Chapter 13

Taken aback, Estelle asked, “You...blocked on your caller list?”

“I thought I’ve made myself clear that I want nothing to do with you anymore since there won’t be stars for the next few days. After seven days, we’ll proceed with the divorce and we’ll go our separate ways.”

She let out a laugh. “Oh Skyler, am I a monster to you? Why are you that terrified of me?”

Skyler hissed, “You’re worse than a monster.”

Feeling drowsy, Estelle sniffled and asked, “Skyler, do you think that my heart’s made out of steel and that I won’t be hurt?”

Hence, he could speak to her carelessly and recklessly, stabbing her heart with his words.

He replied, “Your heart’s colder and harder than stone. How could you possibly feel pain?”

“Skyler, you’ll regret this.”

“Yes, I do regret meeting you.”

Estelle hung up the phone right away.

Why should she have bothered to argue with him?

She knew better how he would respond. She should not have expected anything from him. After all, she would only be making a fool out of herself.

Aunt Frances knocked on the door carefully while peeking into the room. “Stellie, how’s the talk with Skyler? He used to adore you so much and if you just explain things, I’m sure he’d…”

Without waiting for her to finish her sentence, Estelle called out, “Aunt Frances.”

“Yes?”

Wiping off the tears from her face with the back of her hands, Estelle put on a big smile. “I miss having the dumplings you used to make.”

Seeing Estelle with a relaxed expression, she thought that Estelle and Skyler finally cleared up the air between the both of them. Aunt Frances sighed in relief and replied, “Of course! I’ll make it for you now. Get some rest and you’ll be able to eat by the time you wake up.”

“Thanks, Aunt Frances.”

“What’s there to thank me for. Skyler used to like the dumplings too. I’ll prepare more of them so he can have some later when he arrives.”

Estelle only smiled and did not say anything further.

There was no chance that Skyler would come for her.

It was as if she suddenly thought of something, Aunt Frances clapped her hands and said, “Oh right Stellie, I just recalled something that could help with the investigation for the incident. The morning of the incident, an employee from a 4S center visited and said that he was asked to carry out maintenance for Mr. Flynn’s car. The employee was acting suspiciously and I feel that she had something to do with the accident. Later when Skyler comes, I’ll tell him what I just told you and have him carry out a thorough investigation on the 4S center. My gut feeling tells me that something fishy is going on with that center!”

Estelle responded right away, “Aunt Frances, did you manage to see the employee’s face?”

“I did see her but I don’t remember clearly. I could only recall that it was a fairly young lady and I thought that it’s strange for a lady to carry out maintenance of a car instead of a man…”

Estelle then asked hurriedly, “Aunt Frances, do you perhaps know what Camilla does for a living?”

“Oh, I’ve heard that she met Skyler at a 4S center…” Before finishing her sentence, Aunt Frances’s expression changed. “Stellie, could it be possible that...”

Nodding her head, Estelle answered, “The day before yesterday, Camilla came up to me and admitted what she did. She was the one who manipulated the brakes of the car which caused the tragedy.”

“Oh, my lord! We must let Skyler know of this!” Aunt Frances voiced out in shock.

Estelle could feel her heart beating fast again. Though Skyler would not believe her words, she was confident that he would at least listen to what Aunt Frances had to say.

As long as he was willing to investigate the incident, she was sure that the truth would have prevailed in the end.

Estelle was excited but also felt that she was wronged.

Reaching for her phone, she turned on the video recorder.

“Little one, I think I’ve found a way to get your father back to us. You must take good care of your health and listen well to Uncle Howard and the nurses. Let’s wait till the day your dad understands what happened back then. I’ll bring him to see you and I’ll try my best to give you a younger brother or sister and then heal you. Aren’t you glad to hear this?”

“Mommy’s happy. Before this, I only had seven days to persuade your dad. But if he knows of the truth, then mommy will be able to have more than just mere seven days. I could also increase the chances of getting pregnant. Little one, mommy loves you and your daddy…”

Before she could continue, a gush of blood rushed up to her throat and she vomited a mouthful of blood again.

Luckily she managed to avoid staining the bedsheet. If not she would have worried Aunt Frances again.

Reaching out for a few tissues, Estelle wiped the floor clean and flushed the tissues away. It was as if nothing had taken place at all.

The emotional turbulence that she experienced today finally worn her out. Estelle laid down on her bed, wrapping herself tightly under the blanket as if she was trying to warm her body.

She was not sure if it was because of the fever that she was shuddering yet she was drenched in a cold sweat. She finally dozed off drowsily.

She had a dream.

In the dream, Skyler held her gently in his arms and he apologized to her. He told Estelle that he was wrong to have believed Camilla and that he had wrongfully accused her. He wanted to start over with her and wanted to go overseas to visit their child.

The dream was too pleasant and surreal.

It was too surreal to a point that though she was sleeping, she knew that it was just a dream.

Thud——

A loud crashing sound woke her up from her sleep.

Estelle struggled to get off the bed. She called out to Aunt Frances, “Aunt Frances, are you there?”

No one responded.

Did something happen?