I transmigrated and got a husband and a son!
Chapter 781: The show must go on

Chapter 781: The show must go on

[If you want to last long in here until a miracle comes, then keep up the pretense. I don’t mind, even if you keep using me as your means of survival. After all, the reason you’re here is because of my foolishness.]

Hera stared blankly at the vase before her. After leaving Leo in the garden, she returned to her room to arrange a vase for Dragon. However, since her return, she hadn’t touched the flowers or the vase. Instead, she found herself preoccupied with the brief conversation she had with Leo.

"He shouldn’t have brought it up," she murmured, suppressing the rising tension in her throat. "Why did he say it? Could he possibly like me?"

Confusion clouded her mind, leaving her uncertain about which emotions to embrace. She plucked a rose from the basket, its thorns already trimmed, rendering it harmless to handle.

"I’m like you," she whispered, her lips pressed tight, her jaw clenched. "A thornless flower that instills no fear in anyone."

Hera began plucking its petals one by one, allowing them to fall into her lap or onto the floor. Her eyes lacked their usual vitality, dimmed by an inner turmoil.

Some time ago, when she had called Leo for help, it had ended disastrously for her. Even with the help of the original Hera’s memories, it hadn’t been enough to save herself. That night had been a lesson etched in pain; not only had she put Leo on Dragon’s radar, but she herself had been subjected to torment that was supposed to erase her memory.

Her mind had been seared, putting her in unbearable pain, yet not fatal enough to kill her. Throughout that night, she had screamed, clung desperately to anything within reach, and teetered on the edge of life and death repeatedly. What multiplied the horror was waking up afterward, each moment of torture etched vividly in her memory: the apathetic gazes of others and Dragon’s malevolent smirk as he relished her suffering.

"It’s my fault that he’s here," she whispered, brushing away a tear that traced her cheek. "Yet... he doesn’t resent me."

Her trembling lips forced her to bite down, preventing the tears from streaming freely. She had to maintain her composure, convincing herself that this situation was merely a prolonged act. The show must go on. Failure was not an option, especially with Leo sharing the same fate as hers. She had to shield him with whatever scant power she possessed.

"Hera was right," she muttered bitterly to herself. "I truly am foolish, utterly worthless."

As tears welled up in her eyes, the specter of karma loomed in her thoughts. She had once wished fervently for a life different from Heaven Liu’s, but now she would do anything to reclaim it.

Hera’s life—only the original Hera could handle her excruciating and nauseating memories, the unhealed wounds, the twisted individuals like Dragon.

’Even so...’ Heaven compressed her lips into a thin line, swallowing hard. ’How can I take Basti’s mom away from him again?’

The dam of suppressed tears finally broke, staining her cheeks against her will. Hera wiped her eyes and cheeks, stifling her sobs, afraid of being caught in this vulnerable state. As the idea crossed her mind, the door behind her creaked.

Hera froze, her breath hitching. She hastily dried her eyes and turned, her eyes widening as she caught the unexpected visitor in her room.

"Deb?" she called out, surprised.

Deborah cautiously closed the door behind her, making sure no one had seen her coming in. When she turned her head to face Hera, she revealed the bruises on her cheekbone and wounds around her mouth.

"Debbie." Hera stood, eyeing the person at the door. "What are you doing here, and why do you look like you’ve been attacked?"

"Shh!!" Deborah raised a finger to her lips, almost jumping toward Hera. The latter instinctively stepped back, stopping as Deborah suddenly grasped her arm.

"Debbie...?" Hera’s voice trembled.

"Hera, come with me."

"What?" Hera furrowed her brow. "Where?"

"Just come." Deborah urged in a hushed tone, gently tugging her arm. "You’re not safe here, and you need to leave as soon as possible."

Hera frowned, studying Deborah’s eyes filled with panic, fear, and resolve. "Debbie, you’re scaring me," she whispered cautiously, taking another careful step back. "Why are you here? Didn’t you say you were retiring? Why return... looking like this?"

"I can’t explain now, Hera. I’m running out of time." Deborah tightened her grip on Hera’s arm, locking eyes with her. "We have to go. Your husband isn’t who he seems, and everything is a lie. Those pictures weren’t you; they were someone else. Hera, I’ll explain everything later, but first, you must come with me."

Hera pressed her lips into a thin line, meeting Deborah’s intense gaze. After a moment, she placed her hand on Deborah’s gripping fingers and slowly peeled them away.

"No," Hera said gently and firmly, shaking her head.

"Hera!" Deborah grabbed Hera’s shoulder, pulling her. "Did you hear what I said? Everything is a lie. Frank is a bad person — he’s evil! You’re not safe with him. He’s being kind now, but once you remember everything, he’ll subject you to immense pain, and that—"

"Frank is at home, Deb." Hera interrupted, her tone resolute. "He could come in any moment, and if he sees you here, you’re in danger."

A shallow sigh slipped past Hera’s lips as she averted her eyes at the door. Seeing that it wasn’t locked properly, she brushed Deborah’s hand from her shoulder and marched toward the door. Without a second hesitation, she locked the door securely, letting out another sigh when she finished.

"Deborah," she closed under her breath, straightening her back, and then facing Deborah squarely. She walked back to Deborah and stood in front of her, assessing the latter from up and down. Just the sight of her already hinted her Deborah’s retirement wasn’t as good as everyone thought it was.

"The guest’s house..." she trailed off as she held Deborah’s shaky eyes. "Can you find a way to hide there without getting caught?"

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.