Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Tears welled up in Liz's eyes when she found her children inside the Operator's office. She had practically argued with the staff at Louisiana, demanding they contact the manager of Southshire Train Station and search the entire area just to find her kids.

"Are you both okay? Did anyone get hurt?" she asked repeatedly. She paused when she noticed how unusually quiet, they were.

Both had their heads bowed, looking utterly defeated. Lottie’s mouth quivered downward, on the verge of tears.

“What happened?” she asked, worry filling her voice as her eyes scanned their tiny bodies. "What happened, Earl? Did someone hurt both of you? Were you scared? I’m sorry! This is all Momma’s fault."

His lips trembled as if he was about to cry.

"W-We saw D-Daddy."

Liz froze. "W-Where? There’s no Daddy, Earl."

"There is, Momma," Lottie insisted, her voice sharp, as if she might stomp her feet. "Earl and I saw him, but he doesn’t like us."

Liz pulled the little girl into her arms as she started to sob. Confused, she looked at the staff nearby, but they seemed just as clueless.

"Stop crying, okay? Don’t be sad. You and your big brother are going to have your birthday tomorrow. We're in the city now." She pulled Earl into a hug as well.

"It’s okay, my loves. Mommy’s going to get you a cake, and we’ll eat all your favorites. Does that sound good?"

"Yes, Momma," Earl nodded, reaching out to wipe Lottie's tears. "Stop crying now, Lottie. Momma loves us."

Lottie clung even tighter to her.

The manager apologized, explaining that only one guard had been sent by his staff.

The guard had seen the two children hugging a man, calling him "daddy". However, when the guard asked the man if he knew the children, the man responded that he didn’t. The guards ended up apologizing to the man, as Liz had informed the Louisiana staff that she was the only one accompanying the twins to Southshire City.

“Mom, how many days are we going to stay here?” Earl asked quietly after they settled inside the taxi. Lottie’s cheeks were still flushed from crying, while Earl’s face had returned to its usual seriousness.

“One week, baby. Why?”

“Do we have enough money?”

Liz gave him a small smile and kissed his head. “Yes, we do, my love.”

Aside from her savings, Sir Gustave had given her generous tips, enough to cover their week-long stay in the city without touching the money meant for their regular daily expenses.

She also planned to meet her best friend. When she left the city, she cut ties with everyone who could remind her of what had happened.

If she got lucky, she hoped to see Sir Arthur, even for just a moment, before they returned to their town.

“We saw Daddy earlier.”

"You might have mistaken someone else for him.” Deep down, Elizabeth knew it wasn’t impossible.

“You don’t want to tell us the truth, but we know he’s our dad, Momma.”

She was left speechless. Sometimes she forgot that her children have high IQs. They started reading and writing at the age of three. They often spent time at Carrie’s house while she worked. Whenever she picked the kids up after work, they were either watching documentaries or holding books.

“It’s okay, Momma. Maybe he was just surprised that we recognized him.”

She wanted to say: ‘He doesn’t know you two,’ but she couldn’t bring herself to hurt them any further.

They had already been hurt when their father didn’t acknowledge them. How much more would it sting if she told them they were merely the result of a fleeting night of pleasure? That her pregnancy with the twins was a mistake, a sin… because no matter how she turned the world upside down, she was legally married to someone else.

Lottie and Earl would always be illegitimate.

The staff at Amanluo Hotel welcomed them as they arrived. It was located some distance from the city center.

“Come lie down next to Lottie, sweetie,” she said to Earl after he finally changed into pajamas like his sister.

He obediently settled beside her and took her hand.

“Goodnight, my Love.”

“Night, Momma. Thank you for bringing us here.”

Elizabeth smiled sweetly and kissed them both. She waited until they were sound asleep before she cleaned herself up, feeling the exhaustion of the day, she lay on the bed.

The next morning, she woke up early to order a birthday cake.

“Happy Birthday to you,” Elizabeth sang joyfully while holding the birthday cake with candles on top. “Happy Birthday, happy birthday…”

Lottie was the first to wake up. She blinked sleepily for a moment, and then her eyes widened as she squealed with delight.

“Earl, wake up!”

She laughed happily as Lottie jumped.

“Make a wish, Babies.”

The twins squeezed their eyes shut before blowing out the candles.

“Happy Birthday, my loves!”

“Thank you, the best momma in the world!”

The two of them kissed her loudly on the cheek before she hugged them tightly.

“What’s my babies’ wish?” she asked sweetly after placing the cake on a small table.

Lottie raised her hand excitedly. “I wish Daddy knew about us and that he loves us very much.”

Her smile faded immediately. Earl noticed right away and touched her cheek to get her attention.

“I wish Momma would always be happy.”

“We love you, Momma!”

“I love you too! Now go wash up because we’re going out.”

Lottie clapped her hands. “Are we going for a walk, Mommy?”

“Yes.” She playfully touched her daughter's cheek and smiled. “I’ll introduce you to your Godmother, Auntie Dory.”

“YOUR KIDS ARE SO CUTE!”

Dory’s eyes brimming with tears as she was introduced to Earl and Lottie. The woman stomped her feet in excitement before hugging them tightly.

She had borrowed a computer from Carrie a week ago to look up Dorothea on social media and let her know she was going to Southshire.

“Are you our Auntie Dory?” Earl asked.

“Yes, Earl. I’m your momma’s best friend.”

“Why are we just meeting you now?”

Dory looked up at her, pouted, and rolled her eyes, “Because your mom is really good at hiding. She even cuts off connections without a word.”

“I miss you, Dory.” Liz wrapped her arms around her best friend who didn’t protest but instead hugged her back tightly, quietly sobbing on her shoulder.

Dory had plenty of stories to share as they ate at a fast-food chain that the twins immediately loved.

“A lot has happened since you left, Liz. Especially in your family. I’m sorry I didn’t know you were pregnant.”

“I was so embarrassed.”

“Why? You’ve been single since that jerk—Anderson… cheated on you.”

It was funny how even after hearing her ex-boyfriend’s name multiple times, it no longer affected her.

"That Catherine is such a snake," Dory muttered, glancing quickly at her children, who were busy eating. Lottie was chattering away to her brother—lost in their own world. “Did you know she spread the rumor that you and Anderson broke up because you spent too much time at Jolus Club? Gosh! If Mommy hadn’t stopped me, I would have torn her apart!”

“Just let it go.”

Her friend rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Worry was etched in her expression as she glanced again at the little ones. “Are you planning to introduce your kids to the Bentleys?”

“They shouldn’t find out that I have them.”

“I don’t get it. Single moms are common these days. We’re in a modern era. You’re single, after all—”

“I’m married.”

Her friend nearly dropped the meat bun she was chewing.

“The twins’ father is someone else, not the man I married.”