Empire English Book

Cindy took the fake photos in her hands. 'These must be them. What's this!? What a shame! Everything was true. Oh, my dear Eddie!... And I should think my mother's involved in this too, isn't she?'

'Yes, she is,' Sharon admitted.

'What!? Did you already know about all this?'

'I'm afraid I did... from the very beginning...' replied Sharon, unable to look her in the eyes.

'You're also part of all this... rubbish! How can you!?' Cindy interrupted angrily.

'...ever since that party, when Charles brought Edward here. He told me what had happened and that he was determined to tell your parents about Edward's lie that very night. I asked him not to, but I coudn't stop him. I'm sorry...'

'I remember Dr Brent coming back to the party and trying to avoid me all the time. Now I understand,' Cindy said.

'Your parents were furious when they found out that Edward had told them such a lie,' Sharon continued.

'A silly lie...'

'Disrespectful, they called it and decided to put him to the test,' Sharon explained.

'Put him to the test? Why? What for?' Cindy asked.

'Because they realised Edward was a poor boy and suspected he might be interested not in you but your family's money,' Sharon replied. 'They asked others for help. That's why all these things have been happening.'

'Who are these 'others'?'

Sharon explained to her what part her nearest and dearest had played in this macabre show. Charlotte had been sent to that Sunday lunch to bring about confusion and seduce me. The butler and his accomplice were to test how brave I could be when facing danger, and how good I was at keeping my rage at bay when  insulted the way I had been with those photos.

'What you still don't know,' Sharon continued, 'is that your mother hadn't got enough of it and came up with the idea of the toughest trial.'

'What did she do?' asked Cindy, unprepared to hear what followed.

'She offered him all the money he wanted to leave you.'

'Oh, stop it! I can't stand it any longer. I can't take in all this,' cried Cindy, begging for her aunt's sympathy.

'I know what it's like to love a person you can't have,' said Sharon, trying to hold back her tears.

'You're talking about Dr Brent, aren't you?'

'I see you already know about us,' Sharon continued. 'Well, I've decided to break up with him. He's never loved me. I've been just a toy he plays with when he feels lonely. He adores a wife that never has time for him. I'm aware of how much he suffers and... I've always felt lonely, too. We've just been keeping each other company, but it must come to an end. He has a family and it's wrong of me to interfere and hurt them.'

'That's why you've been crying...' Cindy concluded.

'I don't want you to go through the same misery and lose what you love most.You don't need to worry. I'll help you. You can trust me,' Sharon promised.

Having worked in hospitals for a long time and seen people suffering, Cindy's aunt had learnt that the only thing in life that really puts a person to the test is being faced with illness and death.

'Do you remember when you were a little girl, four or five years old I think, and suffered from a rare kidney condition?' Sharon inquired.

'Of course I don't,' replied Cindy.

'You used to have frequent infections. At that time your doctor said it was really serious and that there was little chance that you would recover,' Sharon explained.

'Well, I was lucky. I got over it,' said Cindy.

'But your parents have always been worried in case it repeats itself,' Sharon confessed.

'I don't understand. What does this have to do with my relationship with Edward?' asked Cindy.

'Leave it to me,' Sharon insisted. 'I already have a plan. Everything will turn out fine.'