Chapter 128 Chapter 128
The next morning, when Grace woke up, Benjamin had already left. She got dressed and went downstairs. She had just finished breakfast when she received his call. He sounded good-natured, softly asking, "Did you sleep well?"
She gave a perfunctory reply: "Alright, I guess."
He chuckled softly on the phone, then lowered his voice to ask, "Did you dream? How did I do in your dream?”
"What dream?" she asked, taking a few seconds to realize what he meant. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed and irritated. She snapped back, "Benjamin, is there anything in your head besides dirty thoughts?"
"You're in there, too," he replied with a mischievous chuckle. Seeing that she was about to hang up in annoyance, he quickly turned serious. “Someone will pick you up for your hospital follow-up soon. Be good. I'm busy today and can't accompany you.”
She acknowledged this and then asked, "After the checkup, can I go back to campus? I have some things stored with a colleague that I want to retrieve."
Even through the phone, Benjamin could sense her caution. Benjamin didn't like this feeling, though he knew it stemmed entirely from him. He paused, then asked her in a low voice, "Grace, do you remember what I told you when you were buried under the floorboards?"
She had been nearly unconscious then, yet she still heard his words clearly. He said, "As long as you're okay, I'll let you see Adrian. I'll let you go back to your old life."
Yes, he did take her to see Adrian. But Adrian no longer recognized her. He wanted her to return to her old life, but he had shattered it beyond repair long ago. There was no going back.
Her heart was filled with nothing but hatred, yet not a trace of it showed in her words. Only hesitation lingered as she asked, "Can you trust me again?"
After being deceived by her time and again, could he trust her again? He had no answer. After a long silence, he finally said, "Grace, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Those words were moving. If she hadn't already been hurt, she might have been touched by them. Alone in the vast room, she lifted her head and smiled at her reflection in the mirror as if performing a monologue for an empty audience. She remained silent on purpose, savoring the steady yet restrained breaths coming through the receiver. Only when his breathing gradually became erratic did she softly reply, "Benjamin, give me more time, okay? I'll take it slowly, one step at a time.”
"Okay," he answered. After a pause, he added in a low voice, "I'll wait for you."
Grace first went to the private clinic. By the time her follow-up exam was over, it was nearly noon. She grabbed a quick bite to eat outside before instructing the driver to take her to the university. Whether due to recent events or not, campus security had tightened considerably. Without a pass, they refused to let their vehicle in. The bodyguard tried to get out to negotiate, but Grace stopped him. "Wait for me outside," she said. "I'll be back shortly."
She stepped out of the car and strolled alone toward the college. Several colleagues were in the office. Upon seeing her sudden arrival, they exchanged surprised glances before gathering around to greet her. Perhaps because there was no longer any professional rivalry to contend with, everyone seemed unusually warm. Grace smiled and chatted briefly with them before following her closest colleague to the storage room next door to retrieve the cardboard box she had left there.
When she left Seattle in such a rush, she hadn't had time to collect her personal belongings from the school. Later, while mailing her resignation letter from abroad, she also sent the keys to her desk drawers to a colleague, asking them to gather her things and hold them temporarily.
Benjamin knew about this arrangement, so when she told him that morning that she was coming to the school to collect her belongings, he didn't suspect a thing.
That colleague had packed all her belongings into boxes. Having just accepted a bottle of designer perfume from Grace, the colleague was in a good mood. She pulled a large cardboard box from the locked storage cabinet and set it on an empty table nearby. Smiling, she said, "I've kept your things locked up all this time. Go ahead and check them—see if anything's missing.”
"No need to check. Nothing important anyway. Besides, I trust your judgment," Grace replied with a smile. She refused to examine the box until her colleague insisted. Only then did she pretend to glance through the contents. Most of the items were small desk ornaments, a few books, and several English-language CDs.
Grace's fingers brushed over the CD cases, pausing briefly on one. Seeing that the label was untouched, she knew that no one had tampered with the contents. She nonchalantly selected two discs, handed them to her colleague, and said, "This is my favorite band. Keep these two as a memento.”
She said goodbye to her colleague and carried the cardboard box out alone. By chance, she stepped out of the building just as Nathan was coming in to hand in his assignment. The box blocked her view, forcing her to tilt her head sharply to see the steps below. She hadn't noticed Nathan at all. He spotted her first and hesitated before tentatively calling out, "Ms. Hill?"
Grace turned her head at the sound.
His surprise far exceeded hers. He stared blankly for a moment before rushing over to take the box from her. "Ms. Hill, it really is you! I didn't recognize you at first."
Her transformation over the past year had been remarkable—no wonder he reacted that way. Grace gave a faint smile, unconcerned. "I'm just changing things up a bit, shifting my mood."
Seeing her smile, the young man’s face lit up with a smile of his own. He asked, "Where are you headed? I’ll walk you there!”
Grace didn’t stand on ceremony. She took the bag of assignments from his hands so that he could carry the cardboard box more easily. “To the school gate. Are you free to help me carry the box over?”
“No problem.” Nathan replied.
He carried the box while walking Grace to the school gate. After a while, he couldn't help but ask, "Ms. Hill, did you really resign?"
“Yes, I resigned.” She nodded and smiled faintly again. “I’m not your teacher anymore.”
He seemed unable to accept it; his smile was strained. After a moment of hesitating, he said, "Ms. Hill, that girl named Wendy has come to the school looking for you many times."
Grace frowned. “When was that?”
"Last semester, I think," Nathan replied, carefully watching her expression. "She also came to me twice, pestering me for your contact information. I told her I didn't have it, but she wouldn't believe me."
Upon learning it was last year, Grace dismissed it as unimportant. It was only when she noticed Nathan's expression that she realized the young man had ulterior motives in bringing it up. She said, "I just returned from abroad. Many things are still unsettled. Once I'm settled, I'll give you my contact information."
Her insight into his thoughts made Nathan feel awkward. He gave a nervous chuckle and replied, "Sure." As they approached the school gates, he hesitated several times before finally asking the question on his mind: "Ms. Hill, is Mr. Norman still bothering you?"
Grace paused, unsure how to respond. He misinterpreted her hesitation and hurriedly clarified, "Ms. Hill, please don't misunderstand. I mean no offense. Besides, I don't think you did anything wrong. Whatever his reasons, after you refused him, it's his fault for continuing to pursue you.”
Her surprise was evident as she turned to look at him. She asked directly, "What do you mean? Have you heard some gossip?”
Nathan snorted, unsure how to broach the subject. The last time Wendy came looking for him to ask for Grace's contact information, they ended up arguing. He called Benjamin a jerk, but Wendy defended him, saying that even if Benjamin was a jerk, Grace wasn't innocent either. If she hadn't gone after Benjamin first, why would he be pursuing her?
That time, Nathan had nearly punched Wendy.
He didn't know how to explain this to Grace. Besides, he was a guy, and it had happened so long ago. He shouldn't pass on gossip, making himself look petty. So, he gave a stiff smile and replied, "Nothing. I’m just saying."
Grace smiled and didn't press further.
Benjamin's car was waiting outside the school gates. The bodyguard saw Grace emerge and hurried over to take the large cardboard box from Nathan. "Ms. Hill," he asked, "may I put this in the trunk?"
Grace nodded and turned to Nathan. She handed him the bag of homework she was holding and said with a smile, "I'll be going now. You head back. Remember to study hard!" With that, she got into the car. Only after the car had driven quite a distance away did she glance back and see the tall boy still standing by the roadside, not having left yet.
She didn't need to ask to know what had happened. Who else could Nathan have gone to talk to about her? It could only be Wendy. How Wendy, deceived by Benjamin, would judge her was all too predictable. Grace had completely given up on that girl.
Some people just don't know pain until they've been hurt. So be it.
Still, a lingering unease settled in her heart. That evening, when Benjamin returned, she deliberately gave him the cold shoulder. Noticing Grace’s sour expression, Benjamin loosened his tie and tossed his suit jacket carelessly onto the sofa. He sat down beside her. "What is it now?" he asked.
His voice carried a hint of faint weariness.
Grace was exceptionally perceptive. She turned to look at him, avoiding mention of Wendy. Instead, her expression gradually softened. After a noticeable pause, she asked, "Is there a lot going on at the company?"
Benjamin had spent too much time in the South, leaving a backlog of work at the company. Even with his stamina and energy, after a full day of handling it, he couldn't help but feel some weariness.
This was especially true since the company's legitimate business differed from the shady deals down south. Despite his considerable efforts in this area over the years, he still felt stretched thin.
He didn't want her to know about these things. Benjamin gave a faint smile and reached out to pinch her earlobe as he replied, "It's fine."
However, Grace seemed to see right through him. With a knowing smile, she shot him a sidelong glance while continuing to sort through the boxes. "It's hard work, plain and simple. No need to be stubborn about it. Let's not even talk about you being a latecomer to this field. Even if that so-called ‘genius’ were still here, I doubt he could handle all this alone.”
She brushed his hand away, carried a stack of discs to the hard drive rack, and returned to organizing her magazines. Casually lifting her gaze, she asked, "Could you clear out a small room for me to use as a study?"
Benjamin leaned lazily against the sofa, watching her bustle about with contentment. Hearing her request, he replied, "With just the few things you have, you can put them in my study."
The entire second floor was his domain and featured a spacious living room, bedroom, and separate study with bulletproof doors. No one was allowed to enter the study without permission, and even the daily cleaning was handled by Michael. What was hidden inside was almost too obvious to imagine. She shook her head. "Never mind. Better to be cautious."
Her perceptive nature and constant reserve delighted him, yet left him with a faint sense of loss. He rose and moved closer, gently wrapping his arms around her from behind. "When I came back earlier, were you upset about something?" he murmured.
Her eyebrows lifted slightly at his words as she turned her head to look at him. "You noticed?"
He curved his lips into a smile. "Tell me. Who upset you?"
Grace pondered for a moment, her brow furrowing involuntarily, and turned to face him. Seeing her serious, solemn expression, he couldn't help but laugh. He reached out to smooth her brow. "Let's talk it out. Why frown?"
"It's Wendy. I'm upset because of her,” she suddenly declared, pushing his hand away as her expression darkened slightly. "Benjamin, since we've decided to move forward, let's be upfront about everything. I'm tired of fighting with people, whether it's about people or things. If you want to be with that little girl, that's your business, but don't let her come near me. I hate all this messy business.”
Benjamin frowned unexpectedly at her mention of Wendy. "You don't have to fight for anything—people or things," he said in a low voice. Though he spoke firmly, he felt a twinge of guilt. After a pause, he asked, "Why bring her up now?"
Grace pursed her lips. "I ran into Nathan at school today. Wendy must have said something to him because he started saying weird things. It made me feel really awkward."
"Nathan? The guy with the crush on you?" he countered sharply.