Estelle was stunned for a minute.Birthday?It seemed so.It was her twenty-sixth birthday.Estelle burst out into laughter. Her lift had lately crumbled around her, how could she have remembered?“You forgot?” The man’s voice held an alcoholic tinge, “It’s alright, I remember it.”Estelle asked, “Mister, did you drink?”“Yes, a little.”“But, the smell of alcohol coming from you is strong. Did you have a lot to drink?”The man suddenly smiled. “Trying to control me now, are you?”Estelle hurriedly waved her arms. “No, I don’t have that intention. I know I don’t have the right to do so, I’m just a substitute…Mister, you’re a good person. My father died from drunk driving and I don’t want you to…” At that point, she felt like what she said was inappropriate. She changed her tone, “I just want you to be safe, you’re a good person.” The man legs-crossed in the dark. He seemed to have sunk in the darkness. “A good person?”“Yes, a good person.” “Good and bad…I think only c
She relied on painkillers every day to continue fighting, she was a ticking time bomb.“It’s just…” He turned around and looking into her eyes, “You still love your ex-husband, right?”Love?Estelle shook her head and burst out into laughter again. “I’ve lost the right to love anyone. I’m just trying to stay alive.” “Give it some thought, you don’t have to rush your answer,” The man paused before he added, “Just take it as your birthday gift.”“Mister.”“Yes?”In the darkness, Estelle observed him, “Do we know each other?”The man looked away and returned to the shadows before he spoke again. His tone was suddenly heavy, “Estelle, it’s best you don’t about things I don’t want to talk about.”“I’m sorry.”“I’m tired, let’s go to bed.”“Okay.”Just like the previous night.She lied down, and the man laid down beside her. He was so close that every breath she took was filled with his cologne. “Estelle.”She jumped in surprise. “Yes?”“Just be by my side, I’ll give you ev
Estelle only woke up at noon the next day.When she woke up, the wound on her chest was painful as usual and the man was also nowhere to be seen in the room.She gently massaged her sore temple as she saw a glass of water on the table with a note that read, ‘Remember to take your medicine with a glass of water.’As she held the glass in her hand, she felt the temperature of the water was just right. That man…How did he precisely calculate everything?He even knew that she took her pills without water the day before. She washed her face before she rushed to the hospital.In the intensive care unit, there was still a needle in her mother’s arm. However, her spirit was noticeably better than it used to be. She also looked much radiant. “Stellie, why are you here?”Estelle walked over and held her mother’s hand. “I’m your only daughter, how could I not come?” Wrenna gently patted the back of Estelle’s hand and said, “I’m alright, the doctors and nurses are very responsible.
Skyler immediately hung up.Wrenna asked worriedly, “Was that Skyler? Is the baby crying?”Estelle replied vaguely, “Yes…Mom, I need to head out for a bit.”“Go quickly, babies need their mothers the most at this time. Don’t come tomorrow, be with your child, do you hear me?” “I’ll see how things go tomorrow.”Once she bid her mother farewell, Estelle rushed out of the hospital and hailed for a to go straight to the civil administration building.On the way, she gave Skyler a call. She wanted to inform him that she was heading over and asked him to wait for a bit.However, she then realized that even if she did call him, the call would not have gone through as he blocked her number.Just as she was about to hang up, the call unexpectedly went through, “Hello?”Estelle was surprised, “You unblocked me?”Skyler’s voice sounded off, deep and coarse, “I’ll block you back after we sign the documents.”“Oh,” Estelle laughed, “It’s alright, do what you want.”“Why did you call? P
Husband? Estelle could not help but laugh. It had been six years since she was married to Skyler and not once did she feel like she had a husband.She gave birth alone, went through her postpartum period alone, and stayed in that large house all alone! What was the difference between having a husband or not?“Director Flynn!” She changed her term of address, “Once we’re divorced in a while, you won’t be my husband anymore. We’ll walk our separate paths and have nothing to do with each other.”Skyler’s grip on his phone tightened. “What if I don’t want the divorce?”Estelle was shocked. “Are you mad?!”“I’ve gone mad long ago, ever since the accident happened.”“Director Flynn, do you know I assume when you say that? I think you still have feelings for me and that you’re not willing to let me go.”Skyler’s eyes glinted as he immediately denied it. “Don’t flatter yourself! I just don’t want my enemy to have a good life. You want to divorce me and jump into that man’s embrace
”Oh!”“Is there anything else? If there isn’t, I’m going to hang up. I’m driving.”“Hold on,” Camilla said, “It’s my mother’s birthday next week. I want you to come with me.”“I won’t be free. It’s hectic at work.”Camilla did not give up. “My mother’s birthday is during the weekend, it won’t interfere with your working hours.”Skyler calmed down. He no longer had a solid reason to reject Camilia. After all…he promised Camilla that he would marry her. Now, he was not able to divorce Estelle. He felt guilty.“Fine, I’ll come with you.”Camilla’s mood immediately improved. “Really? Skyler, you’re so sweet!”“Alright, pick out a gift for her. Use my card, you know the PIN.”“Thank you, Skyler.”“I’ll hang up now, I’m still driving.”“Okay…Skyler, I have another question for you.”“Yes?.”“You said you’d marry me, will you?”Skyler almost choked.He opened his mouth to answer her but swallowed back the words as they started to form.He did not want to lie, but…he was no l
Estelle was not able to see well in the dark while the man was moving around with ease. He easily made his way to the kitchen, took two bowls of chicken soup, and sat in front of her. The aroma of the chicken soup filled the entire place.It was her first time dining in the dark. “This tastes good,” the man said as he took a small bite and continued, “it tastes like home.”Feeling embarrassed, Estelle chuckled. “I learned it from an old housekeeper. Though she was a gardener, she had the cooking skills of a professional chef. Her best dish was her dumplings. It’s a pity that I didn’t get to learn from her. I’m also pretty sure that my chicken soup has got a long way to go to taste like hers.” The man replied gently, “The soup tastes amazing and I like it.”“Thank you, sir.”“Do you realize how many times you’ve thanked me?”Estelle was taken aback. His words were somewhat familiar. Director Howard said the same thing the last time he visited her.“Sir...are you…”‘Is
The man took a spoonful of the chicken soup. He then asked with a grim voice, “What is this? Are you trying to counsel me?”“I just wanted to tell you how I felt. As you can see, I’m a living example. I spent so many years fixating on salvaging my relationship with my husband, and no matter how hard I pleaded or explained, I couldn’t change his heart. When someone doesn’t love you, everything you do for them is just pointless.”The man laughed rather forcefully. “You’re right. If that person doesn’t love you anymore, no matter how much pain you feel, it’ll all just be in vain.”“Yeah,” continued Estelle, “so, why not look forward when you still have others who need you. Cherish the ones who are in front of you instead of regretting when they’re gone. It’ll all be too late then.”The man tapped the corner of her bowl with his spoon. “Finish the soup before it gets cold.”Advising others on this kind of matter would have been a wasted effort. No matter how convincing you were or h