“What about your arm?” Estelle asked, then glanced out the window. “The weather is awful today.” It was gloomy and humid as if rain was imminent.
Hearing this, Cristofer turned onto his back. After moving his left arm a few times, he smiled and said, “It’s strange. It’s not hurting much today.”
“That’s good,” Estelle replied, relieved.
Cristofer then reached out, intending to hold her hand. However, in the darkness, he accidentally touched her long hair and caught a whiff of the faint jasmine scent.
“Estelle…” he called her name in a husky voice. Before he could say anything more, Estelle interrupted, “I have something to tell you.”
With an embarrassed expression, Cristofer withdrew his hand and said, “Alright, go ahead.”
“You’ve improved a lot, and you don’t need me to take care of you anymore. I’ve been quite busy with the company’s affairs lately, so I… I want to…”
“Feel free to speak your mind. We’re back to being friends now. When we were friends before, you never beat around the bush with me; you always said your mind directly,” Cristofer encouraged.
Talking about the past made Estelle feel a bit awkward.
Cristofer was three years older than her. She used to consider him as a brother, and Cristofer used to dote on her a lot. Cristofer was good-looking and popular in school, so when the girls found out that Cristofer was Estelle’s boyfriend and treated her so well, they were either envious or jealous. Sometimes, to feed her ego, Estelle would intentionally ask Cristofer to do things for her in public, and Cristofer, being very cooperative, would oblige.
Bringing herself back to the present, Estelle thought, ‘I used to rely too much on Cristofer. It’s time for me to stand on my own. Since Cristofer and I are just friends now, it’s not appropriate for me to continue living in his house.’ She took a deep breath and spoke softly, “Living in the Hans’ Residence is comfortable, but it’s in the suburbs. I don’t have a car, and it’s inconvenient for my work commute if I stay here. So, I’m thinking of… moving out.”
To avoid any misunderstanding that she wasn’t open to reconciling with him, she explained diplomatically, “I want to focus on improving my company independently. Um… a few days ago, I encountered an unusual situation. When I showed a client my design drawings, I discovered that they had been altered by someone else. The client really liked the designs and signed a contract with me. However, I believe it was because he recognized the design style, not me as the designer. He wanted to work with the person who had modified the drawings for me, not me. I hope to prove myself and earn recognition based on my own abilities.”
Understanding her intentions, Cristofer chuckled and said, “I understand. I won’t alter your design drawings without your consent anymore.”
‘Met a supernatural event? Estelle, you’ve never spoken to me so indirectly before. In the past, if I had secretly modified your design drawings, you would have slammed the table and angrily exclaimed, “Don’t alter my designs!” It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t ruined our relationship, you’d still talk to me like that, as if we were strangers,’ Cristofer thought with a hint of bitterness.
Noticing his silence, Estelle quickly clarified, “I’m not blaming you. I just want to try running the company on my own. I’ve said many times that I wanted to make it successful. But every time I was about to put in the effort, something unexpected would come up, and I’d give up. This time, I can’t afford to give up halfway.”
After considering for a moment, Cristofer chose to respect her decision and said, “Alright. I’ll have Eva help you find an apartment.”
“No, thanks. I’ve already found a place to live,” Estelle replied.
“Have you planned everything?” Cristofer asked, his voice sounding hoarse.
In the darkness, Estelle couldn’t see the sadness in Cristofer’s eyes as she answered, “Yes, my new partner, Bella, has a house very close to the Hudson Group. She’s going through a divorce, and I’ll be moving in with her for a while.”
Cristofer turned to look at her and asked gently, “Do you have to move out?”
“… Yes,” Estelle nodded and said with a hesitant look. “Is it okay with you if I move out?”
“Of course,” Cristofer said with a sigh. “I’ll agree to whatever you decide.”
Hearing his understanding response, Estelle felt relieved. Before she could express her gratitude, Cristofer asked, “What about the children then?”
“I can take care of them,” Estelle responded directly.
Hearing this, Cristofer furrowed his brow slightly and asked with concern, “Are you planning to take all of them with you?”
Estelle had considered this possibility beforehand. She cherished all three children deeply and didn’t want to be separated from any of them. Additionally, regardless of whom she left behind, she knew she would miss that child and would frequently visit the Hans’ Residence. In that case, the distinction between moving out or staying wouldn’t make much difference.
With determination, Estelle replied firmly, “Yes, don’t worry. When I was abroad, I took excellent care of the children with my mother’s help. Moreover, this is the Hans’ Residence, not the Hudson’s House. My mother isn’t accustomed to living here. In any case, it’s best for us to move out.”
Cristofer understood that she was making excuses but chose not to force her. He understood Estelle well. In the past, they had misunderstandings and animosity towards each other. Although they had reconciled, their relationship remained somewhat awkward. Cristofer knew that Estelle’s desire to move out stemmed from her wish to focus on her work and not be encumbered by their relationship.
‘The children have spent most of their lives with you since they were born. I’ve only taken care of Yvonne for a few days when she was a baby. Honestly, I’ve hardly fulfilled my responsibilities as a father. The children might prefer to live with you. If that’s the case, there’s no need for me to insist on keeping them here and separating them from their mother,’ Cristofer thought to himself.
After some thought, Cristofer gave in. “Where is Bella’s house? Is it a safe place to live?” he asked.
Estelle quickly replied, “Bella’s house is in a neighborhood called Genting Garden, just a ten-minute walk from my workplace. The neighborhood has 24-hour security service, and they take care of safety.”
“Genting Garden?” Cristofer found the neighborhood’s name familiar.
Estelle elaborated, “Yes, that’s right. My favorite noodle restaurant is there, too. I used to adore their hot and spicy noodles. Remember?”