Talking about shortcomings, I guess I've been a pretty lousy daughter. All I knew was that my parents died in a car accident, but I had no clue about the details. Jacqueline's face shifted slightly, then she grabbed my wrist, saying,

"Felicia, haven't we agreed not to dredge up the past? It's all behind us now.

",

"Jacqueline, I'm not a child anymore. I can handle it, please tell me,

" I pleaded, holding her hand in return., Her hand trembled slightly,

"Felicia, it's all in the past, why bring it up again?

", I paused for a few seconds,

"Jacqueline, because they were my parents, the only family I had in this world.

", My parents were orphans, raised in an orphanage, and after they left, I became an orphan too., Perhaps my words struck a chord, as after a struggle, Jacqueline finally spoke,

"Your mom... she was already gone when Herschel and I got to the crash site. Your dad was barely hanging on. He was holding Herschel's hand, just saying your name...

", Jacqueline choked up, and so did my heart., It was a raw wound, and now I understood why she didn't want to talk about it. She was afraid of hurting me.,

"He was worried about you, asked us to look after you,

" she murmured., Seeing Jacqueline so distressed made my heart ache, but I didn't bring this up to feel sad. I mustered up my courage to ask,

"What exactly happened in the accident? Was it a collision with another vehicle?

" She sighed softly,

"Their car rear-ended a truck.

", Images I had seen in videos on my phone flashed through my mind, making my heart squeeze tight, my breathing quickened,

"Was it a brake failure?

", Jacqueline hesitated,

"I'm not entirely sure. The driver died on the spot too, and the car was a total wreck. The exact cause... we don't know.

",

"Doesn't Herschel know?

" I remembered Herschel's emotional reaction when I asked him once., She hesitated again.

"Well...

",

"Jacqueline, please tell me,

" my voice broke into a sob., Jacqueline gently touched my face,

"Felicia, they're gone. Why does it matter now?

", Her evasion only made my anxiety spike,

"Jacqueline, is there something you're not telling me?

", Seeing my agitation, she sighed,

"It seems... there was a problem with the brakes.

",

"Didn't the driver check them?

" I asked, seeking some logic., Jacqueline held my hand,

"Felicia, the driver's gone too.

", So, when someone's dead, blaming becomes pointless., And Ernest's father was my dad's driver...,

"Felicia, let's not talk about this anymore, let's eat,

" Jacqueline tried to change the subject. But how could I eat now?, Thinking that Ernest was also looking into his father's death, it couldn't have been his fault., Maybe it had something to do with a contract my dad was about to sign. Seizing the moment, I asked,

"Jacqueline, do you know if my parents were planning to start a business before the accident?

" Jacqueline was about to serve me some food when her hand shook, and the food dropped., Looking at her face, I saw it go pale as if touched by a ghost., Something was clearly off, making my heart skip and my scalp tingle.

"Jacqueline...

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