Chapter 290 Chapter 290: You’re Free To Go
On every contract, there was Estelle’s signature.
Upon looking at the familiar handwriting, Cristofer felt a pang in his heart, and his pulse quickened.
Pressing his heart, he put all the documents aside. And it was not until a long time later that he felt better and calmed himself down.
Estelle and Cristofer haven’t contacted each other for three years.
Back then, when he came around to the hospital, he suffered from amnesia, and his memory froze on the night when he broke up with Gretchen.
That evening, he eventually learned the truth about the car accident nine years ago. Once he exited the apartment, he greatly desired to visit Estelle.
Cristofer wished to express regret and reconcile with her, but he couldn’t recall the events that followed.
Nelson informed him that he had been in a severe car accident and had come close to death. However, Estelle never visited him in the hospital. Instead, she left the country with her mother and the children, showing no concern for his recovery.
Estelle abandoned him, mirroring her actions from nine years ago when their parents had a car accident.
Overwhelmed by pain, Cristofer shook his head, forcing himself not to think about Estelle.
Then he made an internal call and told Linda, “I don’t have time to sign so many documents. Ask the legal department to seal the documents with my private seal and finish the relevant procedures as soon as possible.”
Shortly after, Linda returned to Cristofer's office, her dissatisfaction evident as she silently voiced her grievances.
‘Moment ago, I attempted to emphasize the significance of the packages, but he dismissed them as trifles and terminated me.’
‘Currently, he has reviewed the documents and understands their importance. Nonetheless, I am still faced with job loss. My luck seems to have run out.’
As she prepared to exit with a sizable pile of documents, Cristofer halted her.
“Hold on. You mentioned your probation period ended next week, correct?”
Linda halted abruptly, a glimmer of hope rising inside her.
“Yes, Mr. Hans. I acted appropriately. I told you the legal department received the packages because it is not a trifle but an important thing.”
“I understand,” Cristofer responded.
“Does that mean I...” Linda had anticipated the opportunity to retain her position. However, Cristofer's next words shattered her hope instantly.
“I will inform the human resources department to classify your work for the past three months under regular employment. Furthermore, I will provide you with six months’ worth of salary as compensation. This should cover your rent. You can leave now.”
Linda remained still, unwilling to move.
Observing her, Cristofer inquired, “Is there anything else you need?”
“Nothing.”
“In that case, you’re free to go,” Cristofer confirmed.
With a sense of displeasure, Linda proceeded to the legal department. There, she placed the documents on the table and conveyed Cristofer's message. Next, she went to the human resource department and swiftly completed the resignation process. Finally, without any hesitation, she departed from the company, as she had no intention of staying there any longer.
When Cristofer was about to get off work, his phone rang.
“Hi, Uncle Nelson,” he said after answering the phone.
“Cristofer, join me for dinner tonight at my home. I went fishing earlier and caught a five-pound sea bass,” Nelson shared cheerfully, his voice reflecting his upbeat mood.
“Okay. I’ll be there soon.” Cristofer gladly accepted the invitation.
Having worked through the night for three consecutive days, he felt extremely fatigued and preferred not to drive himself.
With his previous secretary Linda having departed and no replacement hired, he had no choice but to arrange chauffeur service on his own.
As he settled into the car and provided the villa address to the designated driver, he reclined against the backseat and shut his eyes to rest.
Either due to the driver’s skill, providing an exceptionally smooth ride, or Cristofer's overwhelming exhaustion, he quickly drifted into sleep and began to dream.
In his dream, it was at night, and there was a big blossoming tree full of pinky-white flowers.
When the petals fell from the tree and fluttered in the breeze, they looked like snowflakes and were incredibly beautiful. Wearing a floral dress, Estelle stood under a tree with a sweet smile.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The sudden and sharp sound of the car horn awakened Cristofer.
“I apologize, Sir. Rush hour traffic has caused a jam, and a taxi behind us nearly caused an accident. I honked the horn to alert them.”
Wearing a weary expression, Cristofer massaged his temples and then waved his hand, indicating that it was alright.
“Mr. Mysterious, let’s take a shortcut through another path. I know a path where there are few cars.”
Cristofer frowned, asking, “Another path?”
“Yes. As a designated driver, I’m quite familiar with Hadale and know all the paths here very well!”
“Okay, drive as fast as possible. I’m in a hurry,” Cristofer ordered.
“No problem,” the driver said. Then he turned the car onto a path.
Sure enough, as he had just said, few cars were on this path.
“You just said you are familiar with Hadale, didn’t you?” Cristofer asked.
“Yes, my nickname is Hadale Map! You name wherever you want to go, and I can tell you where it is.”
Hearing this, Cristofer hesitated for a moment and asked, “Do you know where the big blossoming tree full of pinky-white flowers is in Hadale?”
The driver thought for a while and asked, “Pinky-white flowers? Are they Cherry blossoms or peach blossoms?”
“I’m not certain. They’re remarkably beautiful. The petals covering the ground resemble a carpet.”
“There’s no tree like that,” the driver tapped his chest confidently, asserting, “If I’m not aware of such a tree, it doesn’t exist in our city. Sir, where did you come across this?”
“I didn’t hear about it anywhere. I dreamt of it just now,” Cristofer explained.
The driver chuckled and suggested, “Sir, perhaps you came across a tree like that during your travels in another country, and that’s why you dreamt of it.”
Cristofer took a deep breath and lowered the car window. The chilly wind rushed in, bringing him back to his senses.
“Maybe,” he conceded.
The car sped along swiftly. Seated comfortably, Cristofer gazed out of the window, a cynical smile forming on him.
‘Cristofer, you are so irrational and stupid. Estelle has already abandoned you twice. Why do you still think about her? Do you still think she will come back to you?’
‘Uncle Nelson was correct. Women are often liars. Once they obtain what they were, they abandon us without remorse.’
Usually, the journey from Cristofer's company to Nelson’s villa would consume at least thirty minutes.
However, taking a shortcut, the driver managed to cover the distance in merely ten minutes today.