Chapter 1005
When Hannah learned the woman's last name was Lloyd, she sighed deeply. A simple coffin held two sets of clothes—one Hollis had worn, the other for burial.
Hannah, kind-hearted, learned Hollis had worked at a ready-made clothing shop, earning a living by making embroidered pieces. Hannah bought Hollis's burial clothes from the same shop; the shopkeeper confirmed Hollis had made both sets.
Hollis, born in March thirty-four years prior, died that March—her birth and death dates were only eight days apart. The death of this marginalized woman barely caused a ripple, like a small stone thrown into a lake—a tiny disturbance, then nothing. No one spoke of it again.
However, a storyteller recounted how Skye Embroidery arranged Hollis's burial and her husband and family's indifference to her death. Listeners cursed briefly, then forgot. They accepted the societal norm: a childless woman should be cast out. Her husband's coldness—refusing to claim her body after years of marriage—was surpassed only by her family's lack of compassion.
After a moment's reflection, people accepted the logic: a divorced or cast-out wife incurred no obligation on her husband for her funeral. As for her family, a married daughter was considered "water poured out"—gone and irretrievable. Unless she benefited them, she was an embarrassment. Naturally, they were angry.
Who was at fault? No one pondered it deeply; it didn't concern them. Yet, even a tiny ripple creates ripples. Some hearts felt it.
That March, spring rains drizzled as people visited ancestral graves. The days were damp and soggy. By April, the dampness passed, the sun blazed, and the sky cycled through its phases. Unexpectedly, Jessica was the first to seek help from Skye Embroidery.
Chapter 1005
Rafael and Carissa, on their day off, returned from Tranquil Sanctuary after a fourteen-day memorial service for the Sinclair and Sullivan families. Frederick, Holly, Lily, and Lulu stayed the entire fourteen days; Rafael and Carissa visited when free. Helen also attended, reciting scriptures for two days.
She told Gillian, “I don’t know if this will help, but if it brings peace to Carissa’s heart, I’ll do this every year at Tranquil Sanctuary. Though I’m not her birth mother, she calls me ‘Mother.’ What’s the difference between a mother-in-law and a birth mother? We’re all family. I’ve been blessed with enough love—there’s no harm in sharing a little with her.”
Gillian was deeply touched; Helen had changed, grown. Carissa, too, was moved. That day, they visited Helen before being summoned by Jacob to the council hall.
News from Skywing Spire: the Westhaven envoys reached Fawnrun City.
Violet reported, “Two hundred thousand troops were stationed at Victory Pass and beyond. Grand Princess Lisandra took the military command emblem and ordered a retreat. There’s been no attack, suggesting she still holds control. The question is whether she can regain full command.”
Rafael and Carissa knew of the troop movements toward the border city. The Sullivan family petitioned the court, preparing for battle. They, and Salvador, anticipated this during negotiations, explaining his anger at Barrett’s resignation. In case of war, the Sullivan family's strength at Victory Pass was crucial; undermining their position would be disastrous.
During their discussion, Hannah's messenger arrived with a report: Jessica sought help from Skye Embroidery, behaving incredibly arrogantly. She even demanded the workshop be renamed "Jessica's Workshop," infuriating Hannah.