Chapter 603

"Some people never lose their beauty, no matter how much time passes," I blurted out. "And who hasn't been young at some point? I can only imagine how stunning you must have been at my age!" But Mrs. Barker's smile faded, and a shadow of sorrow passed over her face as her brows knitted slightly. Her deep, expressive eyes seemed to darken. "You're mistaken," she said softly. "When I was your age, it was the worst time of my life. I was barely surviving. Beauty? It didn't exist for me back then." Her words and the sadness in her expression tugged at my heart. At that moment, I only wanted to reach out and smooth away the sorrow on her face. Sensing the shift in the mood, Mrs. Barker quickly smiled again, brushing off the heaviness of the moment. "Oh no! Look at me. I shouldn't have brought up such unpleasant memories. Ms. Fisher, since you're already here today, you just might as well let Susan give you a facial. You rarely get a chance to pamper yourself." "That sounds great,"