From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 197: Chapter 197

Paisley didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but it wasn't a peaceful sleep. She kept dreaming, and in her dream, she was three years old again.
It was a sunny day, and her mom had said she was taking her out to play. She was excited and put on her favorite dress.
She thought her mom was taking her to the children's playground she had been longing to visit, happily getting into the car with her mom. But as soon as she got into the car, she started feeling sleepy and soon fell asleep.
When she woke up again, the sun was already setting. Also, the place her mom took her to wasn't a playground, but a big mountain.
She was really tired and sleepy, wanting to keep sleeping. But her mom wouldn't allow it and insisted she climb the mountain, "If you don't climb the mountain, I won't want you anymore."
Her mom's voice was so scary, it made three-year-old Paisley tremble uncontrollably.
She looked up, wanting to see her mom, but no matter what, she couldn't make out her mom's face.
"Hurry up, we need to climb to the top before it gets dark," after saying that, her mom left her behind and climbed the mountain alone.
Little Paisley stood there, terrified, crying and begging her mom not to leave her, and then timidly followed. But she was really exhausted and couldn't move forward after a short distance.
Then, her mom came over and picked her up.
Being carried by her mom, she felt happy, and fell deeply asleep again until she felt a chill on her bottom, waking her up from the cold.
She found herself sitting on a big rock, surrounded by trees and grass, but her mom was nowhere in sight. She was so scared and didn't want to stay there. Crying, she stood up and started looking for her mom.
Because she had just woken up, she quickly caught up with her mom and grabbed her hand, wanting to leave with her. But her mom shoved her away. "How come you're awake? You're so annoying."
"Mom, I don't want to stay here. I want to go home with you."
"Go away." Her mom pushed her even harder, throwing her away again.
This time, she lost her balance and fell, hitting her head against a tree. It hurt, and she started bleeding.
"You stupid girl; just stay here and wait to die," her mom coldly said to her.
She thought, 'My mom doesn't want her anymore.'
She leaned against the tree but couldn't stand up. Her mom's face slowly became clearer, and she finally saw it.
"Christina." Paisley woke up with a start, and the blanket she had been lying under slipped off.
The noise startled Max, who was nearby. He looked over with concern, "Did you have a nightmare?"
While she had been sleeping, her eyes kept moving, and her lips would press together and loosen, looking like she wasn't very comfortable.
Paisley sat up, rubbing her head with her palm. "How long did I sleep?"
Max glanced at the time. "Not long; just forty minutes."
Paisley nodded, feeling heavy-hearted. She had indeed had a very bad dream, one that took her back to when she was three.
She had always struggled to remember anything before she turned three. It had to do with how the human brain develops; most people's memories from before age three are fuzzy.
So, she had always believed that she had gotten lost by accident. She only remembered going mountain climbing with her mom, and then her mom disappeared.
She didn't know if it was because her brain had triggered some sort of protective mechanism, but she couldn't remember getting lost at all.
In her mind, moms wouldn't just abandon their children. So, she firmly believed that she had gotten lost.
Even when she later returned to the Sullivan residence and was treated differently by Christina and Gregory, she never questioned it.
After all, she had been lost for so many years, and Brittany had stayed with her parents all that time. It was only natural that their bond was stronger.
Even later, when Christina's heart seemed to have gone to the Pacific Ocean, she only thought it was because she and Christina didn't have a strong mother-daughter bond. Worst-case scenario, she could just do without that motherly love.
But just now, that dream had brought back memories that had been buried deep in her subconscious. It turned out, she hadn't gotten lost at all.
Instead, Christina had abandoned her, leaving her in the desolate mountain. It was obvious from how sleepy she had been that Christina had drugged her.
She had woken up twice during the whole thing. It was like Christina had been given two chances, but both times, she hadn't given up on throwing her away.
Paisley smiled silently. She knew that Christina had wanted to kill her. Christina had left her alone on the desolate mountain, letting her fend for herself.
She would either die of thirst or hunger, fall to her death, or be eaten.
If it hadn't been for her grandfather going there to gather herbs, she might have really ended up dead, just as Christina had hoped.
Max silently sat beside Paisley. She didn't speak, so neither did he.
Still, the look of sarcasm and sorrow in her eyes made him feel uncomfortable, as if his heart was clogged, heavy like it was suffocating.
"Are you hungry? The meal's ready," Max said softly.
Paisley took a deep breath, trying to adjust her emotions. "I'll check on Mr. Godard first."
She walked to the bed and checked on Tyson.
Seeing the grayish pallor on his face slowly fade and his breathing become smoother than before, she felt a little relieved. She had saved him.
She glanced at the time, and just then, Ocean and Leo walked in.
"Just like before, boil three bowls of water down to one, then give Mr. Godard the next dose," Paisley instructed them.
Ocean quickly nodded. "Okay, I'll do it now." Then, he respectfully said to Paisley, "Ms. Sutton, the meal's being kept warm. We've finished, but you and Max haven't eaten yet. Should we bring it up?"
Paisley turned to Max. "You haven't eaten?"
The man nodded slightly. "No, I was waiting for you."
Ocean couldn't help but smile to himself, thinking, 'Max really knows how to do it.'
Paisley nodded. Max must've waited because he saw her asleep, taking care of her foster father, so he hadn't eaten yet.
"No need to bring it up. The smells are too strong and not good for the patient's recovery. Let's go downstairs to eat," she said.
Max agreed and instructed Leo to arrange for someone to guard Tyson's room. Then, he followed Paisley to the dining room on the first floor.
The meal was served by the guards, each movement graceful, even the placement of the utensils was done with great care. Clearly, they were experienced at these tasks.
Paisley then noticed that neither the Harrowfell villa nor the Brightmoor mansion had any servants, especially not any women. All those surrounding Max and Tyson were men. And these men were clearly trained, well-versed in handling people and following service protocols.
Sensing Paisley's thoughts, Max explained, "When my father and I go out, we're used to relying on the people around us. Since they're all men, there's nothing to be concerned about."
Paisley nodded. Indeed, when she traveled, she also liked to bring Lucy or Linna.
For the same reason—since they were both women, there was nothing to worry about.
The meal was ready, and they were about to eat.
Suddenly, there was a loud commotion outside the courtyard.
Then came a series of louder bangs as someone began violently knocking on the door.
Max furrowed his brows, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he looked at Leo. "Go check it out."