Mysterious Mrs. Pansy

Beatrice had been pondering these questions frequently during her time here. What had she accomplished on her journey through life?

As she reflected, she found herself with more questions than answers. In the past, Beatrice had firmly believed that all her decisions were correct and the best choices at the time.

Now, however, as she thought about these things, she realized that everything she had done seemed to be wrong. If only her character had not been so materialistic or averse to trouble.

Now, all she wanted was a little more love. Beatrice felt an endless sense of regret in her heart, but she couldn’t express it all. So, when tears silently rolled down her face, she seemed somewhat pitiful.

When Patrick’s father saw this, he wasn’t planning to bring up the matter. But seeing Beatrice’s acknowledgment of her mistakes, he felt it was necessary to tell her. Beatrice had admitted her errors.

If Beatrice had remained as she was before, he would have preferred to pretend this had never happened. He would have silently let the matter disappear. But now, he had a thought in his heart, something that had never been activated before, something he had quietly worked on over the years.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t made much progress yet; he was still searching and collecting relevant information from various sources. If Patrick’s father could achieve his goal, perhaps it would be a win-win situation.

Looking at Beatrice’s face, Patrick’s father truly regretted his actions.

From Beatrice’s eyes, he could see that she wasn’t insincere but genuinely seemed to be repentant.

“Our son is not dead,” he said.

Beatrice didn’t even look up. “You don’t have to lie to me. It’s impossible. Do you think I don’t know the result of what happened back then? What’s the point of lying to me now?”

“Our son really didn’t die. We just sent him away because I didn’t have any hope left. I knew the child couldn’t be saved. Staying would only prolong the pain until death.”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“I’ve been thinking about this for years. I want to go and see for myself. I want to find answers, but so far, I haven’t found any.”

Patrick’s father’s reasoning was simple. Even if his son had died, if there was a grave, he wanted to visit it. If he had lost hope, he still wanted to visit the places his son had stayed, to see if he could find his shadow. However, he hadn’t found any clues yet.

So, that was it. Beatrice chuckled bitterly when she heard this. She realized that her past and present mistakes were both unforgivable.

At this moment, Beatrice finally understood that she should have come here long ago, but she had been avoiding the issue and running away. She had thought that everything she had done was right, only to carefully consider it when she ended up in prison.

She realized her mistakes post-incarceration. When she first entered the prison, her heart was filled with endless resentment, feeling betrayed that Patrick, whom she had raised, had treated her this way.

Now, Beatrice had clarity. It wasn’t about how others treated her, but about how she had treated others.

“It’s all in the past. If you have any information now, I want to see it once I’m out. We’re old now.”

“Any mistakes made in youth will have consequences in old age. Even the mistakes I make now will have consequences in confinement.”

Patrick’s father nodded at this. He would tell Beatrice if he found any clues. Their son was a matter of despair for them. Now, even though they had no hope, they still clung to the lingering thought of a miracle.

“Take care of yourself here. If you really want to go out and see about our son, you need to change and reform yourself to have an early release. Don’t worry about the outside world. If there’s a chance, I’ll bring Patrick to see you. But I’m concerned about your attitude.”

Patrick’s father explained why he hadn’t brought Patrick, as he now understood Beatrice’s attitude. He felt that if Patrick himself could come to terms with it, he would be allowed to come and visit.

Although Beatrice was not Patrick’s biological parent, after raising him for many years, they had some affection for each other. Beatrice had just been blinded by hatred and self-interest.

Now that Beatrice had clarity, if Patrick could let go of everything, they could rebuild their relationship. Although there were cracks, there was a possibility of repair with time.

If Patrick were to visit alone, it might improve Beatrice’s mood. But it would have no effect compared to Patrick and Jane coming to visit.

“The time is up…”

Patrick’s father wanted to say more, but the staff reminded him that the visiting time was over. He stood up and looked at Beatrice.

“Reform yourself well in there, don’t burden yourself too much. If there’s a chance, I’ll come to see you again, and I’ll tell you what information I’ve gathered.”

As Patrick’s father left the visiting room, he looked around at the high walls and iron fences, feeling endless emotions. He knew that one had to have a moment of regret and repentance while losing their freedom. If one could achieve that, their time in confinement wouldn’t be in vain.

He also knew that feeling resentment and committing more wrongdoing after release was not acceptable. So, he spoke these words to Beatrice as a form of advice.

In reality, he was trying to counsel Beatrice, hoping that neither party would hold onto any resentment. After all, both had paid a price, and Patrick had been in danger because of this matter.