face, a mix of worry, panic, and fear evident in her eyes.
Evelyn took a few labored breaths and slowly opened her eyes, her blurry vision settling on Thalassa’s tear-streaked cheeks.
In that moment of seeing Thalassa, Evelyn’s tears overflowed, streaming down into her hair.
Thalassa, seeing her mother cry, felt a suffocating pain and hugged Evelyn tightly, “Mom, you scared me to death. It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m back now, we have a home, we won’t be homeless anymore… Mom…”
Thalassa choked, feeling suffocated by intense pain in her heart.
She couldn’t understand why her mother would try to hang herself. Was it because she felt too isolated at home all by herself?
Thalassa’s heart throbbed with pain.
Evelyn, tears streaming down her face, lay/motionless on bed.
After her sobs subsided, Thalassa sat up, wiped the tears from her face, and took a tissue to dry Evelyn’s cheeks. “Mom, please talk to me about anything that’s bothering you. Don’t try to leave me without saying a word. I’m so scared.”
As she calmed down, Thalassa noticed the bruising around Evelyn’s neck and the many used tissues scattered on the floor.
Having been through childbirth herself, she knew what these signs might indicate.
Her expression turned to one of shock and fear as she asked, “Mom, has someone been hurting you?”
She held Evelyn’s hand, worry and a rising anger burning within her.
At the mention of being bullied, Evelyn’s tears fell once more. She spoke through sobs, her voice fragmented, “Thalassa, Bruce… Bruce came in…”
The thought of her recent ordeal filled Evelyn with a sense of violation and despair.