Chapter 88 Midnight Chase
Getting up to answer the door, Arabella found an elderly woman in a raincoat outside the gate, calling out excitedly, "Is that Arabella? Has Arabella come back?"
Arabella finally recognized her and called back with a smile, "Jenny! Yes, it's me! I came back for a visit!"
"Oh my goodness, you should come back more often! Such a beautiful house just sitting empty - what a waste!" Jenny stood in the rain, speaking loudly, then asked, "So how long are you staying? The place hasn't been prepared at all - can you even sleep here? Why don't you stay at my place for a couple nights?"
Standing under the porch overhang, Arabella also raised her voice, "That's so kind, Jenny, but I'm heading back tonight!"
As they talked, Manuel emerged from the main room.
Seeing him, Jenny naturally didn't recognize the stranger, but noting his handsome, distinguished appearance, she immediately took a liking to him and asked with a smile, "Is this your husband? After all these years of marriage, you've finally brought him home for a visit! Have you been to the cemetery yet?"
Jenny meant that bringing a husband home should include visiting the departed family members on the hillside - a way of introducing them, so to speak.
Arabella felt immediately awkward. Before she could explain, Manuel spoke up first, "Jenny, I'm Manuel Wright. Don't you recognize me?"
"Wright... which Wright family..."
Jenny clearly didn't remember.
Manuel pointed toward his old family house and explained, "The Wrights from down the street!"
"Oh... oh my!" Jenny suddenly understood, excitedly slapping her thigh. "It's you! What was your name again—"
After so many years, Jenny had forgotten Manuel's name.
Manuel didn't mind and reintroduced himself, asking after Jenny's family and exchanging pleasantries.
After Jenny left, Arabella looked at the darkening sky with growing anxiety.
"Manuel, can we still leave today?"
Manuel checked his watch, then glanced at the blackening night sky, looking troubled. "The weather forecast says there'll be freezing rain tonight. I'm not familiar with these roads - driving in daylight is one thing, but night driving..."
On their way here, there had been a stretch of road in terrible condition, full of potholes with heavy truck traffic. Driving through that in a rainy night would definitely be dangerous.
"So we can't get back today?" Arabella worried about the children at home, and of course about Gabriel's inevitable fury if she didn't return tonight.
Manuel hesitated. "Are you worried about the kids? If you really want to go back, we could leave now, drive slowly in the rain. We'd probably make it to Luminara before dawn."
The drive here had taken nearly five hours in good conditions.
Driving back at night in heavy rain would take at least six hours.
One person driving six hours straight would be dangerous fatigue driving.
Though Arabella desperately wanted to return, she knew the dangers of drowsy driving and feared an accident on the road.
They were still hesitating when Jenny returned.
"Arabella! In this weather, don't drive tonight - it's not safe. I've got dinner ready. Come on, both of you - let's eat!"
Arabella felt terrible about imposing. "Jenny, please don't go to any trouble. We can cook for ourselves."
"Nonsense! Come on, we're neighbors - no need to be formal! It's just me and Toby at home, and you'd be doing us a favor keeping us company!"
It was hard to refuse such hospitality, and Manuel encouraged her to accept Jenny's kindness.
Arabella had to agree.
Fortunately, Manuel had brought several bottles of good wine in his car, packed for just such occasions.
Seeing him carrying gifts, Arabella looked surprised, her eyes widening. "After all those years abroad, you really understand local customs here."
Manuel smiled. "My uncle arranged all this. Since coming back, I've had plenty of social calls - gift-giving comes with the territory."
What was supposed to be a quick day trip had been derailed by weather, and now they found themselves guests at their old neighbor's dinner table.
Toby and Jenny reminisced about Arabella's grandparents, bringing tears to her eyes again.
Hearing that Manuel had become a successful businessman, Toby gave him a thumbs up, "You were always a bright kid - I could tell you'd make something of yourself!"
After dinner, leaving Jenny's house, the rain had finally lightened, but the temperature had dropped even more.
Arabella shivered, pulling her coat tighter. Manuel held an umbrella over both of them while using his phone's flashlight to illuminate the path.
"Won't Mr. Sterling be angry if you don't go back? Did you explain the situation?" Manuel asked quietly in the darkness.
Arabella had been anxious about this very thing, and his question made her even more uneasy.
Looking down at the path, she said softly, "I explained. He'll understand."
Before dinner, she had indeed sent Gabriel a message explaining that due to weather conditions, they were staying overnight for safety and would return first thing in the morning.
But Gabriel hadn't replied.
She didn't have the courage to call, knowing how angry Gabriel would be when he saw the message.
"Sorry, this is my fault. I thought the rain would stop if we waited, but it just got worse. If we'd left right away, we could have made it back today." Manuel apologized sincerely.
He could understand a mother's concern for her young children, and knew that not being able to return tonight would keep her awake with worry all night.
So he genuinely regretted not leaving earlier.
Arabella consoled him, "It's fine... there's a nanny at home, and Gabriel's there too. Missing one night won't matter."
This was meant to comfort Manuel, but also to reassure herself.
After all, if she really divorced Gabriel, the children wouldn't be with her either.
If she couldn't handle one night away, how would she manage after divorce?
Consider this practice for the future.
This thought gave her some peace as she pushed open the broken wooden gate and returned to the old house.
The bedding in the closet smelled moldy. She held her breath, frowning with renewed worry.
Manuel knocked on the bedroom door frame. She turned around.
"Arabella, maybe... we should go find a hotel in town?" Manuel also realized the musty bedding would be impossible to sleep in.
Arabella instinctively recoiled from the idea.
Not coming home tonight was already... well, it could be described as scandalous.
If they went to stay in a hotel on top of that - even though they'd certainly get separate rooms - if Gabriel found out, his first thought would be the worst. He'd assume she deliberately stayed away to hook up with someone at a hotel.
So absolutely not!
"Getting to town means taking that highway stretch again, right? This late at night, after rain, it'll be even worse..." she hedged, clearly reluctant.
Manuel saw her resistance and probably understood the potential for misunderstanding, so he asked, "What do you think we should do then?"
Arabella thought for a moment. "That store where you bought groceries this afternoon - do they sell bedding? Maybe we could buy a couple blankets to make do, use these old ones as padding underneath."
"Alright, I'll go check."
Manuel left, and Arabella sat on the bed edge, her emotions in turmoil.
Taking out her phone, she saw the battery was only at one-third.
This made her even more frustrated - she didn't dare even text Sophia to vent, afraid of draining the battery completely when she might need it for emergencies.
Soon Manuel returned with the store owner, carrying four blankets.
"Manuel, why did you buy so many... we're only staying one night—" Arabella was startled.
After thanking the shopkeeper, Manuel turned back and said, "Things are cheap here - more economical than a hotel."
"But we're only staying one night, such a waste..."
"Not a waste - we'll give them to Jenny and her family tomorrow."
Hearing this, Arabella thought it was actually a good solution.
The new bedding made everything much more comfortable.
Manuel had also bought a pile of daily necessities, even thinking to get house slippers.
They boiled several kettles of water for basic washing, just like winter nights in their childhood.
"After getting used to city life, spending a night in the countryside is actually quite peaceful," Manuel said. He truly wasn't pretentious - despite his success, he could still appreciate simple living and even enjoy it.
Arabella's heart had also settled down. Since they couldn't return anyway, she might as well get a good night's sleep.
It had been several years since she'd spent a night in her childhood home. The feeling was quite magical, like traveling back in time.
Looking at her phone, it was only a little past nine, but the whole world had already quieted down, leaving only the wind whistling outside.
When she first lay down, the hot shower had left her feeling warm and cozy.
But soon that warmth was absorbed by the cold bedding.
After years of luxury living with climate-controlled environments, she hadn't slept on such a hard wooden bed or in such cold covers for ages. Every movement sent a chill rising from beneath.
So cold...
At this moment, she found herself inexplicably missing that warm, strong embrace, feeling strangely lonely in her solitary bed.
After tossing and turning for who knows how long, drowsiness finally overcame her and she gradually drifted off.
In her dreams appeared that handsome, cold face, always stern and aloof with an impatient expression.
In her dreams, she could also hear the children crying, wailing inconsolably despite the nanny's efforts to comfort them.
In the dream she felt desperate to return home, but standing roadside, no transportation would come. She was cold, hungry, helpless, and utterly lost.
Then she heard someone calling her name—
A strange, elderly voice calling repeatedly, accompanied by the sound of pounding on a door.
At first, Arabella thought it was just the wind rattling the broken wooden gate in the courtyard.
Then she thought it might be noise from neighboring houses.
Until someone knocked on her bedroom door and Manuel started calling, "Arabella? Arabella? Is someone outside calling for you?"
Arabella jolted awake as if falling from a great height, her eyes snapping open.
"Arabella! Is Arabella there?" The voice was indeed elderly but still calling out.
Someone really was calling for her!
"Arabella?" Manuel continued knocking on her door.
"Coming, coming!" She quickly got up, threw on her coat, and went to open the door.