Chapter 73 Staying Overnight at the Ancient Castle
The grandeur and antiquity of the castle captivated her, making her temporarily forget about Jack. Walking through such a place, she felt as if she had traveled back to medieval Europe, dreamy and surreal, momentarily forgetting the unpleasantness of the day. She only had a crossbody travel bag, but with enough money, that was all she needed. After touring the castle, she and a woman decided to stay overnight, to experience the noble lifestyle of the castle, even if just for one night. It was enough to feel a different kind of charm, and the stay wasn't expensive.
After taking care of everything, she suddenly remembered she hadn't called Sophia and Ethan today. Alison turned on her phone and saw several missed calls from Aidan, and a string of calls from Jack. She stared at Jack's familiar number, one she knew by heart but had never dialed herself, except for that one time she borrowed his phone to ask Aimée about a scarf. Now, there was nothing left to say between them.
She quickly dialed her home number, hoping to hear Sophia and Ethan's voices, the only ones that could soothe her wounded heart. Ethan answered quickly, "Mommy, is that you?"
"Ethan, have you eaten yet?" She tried to sound cheerful, not wanting the kids to sense her unhappiness.
"Not yet, I can't eat," Ethan replied.
"What's wrong? Do you miss Mommy?" she asked.
Ethan's barrage of questions caught her off guard, "Mommy, Uncle Winston said you were missing, is that true? And what happened?"
Alison's heart tightened. Had Aidan already found her home? "Ethan, which Uncle Winston told you that? What did he say?"
"I called Uncle Winston, and he told me," Ethan said.
Alison was angry, "Ethan, who told you to call Uncle Winston? If I were there, I'd give you a good talking to!"
Ethan sounded hurt, "Mommy, we called you and you didn't answer. We were scared, so we called Uncle Winston."
"Where did you get the number?" she asked.
"From your office. A lady answered, and I told her I was looking for Mommy. She asked who my mommy was, and when I told her, she said you were out of the country. I said you weren't answering your phone and asked for Uncle Winston's number to find you. Soon after, Uncle Winston called me," Ethan explained.
Alison sighed in relief. It must have been Aidan who answered. As long as it wasn't Jack, she was fine. She feared Jack discovering her kids. It seemed the home phone was no longer safe; maybe they should consider moving.
"Ethan, you can't just ask people for phone numbers. It's impolite," she reminded him.
"Mommy, you didn't answer, and I was scared," Ethan's voice trembled with fear.
"I'm sorry, Mommy will always answer your calls from now on. I won't let you worry again," Alison felt guilty. She had turned off her phone, which was why the kids couldn't reach her.
Ethan cautiously asked, "Mommy, are you unhappy?"
"No, Mommy's fine," she didn't want Sophia and Ethan to feel her sadness.
Ethan didn't believe her, "Mommy, are you really okay? Why is Uncle Winston looking for you everywhere?" He was extremely worried, having been really scared earlier.
"Mommy is really fine, everything is good now," Alison reassured him.
Ethan tentatively pleaded, "Mom, can you call Uncle Winston? He's got a nice voice, and I don't want him to worry." He was already starting to see Uncle Winston as a potential dad.
"Okay, I'll call him. But you take care of your sister and don't run off like last time," Alison warned. These two little ones could be quite a handful sometimes.
Ethan chuckled, knowing Uncle Winston wasn't in the country, so they couldn't sneak out. "Mom, don't worry, we'll be fine. Have fun in Paris," he said with a laugh, finally putting Alison at ease.
After ending the call, Alison decided the first thing she would do when she got home was change their phone number. Otherwise, the kids would eventually expose her. She didn't want them to meet Jack, but they kept reaching out to people she didn't want them to contact. She would deal with it when she got back.
She sent Aidan a text: "Aidan, I'm fine now. I'll be back at the hotel in three days. Don't worry."
Maybe she was being a bit selfish, a bit childish, but after more than three years, she just wanted to be selfish and childish for once. She just wanted to heal her wounded heart in this quiet, Jack-free town.
Sitting on the windowsill of her castle room, looking at the vast night sky outside, she thought, Aidan should have seen the text by now.
"Miss Fairchild, are you asleep?" came the woman's voice from outside the door.
"Not yet," she replied.
"Such a beautiful night, how about we go out for a drink?" the woman suggested.
At the mention of alcohol, her throat felt dry and itchy, and the urge to drink arose.
"Sure, give me three minutes, I'll be right there," she said, tidying up the clothes and scarf she had casually bought in the town. The handkerchief she once had was long lost during her escape from Jack.
They went to the small bar inside the castle, which was almost full. The bartender was showcasing his impressive mixing skills, a sight worth seeing even if one didn't drink.
But tonight, she wanted to drink, she had to drink.
One glass of chilled beer after another, refreshing and mellow.
"Miss Fairchild, slow down, I can tell something's on your mind," the woman reminded her.
"It's nothing, just missing my kids. I regret not bringing them along," she smiled to cover up.
"And your husband?" the woman asked casually.
This question left her momentarily speechless, "Oh, he's busy with work."
The more she drank, the more out of control she became. Everything around her started to blur, double images forming, making it hard to see clearly.
Alison was getting drunk, quite drunk.
At some point, the woman had quietly left her seat.
The bar remained lively, just as it had been when she first arrived.
Two men approached her, "Miss, how about a drink?" One of them raised his glass to clink with hers.
"Cheers!" Alison responded boldly. She didn't want to care about anything or know anything right now.
"Miss, how about a dance?" one of the men invited.
Alison shook her head, her body feeling weak, "No, thanks."
"Come on, just across the street at the nightclub, it's really lively, you'll love it," the man smiled.