Chapter 89 Alison, I'm Sorry
After dinner, Sophia and Ethan were lost in the toys and gifts she had bought.
"Auntie waved at her, "Ma'am, can you come here for a moment?"
"Hmm?" Alison walked over, puzzled. "What's up?"
"Ma'am, there's been someone standing outside our building for the past few days. At first, I didn't pay much attention, but recently I noticed he seems to be looking up at our apartment."
"Where?" Alison's heart tightened as she quickly leaned over to look out the window. Sure enough, there was a man leaning against a banyan tree. It was Jackson.
He had found her.
Did he already know that these two children were hers?
"Auntie, keep an eye on the kids and don't let them come out. I'll be back soon." She hurriedly changed clothes and ran down the stairs. When she looked out the window earlier, the dim streetlight made it hard to see Jackson's face, but in the darkening night, he looked so lonely leaning against that tree. That silhouette—it was definitely him.
It seemed like he was holding a bottle of alcohol.
The sight of that bottle brought back memories of everything that happened before she left, filling her with a sense of foreboding.
As soon as she rushed out the door, the iron gate clanged shut, and Jackson immediately turned his head.
The moment he saw her, he walked over. "Alison, you're finally back."
He reeked of alcohol again.
She didn't know what was wrong with him. She tried to pull him back, but he suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist in the darkness. "Alison, marry me. I'll be good to the kids and give them a complete family, okay?"
Alison was stunned and stopped in her tracks, confused. "You don't mind the kids' background?" A fleeting thought crossed her mind—did Jackson know about what happened back then?
"Alison, I'm sorry." Jackson was swaying, the alcohol making him lose his senses.
Alison's heart raced. Was that fleeting feeling real? Did Jackson really know about what happened back then?
She turned around and stared intently at Jackson. "What are you sorry for? Did you do something to me?"
In the darkness, Jackson's eyes flickered. He looked at her for a long time before slowly speaking. "That night, I got a call and left. When I came back late, I couldn't find you. I know something must have happened that night, otherwise, you wouldn't have treated me like that the next day." He paused and then said, "Alison, I'm sorry."
Alison grabbed his hand suddenly. "Tell me, who called you?" That person must have done it on purpose, calling Jackson away, drugging her, and taking those humiliating photos.
Jackson's eyes were filled with pain as he looked at Alison, his lips trembling as if he wanted to speak but didn't dare to.
"Go ahead, I won't blame you." Alison knew that whoever it was must have put Jackson in a difficult position, otherwise, he wouldn't be so hesitant.
"It was Erin Lakeside. She lost her wallet and was being held at the restaurant for not paying, so I went to help her..." Jackson said it all in one breath and then lowered his head, not daring to look at Alison.
"Why didn't you tell me before you left?" Alison remembered Erin, a sweet girl from a different department at their school who had a crush on Jackson. Everyone knew about it. Back then, she trusted Jackson completely, believing he wasn't that kind of person. But now, hearing that he had dealings with Erin...
"Erin only said 'help me' on the phone, and then the phone was taken away. The restaurant staff said if I didn't go immediately to pay for her, they would harm her, so I went."
"And what about me? Did you ever think about me?" The helplessness she felt waking up that morning, who could understand that pain?
No one helped her bear it. Today, nearly four years later, it was the first time she had spoken so emotionally about that night.
What happened that night changed the course of her life.
"Alison, I don't care what happened that night or what you've been through. Let's just forget it all, okay? Let's start fresh," Jackson pleaded, his eyes full of longing as he held her wrist.
Alison gently pulled away, and Jackson's eyes immediately filled with panic.
"Some things, once they're past, can't go back to the way they were. I wanted to give you everything, but we missed our chance, and now there's nothing left. Jackson, thank you for waiting for me for over a thousand days and nights, but I won't marry you. Just, please don't tell anyone about the kids. I just want them to live happily, without any disturbances."
"But you can't live like this forever. Alison, if you don't trust me, I'll just be your friend, a true friend. But please, let me be a part of your life, to share your pain and joy. Give the kids a semblance of a complete family, okay?"
She shook her head and softly said, "Jackson, you should have your own family. I don't want to feel guilty for holding you back from your happiness."
"Alison, I'm the one who should feel guilty, not you. Please, give me a chance to make things right, okay? Since you disappeared, I haven't had a single peaceful night's sleep."
Looking into his eyes, she felt he might be telling the truth, but who could she blame for all this?
He couldn't just stand by and watch Erin get bullied, right? Maybe he was just too soft-hearted and fell into someone else's trap.
Maybe this was her fate.
"Jackson, what happened that night wasn't your fault. It was all deliberately arranged. Do you still have contact with Erin? I want to see her."
Jackson shook his head. "Since you disappeared, I haven't contacted her."
She smiled faintly. So, he was just like her, humble and helpless, not daring to contact anyone.
Maybe Erin was the key to unraveling all of this.
"Jackson, can you help me find Erin? Only by resolving this can I let go of everything."
"Okay, I promise you. But Alison, you have to promise me not to leave me, at least let me be your friend." He might have already guessed that it would be hard for them to go back to the past, so he insisted on being friends.
Alison nodded gently. "Jackson, you'll always be my friend."
The word "always" was a promise from her, but to Jackson, it sounded particularly harsh. Did it mean they could only be friends for the rest of their lives?
He took a swig of alcohol and pushed her away. "I'll go back by myself, you don't need to see me off."
"Jackson, you..." She couldn't tell if he was sober, but his words were clear.
"Alison, I want to be alone. After so long, I finally talked about that night, and I feel much better. Thank you for not blaming me..."
She didn't blame him, and that made him happy enough. What more could he ask for?
Alison stood there, the boy she once loved now just a lonely figure.
Wasn't she just as lonely?
She watched his figure disappear around the corner, tears streaming down her face. Only when Jackson's figure was gone, leaving only the night in her view, did she turn and leave silently.
Alison spent a day moving out of her small home, changed her phone number, and instructed Auntie to always keep an eye on the kids, forbidding them from contacting Aidan.
After a day's rest, Alison returned to work at Rebel and YD the next day.
She thought, with long nights come many dreams, she needed to get rid of those distracting thoughts to sleep peacefully.
Back in the purchasing department, as soon as she walked into the hall, the familiar whispers started again.
Alison ignored them. She knew she was now the center of attention at YD. With her qualifications, going to Paris and being with the two young masters of the Winston family naturally made many people envious and brought a lot of jealousy.
She resumed her role as McLean's assistant, and time quietly passed. Aidan didn't come to work, but YD continued to operate as usual.