Chapter 309 Chapter 309: I Have No Ties To Her Anymore
“You took Yvonne away from me without my consent and entrusted her to Uncle Luke. Cristofer, you barely spent any time with her. I don’t see how you can claim that you took care of Yvonne,” Estelle retorted in a matter-of-fact tone.
“I...”
“Cristofer, let’s drop the topic. It’s meaningless.”
Cristofer's face darkened. Gritting his teeth, he said with his eyes full of anger, “Did you get my permission when you asked my children to call another man Dad? No. Estelle, you didn’t even tell me you had started a new relationship.”
“I told you about that,” Estelle frowned and snapped at him, “And you blessed us. Have you forgotten that?”
“Huh!” Cristofer made a mocking sound and countered, “Do you really think I would wish you two well? I’ve never laid eyes on this Mr. Mysterious, and I can’t even be sure he’s not a con artist. He might have approached you just to take advantage of you during a vulnerable time. He’s not a good person.”
Estelle’s frustration grew as she retorted, “And what makes you any better? You wrongly accused me and doubted my honesty. Are you the epitome of virtue?”
“At least I genuinely love you. Can he say the same? You were with him for less than three years, whereas we’ve shared more than a decade together. I refuse to believe he loved you more than I did.”
“So what?” Estelle replied icily, “We may have had more than a decade together, but even so, you still turned your back on me once, didn’t you? When you misjudged me and treated me with suspicion, I thought you’d give me a chance to prove my innocence after all these years. But what did you do, Cristofer? You didn’t even allow me to explain myself.”
“I... I...” Cristofer began, a note of remorse in his voice, “I was struggling with mental health issues back then. My mind wasn’t stable. Star, I don’t even know why I acted that way.”
“Then have you regained your sanity?”
Cristofer was speechless.
Recalling their painful past, Estelle couldn’t suppress her sadness as she muttered softly, “But you treated Gretchen with such kindness during that time. Why were you ‘mentally unstable’ when you were with me and perfectly fine with her?”
Cristofer's fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly. After a pause, he said, his voice heavy, “I can’t find the right words to explain it to you. Nothing can undo the pain I caused you, and I genuinely want to make amends. I had hoped to win you back, but three years ago, I was in an accident and was comatose for an extended period. When I finally regained consciousness, you had already left Hadale. I asked Rebecca where you went, but she kept your secret, not even sharing it with Justin.”
Estelle’s sneer was audible as she responded, “Mr. Hans, I must remind you that you’re on the brink of marrying Miss Wilson. Isn’t it rather inappropriate for you to confide such sentiments in me?”
“I have no ties to her anymore.”
“Huh?” Estelle found his words ridiculous.
“I had no choice. You were determined to leave me and be with your Mr. Mysterious before,” Cristofer quickly explained, looking more anxious.
“Does your impending marriage concern me at all?” Estelle’s frown deepened.
Cristofer managed a bitter smile. “I chose to marry her out of necessity. I’ve been in discussions with a multinational company regarding collaboration. They don’t doubt my competence, but being married would enhance the partnership. I’ve only met Miss Wilson a few times, and I can hardly recall her name.”
Estelle remained silent.
Cristofer continued, “You’re back now, and Mr. Mysterious... is no longer with us. Star, I was thinking that maybe we could...”
“No way!” Estelle interjected, her response was blunt.
“Why? Is it because of him? What’s so special about him that you love him this much?” Cristofer asked, frustration evident in his tone.
“You know what? When I was still your wife, Eric asked me the same question. He wanted to know what was so great about you that I loved you intensely.”
Cristofer furrowed his brows. “Eric? Your lawyer? Of course, he has a crush on you.”
“Perhaps he had feelings back then, but not anymore. That’s not the issue here. The point is, I couldn’t explain why I continued to love you so deeply despite the hurt you caused me. I clung to an unrealistic hope that you’d come back to me. Thankfully, Mr. Mysterious entered my life. Now I’ve moved on from you, and you mean NOTHING to me.”
Hearing this, Cristofer was overcome with a pang of anguish as if a knife was twisting in his heart. He took several steadying breaths, his desire to say something to Estelle mingling with the pain.
Finally, he collected himself and said, “Star, I would rather you still hate me than take me as nothing.”
“Taking you as nothing is the only way that can stop me from feeling heartbroken so that I can move on,” Estelle spat in a sad voice.
“Then, can you try to forget about your past with Mr. Mysterious and move on?”
Estelle shook her head and murmured, “I can’t, and I won’t.”
“Why?”
“When he was alive, he had nothing but me. If I forget about him, the last trace of his existence in this world will vanish. I will cherish the memories we shared until the end of my days,” Estelle’s voice quivered, her emotions raw.
A heavy silence fell over the car after her words.
The two of them were in starkly contrasting emotional states. Estelle’s heart was heavy with thoughts of Mr. Mysterious, while Cristofer seethed with anger in response to her words.
After a while, Cristofer took a deep breath and inquired, “Are you staying at the Grand Hotel of Hadale City?”
“Yes,” Estelle confirmed.
The car then headed to the hotel.
And the two of them kept silent all the way.
Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a familiar building.
Looking at the luxurious villa before her, Estelle was stunned and speechless for a long time.
The villa used to be their marital house, where she had lived alone for four years.
‘Cristofer, weren’t you going to drive us back to the hotel? Why did you take us here?’ she thought.
Cristofer pulled the car into the garage and lifted Yvonne from her seat, carrying her in his arms. He then opened the rear door for Estelle and beckoned, “Let’s go.”
Estelle hesitated for a moment.
“I understand your concerns,” Cristofer stated, “I assured Yohan that I would bring the three of you back home, so I didn’t take you to the hotel. We’ll stay here tonight.”
Estelle’s expression darkened. She replied, “This isn’t our home.”
“Then where is your home? The hotel?”
Estelle remained quiet.
“It would be more comfortable for the kids to stay here than in a hotel. Please consider their comfort,” Cristofer urged.