Eva’s smile faded a bit upon hearing this. She held the drawing board down, scratched her head, and asked, “Mrs. Hans, did you ever think about leaving your beloved man and beginning a new relationship when you were abroad?”
Estelle was momentarily taken aback, and memories of what had happened during the three years she spent abroad flooded back into her mind.
“During the first year, I thought that Mr. Mysterious was no longer with us. When I discovered I had a miscarriage, it was such a heartbreak that I lived in sorrow and anguish. In the second year, I couldn’t move on from the past, and life felt empty. If it weren’t for my children and my mother, I might have lost all hope to go on.”
“In the third year, Christina started to talk and called me Mom. That’s when I began to heal from my grief and put in effort to provide for my family. Each day, I’d reminisce about the joyful times I shared with Mr. Mysterious, treasuring those cherished memories dearly. I longed to return to Hadale and visit Mount Cloud to see the Malus Halliana tree where we had our wedding. During those years, I never tried to move on from Mr. Mysterious, let alone start a new relationship.”
Thinking about this, Estelle could empathize with why Eva wasn’t willing to give up on her boyfriend.
“Mrs. Hans, I’ve thought it through. Regardless of the circumstances, I need to go see my boyfriend. If he’s gotten married and started a family in the border area, I’ll let go.”
Sighing softly, Estelle didn’t know how to console her. “You two haven’t been in touch for years. If he truly married someone else and had children, it might hurt you to see it for yourself. Perhaps it’s best not to look for him anymore.”
Eva slumped in dejection upon hearing Estelle’s words. She sat on the edge of the bed, lowered her head, and mumbled, “I just need an answer. Even though it’s highly likely he’s fallen in love with someone else, I still want to see him. Maybe I’ve overthought it, and it’s just been poor communication that’s kept him from reaching out these past years.”
With mixed emotions, Estelle said, “But…”
“Mrs. Hans, please don’t try to persuade me. When I save enough money, I’ll find him at the border. If he doesn’t love me anymore, I’ll let go and return immediately. Then I’ll work hard, earn money, buy a house and a car, and date young, handsome men!” Eva said with a chuckle. “Mr. Hans mentioned I’d get triple pay for today’s work. Hee hee. That’s great.”
Suddenly, Estelle’s phone rang. Startled, she turned to her phone and saw that it was Cristofer calling. She quickly answered, “Hello, Cristofer.”
“Have you finished packing your things?” Cristofer inquired, speaking in a calm tone as if discussing work with a colleague.
Hearing his voice, Estelle was slightly surprised to notice that he seemed more distant than he was yesterday. “Not yet. Eva is helping me,” she replied.
“How much longer do you need?”
“About half an hour.”
“Okay. I’ll ask Vincent to pick you up in half an hour.”
“Will you also come back?”
“No. I’m busy today and won’t go home tonight.”
“… Okay.” Estelle was a little disappointed.
“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll hang up.”
“Hold on!” Estelle quickly interjected, wanting to extend their conversation but unsure of what to say. They fell into silence, and both could hear each other’s breathing.
“Do you have anything else to say?” Cristofer asked afterward.
“Well, about your arm…”
“It’s not your concern,” Cristofer replied.
“What’s going on with you?” Estelle frowned and asked, “Did something happen to you?”
“No.”
“But you’re acting so differently today…”
“Mr. Mysterious has returned, and I’ve kept my promise to let you go. We don’t need to pretend to be an affectionate couple anymore. It’s time for me to return to the way I used to be, and our life is going back to how it was before. Try to adjust to it as soon as possible.”
After a brief silence, Estelle licked her lips and said, “Got it.”
On the other end of the line, Cristofer, who had been feigning indifference, sensed the sadness in Estelle’s voice and couldn’t help but sigh. “Take good care of yourself. You often experience low blood sugar. Keep some candies with you at all times. Don’t rely too heavily on others. Sometimes, men can be unreliable.”
Estelle was a bit taken aback by this and asked, “Are you talking about Mr. Mysterious?”
“No, I’m talking about myself. I used to carry star-shaped candies with me when I was with you in the past. But then I fell in love with another woman and was heartless toward you. Have you forgotten that? Mr. Mysterious is affectionate and considerate toward you now. But people change over time. You… Anyway, take care of yourself and be cautious.”
Estelle couldn’t help but feel that something was off. “Cristofer, you’re not yourself today.”
“You’re overthinking it. Well, I have a meeting to attend. Goodbye.”
Before Estelle could say anything else, Cristofer ended the call.
****
At the company, Cristofer quickly ended the phone call. The next moment, his hand shook, and his phone almost slipped from his grasp, nearly falling to the ground.
Luckily, Vincent was nearby and caught the phone just in time. He handed it back to Cristofer and said quietly, “Mr. Hans, your hand was shaking.”
“It’s chilly today, that’s why my hand shook.”
“Today’s temperature is twenty-five degrees Celsius. It’s not really cold,” Vincent pointed out.
“In that case, maybe I’m just feeling tired,” Cristofer replied blankly.
“But you’ve had several days off from work,” Vincent remarked.
“Vincent,” Cristofer suddenly called out to him.
“Mr. Hans, how can I assist you?”
“I struggled to act calm and indifferent,” Cristofer confessed with a sigh. “Please, don’t reveal my true feelings, okay?”
“Mr. Hans, if you still love her, why not ask her to stay?” Vincent suggested.
“Let’s not discuss this,” Cristofer replied, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh. He took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping. “I can’t handle this right now.”
“But…”
“Stop talking about it!” Cristofer emotionally interrupted him. After a few moments, he managed to compose himself and whispered, “I’m the one who ruined our relationship. I don’t deserve to be with her. I’m not worthy…”
Vincent, who is unable to bear seeing him like this, tries to console him. “Mr. Hans, don’t blame yourself entirely. It’s not all your fault. If it weren’t for that car accident nine years ago, your relationship with Mrs. Hans might not have turned out this way.”
‘The car accident?’ Speaking of this, Cristofer suddenly asked, “Did you get any updates on what I asked you to investigate?”