Chapter 155: Chapter 155
However, she was not free from the media storm, and she suspected that she could never escape it again.
Not only that, but Michael was also asked about Camille and whether he had any special feelings for her.
When he answered, he maintained a calm and respectful demeanor.
“Camille and I have a long history,” he said calmly. “We were close friends in high school, and she has always been someone I care deeply about. Right now, my focus is on supporting her through this difficult time and making sure that justice is served.”
Reporters pressed for more, but Michael held his ground.
“I’m not going to get into personal feelings. First and foremost, she is my friend, and I will cherish our friendship. I hope everyone will focus on the important issues instead of meaningless gossip.”
Camille watched this segment on the news and burst into tears, deeply moved by his words.
‘I don’t deserve him,’ she thought.
She went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror.
She looked tired, but there was a new light in her eyes. Finally, she was no longer under Christian’s constant control.
Of course, after the news broke, the Callahan Group became embroiled in a lot of controversy. She did not want to stay in that dumpster fire any longer, so she resigned and packed her bags. She wanted a new life far, far away from the Callahans.
Patricia Callahan, however…
Patricia was in a state of despair. Her father and brother were in jail and under interrogation, and the public criticized the family endlessly. She was all alone and so lost.
Camille wanted to help her, but Patricia did not seem to want to talk to anyone.
Camille couldn’t blame the poor girl. After all, she had only recently learned the truth about her mother’s death and the suffering that Pamela had gone through.
Not to mention the evil deeds her father and brother had committed over the past years. It was like the ultimate betrayal.
Camille couldn’t do anything unless Patricia decided to open up. She hoped that someday, Patricia would come to her, and they would talk about things and get through this together.
Camille raised a hand to brush the stray strands away from her face. The blonde dye was starting to wear off, and her hair was getting a little longer.
She had always tried to keep it short and dyed, but now she thought, what was the point? Her true identity was now out in the open. She had no job, and she had used some of her savings to buy a new house. She didn’t know if any company would hire her after all this controversy.
Besides, she really didn’t want to be out in the open. Maybe she could consider working from home instead.
But if she submitted her resumé, she would still be forced to use her name and photo, and she would be instantly recognized. Maybe some anonymous freelance work would do?
As Camille quietly pondered this, she suddenly heard the doorbell ring.
Startled, she turned around, wondering who it could be.
Maybe it was Michael? After all, he was the one who had been checking up on her for a while now, making sure that everything was okay on her end.
Words couldn’t express how grateful she was to him right now. For her, Michael was like a miracle that came to her like the sun in the middle of a dark, cloudy, and stormy day that had been raining down on her for fourteen whole years.
She walked to the door, her heart racing with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
She just hoped it wasn’t the media. Otherwise, she would be forced to move out and get a new house. She really didn’t want her address revealed.
But when she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat.
In front of her stood Luther and Emilia van Gowen, her adoptive parents, and behind them were her two brothers, smiling at her.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she took in their familiar faces.
It had truly been too long.
“Hailey…” Emilia said, her voice thick with emotion.
Before she could say more, Camille followed her heart and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the older woman.
“Mom,” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. Oh, how she had longed to do this for a long time.
Emilia hugged her back, but only briefly. When Camille pulled away, she turned to Luther and hugged him as well.
It was so strange. Her adoptive father felt frail to the touch, so she tried not to hug him too tightly. After all, he was still undergoing treatment.
He must have convinced her brothers to come here despite the chaos that had been going on lately.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right, my dear,” Luther’s voice was just as she remembered it. “I have been struggling with guilt for too long. It’s time for me to take responsibility for what happened.”
“I know, but I also know that you didn’t really kill him,” Camille whispered.
“Technically, I didn’t, but it must have felt like I killed him twice,” Luther said sadly.
Camille pulled away and shook her head. “He asked you to take me in, and you agreed. Even if it was out of guilt, I’m still grateful.”
Emilia started to cry. Paul and Benjamin patted their parents and turned to Camille.
“Sis, can we come in?” Paul asked gently.
Camille snapped out of her trance and immediately nodded. “Yes, yes, please come in. I’m so sorry. I was so startled that I forgot my manners.”
They finally entered the apartment and sat down in the living room.
Camille’s heart was still racing, but now it was filled with a different kind of anticipation. She felt so uncertain, yet so happy and healed.
“We’ve heard everything,” Luther began slowly. “We know now what you’ve been going through all these years.”
Emilia nodded, her eyes never leaving Camille’s face. “I know you may not believe us, but we never stopped looking for you. We never gave up hope. There was a time when we gave up because we thought you didn’t want to be found, but even then, we never stopped thinking about you.”
Camille took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed but knowing she needed to explain everything to fill in the gaps.
“After I left that day,” she began slowly, “I found my biological mother.”
Luther and Emilia’s eyes went wide.