Thinking about her unusual behavior tonight, Cristofer suddenly understood everything.
“My voice tonight is similar to that of Mr. Mysterious, and he also said the same words to you before, right?” he asked.
Estelle fell into silence.
“You allowed me to come in, gave me a glass of water, prepared food, and engaged in a lengthy conversation with me today because I resemble Mr. Mysterious, right?”
She was still silent.
Cristofer then got the answer from her silence.
“I understand,” he murmured, his voice full of depression, and his shoulders drooped. “Star, you were right. I’m indeed jealous of him.”
“…”
“I’m jealous of him, very jealous of him.”
“…”
“I should be the one who is loved by you wholeheartedly. But I made a big mistake and broke your heart. I have lost you forever…”
“It’s meaningless to talk about this now,” Estelle suddenly remarked.
“I know I can’t change the past,” he whispered, his voice heavy with sorrow, his shoulders sagging. “On my way here, Eva mentioned that if her boyfriend ever fell for another woman, she’d strive to outshine that woman and rekindle his love for her. I also had hoped to win your affection back in that way. But now, I don’t even have the opportunity. Mr. Mysterious is gone, and he’ll forever hold a place in your heart. As long as I’m alive, I can never replace him, no matter what I do,” Cristofer said sadly, averting his gaze.
“Did you drink?”
“No.”
“You are so talkative today.”
Upon hearing this, Cristofer sighed heavily. Turning his face to her, he smiled sadly and said, “Okay, let’s end the topic, Star. I’ll get over you and won’t bother you anymore. However, our deal still stands. I will continue to search for a suitable donor for Christina. Please continue cooperating with me and act like we’re still a couple in front of Grandpa.”
“Okay.”
“I’m leaving now,” Cristofer said as he bid his farewell, taking steps toward the door.
“Wait,” Estelle suddenly stopped him. “You…”
“Umm?”
“You… You can go see the children,” Estelle said with an unnatural expression.
Somehow, she felt the atmosphere was awkward.
“Yohan misses you very much, and he says he wants to see you every day. So does Yvonne. You can… stay a little longer.”
“Star, I’m a man with dignity,” Cristofer said, looking even sadder as he attempted a helpless smile.
“What?” Estelle didn’t understand what he meant.
“I know you miss Mr. Mysterious very much,” Cristofer said with a sad smile, “But I’m not him. Please take me as his substitute, will you?”
****
Estelle used to like nights very much.
It was quiet and dark at night, and she could do many things that she couldn’t or dare not do in the daytime.
When she was about sixteen years old, she waited for the coming of the night by the window of her bedroom every day because Cristofer would come to see her at night.
After he came, they would sneak out through the garden. Cristofer was so strong that he could easily lift her up by holding her waist and put her on the branch of the big banyan tree in the yard.
At that time, Cristofer was in his early twenties. After nimbly climbing over the high courtyard wall, he would open his arms, look up at her, and say, “Star, jump. I’ll catch you.”
Estelle would then jump off the wall into his arms. After that, Cristofer would go for a cycle ride.
She still remembered that Cristofer could ride his bike very fast and that the osmanthus trees outside the Hudson’s House were in full bloom, filling the air with a pleasant, sweet scent.
Several years later, she broke up with Cristofer and then met Mr. Mysterious.
At first, she was in awe of Mr. Mysterious. And she would feel a little nervous every night when she went to see him. But later, she began to look forward to seeing him every night.
In the darkness, Mr. Mysterious would gently put his arm around her waist from behind, warm her with his temperature, and tell her that she didn’t need to be afraid of anything and he would always be by her side.
Nights used to be special to Estelle. But now they weren’t.
In the past, the nights she had spent with Mr. Mysterious made her feel warm and happy. But now, nights would only make her feel cold and lonely. And when she was helpless, no one would come to her side and help her like God.
Sometimes, she even felt that the happy time between her and Mr. Mysterious, which only lasted a few months, was like a dream.
She wondered if God pitied her and let her have such a sweet dream because she was about to die of lung cancer. And now it was time to wake up from the dream.
Sitting in bed, Estelle was lost in thought until the rising sun glared.
Suddenly, her phone rang, and a video call came.
“Hi, Estelle. Oh, it’s dawn in Hadale. I’m sorry, did I wake you?” Eric’s voice held a touch of helplessness.
Estelle shook her head and replied, “No, I was already awake. What’s going on?”
“Oh my God. It was easy to look after Yohan before, but now… Taking care of Christina is really exhausting.”
Estelle felt a little guilty seeing his tired look on the phone screen.
She quickly said, “I apologize for causing you such trouble, Mr. Harris. I appreciate your help in looking after Christina. I’ll return once I’ve completed everything here.”
“It’s okay. How’s everything going with Christina’s potential liver transplant? When might she be able to have the surgery?”
Upon hearing this, Estelle’s smile froze, and then she replied, “It’s difficult to say.”
“What do you mean by this?”
“The donor went back on his word,” Estelle said, her smile turning bitter. “He doesn’t want to donate his liver.”
Eric frowned immediately and asked, “Why? Why did he suddenly break his promise?”
“He wants to apply for a military academy, which makes enormous demands on the applicants’ physical quality. For fear that his physical quality will be affected, he decided not to donate his liver.”
“Then have you contacted Howard…”
“He’s not willing to donate his liver either,” Estelle quickly explained, “It’s not surprising. If he were willing to save Christina, Christina would have been cured.”
“What a bastard!” Eric said through gritted teeth.
“I’ll try to find another suitable donor. It’s just that I may have to stay here for longer.”
“Estelle, you don’t have to put too much pressure on yourself. Everyone has their own fate. You have done enough for Christina. If you hadn’t decided to adopt her back then, she wouldn’t have lived till now.”
“I can’t bear to watch her die. I really can’t,” Estelle sniffed and said in a sad tone.
“I know, Estelle. I understand,” Eric said. “By the way, I’ve done what you asked me to do. You’ll receive the parcel soon.”
“Okay, thank you.”