Leave You Again Queenie, pale, continued to speak. “Years ago, I was betrayed by my foster brother. I was tricked into consuming a considerable amount of poison, then locked away and nearly burned alive. That day, I inhaled a dangerous amount of harmful fumes. Although your father managed to rescue me, we both suffered extensive burns and almost lost our lives. Since then, even though I underwent treatment, my body has been plagued by all sorts of illnesses. I was never going to live for many more years anyway.”

Cecilia listened silently, unsure of what to say, feeling as though her throat was being sliced.

The mother she had finally found after much difficulty was soon to leave her.

Queenie saw her distress. She wanted to comfort her, but she was at a loss for words.

She felt a pang of immense guilt toward her child. For so many years, she hadn’t been there to raise Cecilia, leaving her vulnerable to torment. After finally finding her, she was faced with the heart-wrenching prospect of leaving her once again. “Ceci… After all the trouble I went through to find you, now I have to leave you again. It’s my fault.”

Upon hearing those words, Cecilia couldn’t help but shake her head. “Mom, don’t say that. I’m not blaming you. None of this is your fault.”

She was well aware of how deeply her mother loved her.