Chapter 8 Chapter 8: Good For Him
She turned around and looked up at his face with a sweet smile. “Cristofer, I’ll return your properties to you.”
“What?”
“Believe it or not, I’ve never wanted your properties, and I’m sorry about the death of your parents,” she explained. “Don’t worry, ’cause I’ll give you whatever you want.”
He interrupted, “You won’t.”
“What if I will?”
“I want to marry Gretchen right now.”
She nodded. “You can fulfill your dream in seven days, no, six days to be exact.”
He continued, “What if I want to ruin the reputation of your family? I want you to kneel and kowtow in front of my parents’ gravestones, too.”
Silent for a second, she nodded. “Okay, I’ll kneel for them ’cause they loved me so much, and their death had something to do with me.”
It did have something to do with her.
If she had not fallen for Cristofer and accepted deep affection from his parents, who deemed her as their future daughter-in-law, Gretchen would not have killed them so brutally and ruthlessly.
Thinking of the old couple’s amiable faces, Estelle felt a pang of sorrow.
“What else?” she asked.
The loud wind weakened Cristofer’s voice. “I want you to jump down from here. Can you?”
Estelle dangled her legs in mid-air and looked down at the five-story building. There was no doubt that she would die if she jumped down from this height.
But she replied without hesitation. “I can if this is what you want.”
“In seven days, again?” Cristofer crossed his arms and said coldly. “What are you up to? Do you think you can change anything by watching stars for seven days?”
Estelle tucked her flyaway hair behind her ear and looked up at the sky, where the darkness was lit up by sparkling stars, creating a gorgeous picture. However, she did not feel delighted as usual.
“I know I can’t change anything.”
Just because nothing could be changed, she wished to seize every moment while she was alive.
Cristofer’s voice was frigid. “I’ve watched the stars with you, and I don’t want to spend one more second with you.”
After saying that, he left resolutely.
Estelle maintained her posture, watching his car running farther and getting smaller before her eyes. Then, suddenly, she vomited blood onto the ground.
There was a pool of redness as big as a palm, more so than last time.
The last thing she thought before she lost consciousness was that the doctor did not lie to her — the pain of cancer was so sharp that, even with all her might, she could not hold on for longer.
Thankfully, Cristofer was not there to see this scene.
Otherwise, he would think that she was acting again.
Good for him… to leave so early.
After what seemed like a long sleep, Estelle was awakened by a familiar voice.
“Estelle, Estelle? Wake up! Why are you sleeping on the roof? Oh, wake up.”
Who was it?
Was it Cristofer?
Was he finally willing to come back to her?
Limp and exhausted, Estelle opened her eyes and found that it was already morning. The stars had been replaced by torrential rain.
The rain slanted heavily as if the sky had collapsed.
Lying in the water, she was drenched to the skin.
A gust of cold wind sent shivers down her spine. Then, she trembled violently, with her teeth chattering.
Suddenly, she felt warm on her shoulders as a coat was taken off and wrapped around her body.
Eventually, she saw the person next to her and struggled to give a wistful, bitter smile. “Here you are.”
When Estelle awakened again, she found herself lying on her bed.
Beside the bed was a large French window, through which she saw rain pouring down from the dark sky and washing over the glass to blur the whole outside world.
“Estelle, you’re finally awake!”
Hearing the familiar voice, she smiled softly. “Mrs. Moorsum, why are you here?”
Mrs. Moorsum was a keen gardener serving the Hans’s.
She walked up to the bed with a warm bowl of soup and looked sad for Estelle. “If I hadn’t come, no one would have known that you fainted. Here you are. This is red date soup. Good for your health.”
Estelle struggled to sit up, took the bowl, and slowly sipped the soup.
“Estelle, what’s up with you? When I helped you change your clothes, I found blood all over your body. Are you injured?”
With a faint smile, Estelle shook her head. “I’m not injured. Mrs. Moorsum, don’t you… hate me?”
When Mrs. Moorsum was down and out, it was Cristofer’s parents who gave her a job. This lasted for several decades until the Hans’ fell apart overnight. All the servants left except for this kind woman who insisted on taking care of Cristofer.
Mrs. Moorsum sighed wistfully. “To be honest, I once resented you for the death of Mr. Hans and Mrs. Grantham. But Estelle, I watched you grow up and know you the best. You wouldn’t do that.”
Estelle’s eyes turned red in an instant, “Mrs. Moorsum, do you believe me?”
“Good girl, I’m old and not as smart as when I’m young, but I have my own judgment. If you had participated in the plot against the Hans’s, you would have enjoyed a luxurious life with your family rather than coming back to Cristofer.”
Tears ran down Estelle’s cheeks, “Thank you, Mrs. Moorsum. But why can’t Cristofer think the same as you do?”
“He’s just too scared to think this way.” Mrs. Moorsum wiped away Estelle’s tears with a warm hand and said in a gentle and loving tone, “Over the years, his heart has been overwhelmed by hatred. Besides, a woman called Gretchen Abrams has been staying by his side. With decades of experience, I can assure you that she’s very scheming and not as simple as Cristofer thinks.”
Estelle revealed a wry smile.
It was too late to discuss this issue.
“Estelle, why were you alone in the rain on the roof? Did you argue with Cristofer again?”
Estelle shook her head, “There’s no need to argue anymore.”
Love had come to an end, and only pain and weariness remained. There was no point in arguing anymore.
Should she tell him that Gretchen was the culprit or that she would soon die?