Love Unspoken

Quinn had no idea how long she'd been wandering when she spotted a faint figure near a trash can. Squinting, she cautiously moved closer.

As she got nearer, she realized it was an old woman, hunched over. Something about her seemed familiar, so Quinn gently tapped her shoulder.

The old woman, startled, shuddered violently before spinning around. Upon seeing Quinn, she let out a sigh of relief.

She retrieved half a loaf of bread from behind her and began to gnaw on it, right in front of Quinn. Quinn, with a fixed gaze on the old woman, gently took her hand and shook her head, indicating that the old woman should stop eating. "Do you want some?" The old woman sized Quinn up, her attire suggesting she was not in need of charity.

Quinn, setting down the cake she held, gestured emphatically. "Juliet, don't you remember me? It's me, Quinn."

Under the streetlight, the old woman watched Quinn's hands move like butterflies. After a moment, she looked at Quinn's face and her voice shook, "Are you Quinn?"

Tears welled up in Quinn's eyes as she nodded. "Yeah, it's me. What are you doing here?"

"You've grown up so much."

Juliet's eyes mirrored Quinn's, filled with tears. She let out a forlorn sigh, picked up her cane from beside the trash can, and shuffled over to sit on a nearby set of stone steps. Quinn followed closely and sat beside her. Juliet had once served the Kennedys, always by Ulysses' side. Upon Quinn's arrival at the Kennedys', Juliet had taken her under her wing.

However, in a brave attempt to save Freya, Juliet had fallen down the stairs and broken her leg, leading Ulysses to insist on her early retirement for rest and recovery. Quinn had always assumed Juliet had returned to her hometown and never expected to encounter her here.

Quinn handed Juliet the cake and gestured, "Juliet, today's my birthday. Will you celebrate with me?"

Juliet paused, her face lined with wrinkles, and then a tender smile appeared. "It's your birthday? Happy birthday, dear Quinn. It's a shame I don't have much to offer."

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Quinn shook her head, indicating that gifts weren't necessary. Everyone was wishing her a happy birthday, but why couldn't she feel the joy?

Quinn sat quietly next to the elderly woman, watching her devour the cake. Quinn intended to buy a bottle of water, only to discover her card had been frozen. She still had a little over a hundred bucks in her mobile wallet. Returning with the water, Quinn handed it to Juliet and asked what had happened. It was then that Juliet revealed that after dedicating her life to the Kennedys and retiring, her son and daughter-in-law had taken her savings to buy a house in the city.

Before Ulysses passed, the Kennedys had given her a monthly stipend that allowed her to live decently. But after his death, they cut her off, and her daughter-in-law kicked her out. Now, with no job prospects, she had to scavenge through trash to survive.

Quinn looked at the disheveled old woman and felt a mix of emotions. Juliet had toiled for the Kennedys her entire life, only to be left struggling for basic necessities in her golden years. Such a tragic twist of fate. When Juliet finished the cake, Quinn offered to walk her home.

Juliet asked with concern, "What about you? Isn't Alexander going to worry if you're out this late?" Quinn looked down, knowing that even Alexander's promise to spend the birthday together was broken. Why would he worry about her? Recognizing Quinn's dejection, Juliet didn't pry further. She picked herself up with her cane and said, "Let's go then. And do you mind how shabby the place I stay is?"

Meanwhile, Alexander drove Getty home, gently placing her on the couch. As he was about to leave, Getty tugged at him, her voice tinged with vulnerability, "Can't you stay? I'm in so much pain."

Getty was bandaged up around her knees and forehead. Earlier, at the company, she had begged Alexander to accompany her for a meal.

When he refused, she stormed off in a huff, darting into the street only to be nearly swept away by a car that zoomed past. Her heart was still racing with the close call.

"Please take good care of her," he said before turning to Getty, "You should rest up at home for a few days. I'll come check on you tomorrow."Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

"What are you going this late?" she asked.

Alexander glanced at his wristwatch. It was 12:30 AM. The late hour startled him, as if it had crept up unexpectedly.