The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 978 Baring Their Hearts

"Helin, come on. Get up and eat." With a soft and gentle tone, Heron urged his daughter to get out of her slump as she lied in bed.

"No. I don't want to eat anything." Her voice muffled by the pillow she had her face pressed against, Helin refused to acknowledge her father's attempt at comforting her. How could she have an appetite at a time like this?

With a wry smile, Heron simply said," You can't avoid eating forever." Looking at Helin, he felt bad and added, "I know you feel sad inside right now. But you've also seen what kind of person he is, haven't you? Does that kind of man truly deserve your love? You can't torture yourself for him. He's too unworthy."

Patting his daughter on the shoulder, he continued, "I didn't let you be together with him before because I knew that sooner or later you would replace out his true nature and the one who would suffer most would be you."

"Why didn't you just say that earlier?" Helin hesitated as she asked, but she couldn't help it.

Heaving a deep sigh, Heron continued, "I love you most, Helin. Since your mother passed away, I've played both roles of mother and father. I did my best so you wouldn't feel like you were deprived of something other kids had. I've done everything I can to give you the best. How could I stand to let you feel heartbroken over a man?"

Smiling wryly, he added, "I have to admit, though, you were truly courageous in loving that man. You fought for him against all odds. Even if he isn't the right one for you, I hope you can still look back at this as a good memory of the romance you two shared. I don't want you to get disillusioned about love so negatively too early. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

With choked sobs, all Helin could blurt out was, "But Dad, you not telling me about it just makes me feel worse."

It was unavoidable so Heron just smiled bitterly. "I know."

Expressing his regrets, he went on, "I know I've done you wrong there. I should've told you what I knew right away. You can fault me there. But please don't hurt yourself like this. It makes my heart ache to see you torture yourself."

"Dad..."

The feeling of being wronged taking over her heart. Helin just threw herself into her father's arms and burst into helpless sobs.

For the long time during her cry, Heron kept comforting her and patting her back. "It's okay, you're okay. Don't cry now, okay? How about eating something? I can introduce you to a better man later on. Let's just put him in the past, okay?"

Her father's playful words made Helin feel shy and pout, "Dad..."

Staring at Heron helplessly, she wondered how her father could still pull her leg when she was clearly so sad. In spite of that, it still made her smile through her tears.

Finally seeing Helin smile, Heron sighed in great relief. As he gently stroked her hair, he said, "You're fine. Don't cry anymore, okay?"

As her father's words comforted her, Helin wiped her tears away. After calming down a bit more, she carefully asked, "How about... Well, how is he now?"

With a careful look at Helin, he replied, "He was already taken in by the police. He may face several years in prison. My sweet daughter, just forget about him. He isn't worth your misery."

"I know," she wryly smiled in spite of herself. She looked at Heron, a trace of sadness still in her eyes. "Dad, do you blame me?"

If she only listened to Heron from the beginning, maybe the whole thing wouldn't have escalated so much and she wouldn't have been slandered to such an extent. Moreover, Heron wouldn't have to feel ashamed of his daughter. The company's shares would be untouched as well.

As she kept thinking about it, Helin felt overwhelmingly regretful that she had caused so much trouble.

"You silly girl." In spite of Helin blaming herself, Heron simply patted her head gently. "All that matters is that you're safe and sound. That's more important to me than anything else. As for everything else... Well, money will always be there as long as we strive for it. Everything will be fine later on when the attention leaves us."

To reassure Helin, he put on a beaming smile. "As for me, you don't have to worry one bit. I'm fine."

Wanting Helin to eat properly, Heron held her hand as he led her to the dining room. "From now on, you must eat meals regularly. Don't be so wayward like before, alright?"

Though she tried to take a bite of food, Helin had to put the chopsticks down soon as she truly didn't have any appetite at the moment. Instead, she stared at her father seriously and announced, "Dad, I want to go abroad."

"Okay," he simply nodded his head. Taking out his card, he handed it to Helin. "The money in this card will afford you some travel time. It's normal that you want to relax and get away by yourself for a bit after going through such a thing. I think it'll be good for you."

"Dad, I don't mean to relax." Not taking the card, Helin shook her head. With a smile on her face, she continued, "I want...

I want to further my study abroad."

"You want to study?" The news was rather surprising to Heron. Furrowing his brows, he inquired, "Why do you suddenly want to continue studying?"

"Actually...it's not a sudden decision," she said with a smile. "I've always loved music and planned to study abroad a while back. If it wasn't for Roger, by now, I might have been a graduate of a music academy already."

Narrowing his eyes, still a bit puzzled, Heron asked, "I know you love music. But you're not as young as you were. If you start learning music now...well, isn't it a bit too late?

What's more, your job is good now, isn't it? And as long as I'm here, you have access to whatever resources you want. It's a privilege many people would kill for but can never have. Do you really want to give this up?"

Giving her father a wry smile, she answered, "Dad, you should also know that I engaged in the entertainment industry so much before because I wanted to be with Roger. To be completely honest, I don't really feel suited to the industry.

Of course, if I stay here, I can climb my way up to the top faster than most because you'll be able to pave the way for my future. Although it's a privilege indeed, it's also the reason why I feel it's even more necessary for me to leave." With a soft smile, she continued, "From childhood to adulthood, you never allowed me to do anything arduous. And you always arranged everything for me. As a result, I got played by Roger too easily. Dad, I've grown up. I want to try depending on myself now."

Hearing Helin's sentiments, Heron had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he didn't want to let her go and risk her suffering again. But on the other, he could see that his daughter had truly grown up. For the sake of confirming once again, he gave her a serious stare and asked, "Have you really... Have you really made up your mind?"

"Yes, I have." With determination evident in her eyes, Helin nodded her head firmly. In a confident voice, she continued, "I don't want to stay here under your protection forever. I want to go and experience the world by myself. Dad, I hope you understand."

"Well, now that you've decided, how could I say no?" Ever the supportive father, Heron simply smiled wryly as he gave into his daughter's wishes. "Since you insist on going out there on your own, I won't stand in your way. Still, I want you to remember, our family door is always open to you. If you ever feel wronged, cheated, or you just miss home, remember that you can come back immediately, any time. Do you understand?"

"Thank you, Dad." Nodding her head eagerly, Helin expressed her gratitude. Looking back, she could see clearly how lucky she was to have such a caring and accepting family. Neither of the two expected their relationship to grow stronger and more harmonious because of the trouble Roger caused. Maybe the whole thing was a blessing in disguise.

In a press conference Helin held, she explained what happened that night while also announcing that she would withdraw herself indefinitely from the entertainment industry. The news caused a chaotic buzz among everyone involved.