Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

At Ensford High School, following the last class of the day, Elena and Amber left the classroom together. Amber, preoccupied and clutching her phone, had been distracted these past days. Beatrice had been incessantly calling her about Shonna's poor condition, urging her to visit, but she hadn't gone. She had witnessed Dr. Ward prescribe a medication for a patient with a disfigured face, a patient who was now cured, and she firmly believed the prescription was flawless. Yet Beatrice insisted that after taking the medicine, Shonna's fever persisted, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, which soured Amber's mood. Could it really be Shonna's own health issues, and yet they expected her to bear the blame? Initially, when Beatrice first called her, Amber had patiently explained a few times. But as the calls became more frequent, every few minutes, her patience wore thin, and she stopped answering altogether. However, since noon, the calls had ceased, and a sense of unease crept into her heart. Could something have happened to Shonna?

"What's wrong, Amber? You've been so distracted," Elena noticed her friend's unusual demeanor and inquired.

Amber was jolted back to reality by Elena's voice, offering a smile and a shake of her head, "It's nothing. I was just thinking about the question the teacher discussed today." Changing the subject, she asked, "By the way, Elena, how's your uncle? Did he manage to keep his job?"

Elena became agitated. "Don't even mention it. My uncle was fired and there have been issues with our family business. My brother hasn't gone to work either."

Amber was surprised, "How did that happen?"

"I'm not sure. My parents haven't told me the details, but there's been a lot of tension at home. My parents and brother are always wearing cold expressions; I don't even dare to speak with them."

"Does it have something to do with my sister?" Amber probed.

"I overheard my parents talking; they mentioned the Farrell family. It seems Mr. Farrell has taken Tina's side," Elena said resentfully. "Amber, I really feel for you. You're the one who deserves Mr. Farrell. You're the one who's truly outstanding, yet because you're adopted, you had to give up your fiancé to her."

Amber's eyes narrowed, but she maintained a smiling façade, "Maybe Logan will have a change of heart in the future. I will focus on my studies. Time will show my worth, and they'll recognize my value!"

"Yes, Amber, keep it up. You can do it," encouraged Elena.

After their conversation, they parted ways at the school gate and got into their respective cars.

In Pinkwater Alley, Martin sat on the couch, looking defeated, as he pleaded with Elena's father, Orson, "Orson, please help me. I'm at my wit's end. If I can't solve this work issue, my family will have nothing left."

"How can I help you?" Orson asked, his expression extremely grim. "Because of you, our Heisler family's business has taken a massive hit. Even my son's position was nearly compromised. We are struggling to save ourselves; how can we possibly help you?"

"But I only acted against Miss Reed because Elena asked me to, using my position to do so. Who knew she had such powerful backing? Now, not only have I lost my job, but my spouse is unemployed too, and we have two children to support on a meager income. If you don't help us, we're doomed."

"How old are you? To follow whatever Elena says? She falsely accused Miss Reed of theft not long ago, and now she's causing trouble again? Don't you understand? Even I, an outsider, know that your department has a verification system. A simple check would reveal whether a diploma is counterfeit or not," Orson said, his face turning ashen.

"And what did you do? You didn't even investigate; you went straight for an inquiry without evidence, and you got the attention of the top brass in the capital. Who else should be fired if not you?"

Mrs. Heisler, standing by, also showed her disappointment, "Martin, I've told you before. It wasn't easy for the Heisler family to get where we are. I asked you to be discreet, but you wouldn't listen. We used our influence to secure that job for you, and you became arrogant and dismissive of others in your workplace. Do you think we didn't know about that?"

"But I..." Martin began.

"Don't make excuses!" Mrs. Heisler interrupted angrily. "Even though it was Elena who asked you this time, can you guarantee there was no self-interest involved?"

Martin hung his head in silence. He had indeed been self-serving, hopingto capitalize on the situation to gain some benefits. The Reed family was wealthy, and to protect Tina, they would surely have to pay up. But who could have known that Tina had such strong backing, which led to a direct call to the capital's bureau chief? His plan to benefit had backfired spectacularly.

"You keep ignoring advice and now you've dragged down the Heisler family with you. If you hadn't come to us, we would have come looking for you. What did we ever do to you, Martin? How does the fall of the Heisler family benefit you?" Mrs. Heisler's face darkened as she spoke sternly, "I've done my best for you all, arranging houses and jobs. It's only because Orson truly loves me that he's willing to let my family live better. If he were the kind of man who didn't want to support my family, do you think I'd have an easy life?"

"I've done everything I could to give you a good life, yet you've pushed us towards disaster. Do you realize that Tina is Jared Farrell's fiancée? You've messed with his fiancée, and Jared Farrell won't let it slide, and now he's suppressing the Heisler family's company with all his might."

Martin lifted his head, looking baffled, "Isn't Jared Farrell a nobody? How does he have such influence?"

"You're the nobody!" Mrs. Heisler stood up and scolded, "His grandfather has announced that Jared will take over the Farrell family. You fools are the ones who think he's worthless. Jared Farrell is like a gold nugget waiting for the right moment to shine. You messed with his fiancée; how could he let that go?"

"Besides, even if he were a nobody, he is his grandfather's most beloved grandson. If his grandson's fiancée was bullied, wouldn't his grandfather intervene? What goes on in your head? Can't you think about the consequences before you act?" Martin leaned back, feeling defeated, "Is there really no way out?"

"There is one: apologize to Tina. And it's not just you; Elena needs to come after school as well. Whether the Heisler family can weather this storm depends on Tina's response," Mrs. Heisler said seriously.

She had never met Tina, but she had heard plenty about her. There were many versions of Tina's story: a country bumpkin, uneducated, not recognized by the Reed family, etc. Some compared Tina to Amber, saying Tina couldn't measure up to Amber. But Mrs. Heisler thought all that was nonsense.

Without going into detail, the recent false theft accusation against Tina had brought many influential people to her defense. Now, even leaders from the capital's related departments had been stirred. Could she be just an ignorant country girl? And, with two doctoral degrees at the age of sixteen, how many in the entire country could match that?

So, if they wanted the Heisler family to be safe, the only way was to seek Tina's forgiveness.

"I understand," Martin said.