Suddenly, heavy raindrops hit the window, splattering against it. Hearing the sound, Estelle felt relieved that the weather seemed to support her decision. She said earnestly, “Did you hear that? I can’t go, even if I wanted to, in this storm.”
Eva couldn’t argue with the weather, so she picked up her phone and called Luke. Before reaching him, they heard a phone ringing. Searching around, they discovered it was Estelle’s phone.
“I didn’t dial the wrong number…” Eva looked at the screen in confusion and said, “Luke didn’t answer.”
“I’ll see who’s calling me,” Estelle swiftly walked to her desk and took her phone. She felt relieved but also slightly disappointed when she saw Vincent’s name on the screen. After taking a deep breath, she said, “I’m at the company. What’s up?”
Vincent responded awkwardly, “Well, Mrs. Hans, I…”
Estelle understood that Cristofer must have asked Vincent to convince her to join the dinner, so she interrupted him before he could finish and said, “It’s pouring outside, and driving to Cristofer’s house would be difficult and dangerous for me. Please tell Cris… Tell Luke that I can’t make it to dinner tonight.”
Vincent tried to cover up his true intentions after Estelle pointed it out, saying, “Well, Luke asked me to call you because he saw the heavy rain and wanted me to pick you up.”
Estelle didn’t press further if Vincent didn’t want to admit it. Instead, she changed the topic, saying, “But my mom is still at home, and I don’t want to leave her alone in this heavy rain. I think it’s better if I go home tonight.”
Meanwhile, Eva had given up on calling Luke since there was no answer, and it didn’t seem necessary anymore. She approached Estelle with a gleam in her eyes and whispered, “The car seems to have water in the engine. We might need to get it repaired. It’s fortunate that someone can give you a ride, isn’t it?”
With keen hearing, Vincent caught Eva’s words and added, “Mrs. Hans, don’t worry. I’ve already picked up your mother.”
Sighing helplessly, Estelle asked, “What did you say to her? You didn’t tell her that I had already gone there, did you? I only told Luke that I might come for dinner if I didn’t have to work late. The rainstorm is a more serious concern than working late.”
“It’s not that bad. I’m driving an SUV with the highest chassis,” Vincent replied confidently. “I didn’t lie to your mom. The kids wanted to have fondue, and your mom thought it would be more fun with more people, so she agreed to go. I believe she’s enjoying her time with the children now.”
‘Wow, you know how to wear down each of us.’ Estelle almost lost her breath when she heard that.
Vincent sensed that Estelle couldn’t find a reason to refuse now due to her silence. So, he continued, “Mrs. Hans, I was at the Hans’ Residence earlier. The children had a great time today, and they were overjoyed to see your mom. They rushed to her as soon as she arrived. Yvonne and Christina even asked where you were.”
Reflecting on that scene, he continued with mixed emotions, “Mr. Hans was genuinely concerned about your safety. He asked me to keep an eye on the weather and traffic news while working, fearing you might face danger on your way back.”
But Estelle chose to ignore his words and said directly, “With my mom there, I don’t need to worry about the children. You don’t have to go back and forth. Just go ahead and have dinner with them.”
“Wait!” Eva raised her voice this time. She spoke anxiously, “Your mom can’t replace you. Maybe the children want to be with you, too.”
Vincent added, “Yes, Eva is right. We’re all gathering at Mr. Hans’s house for fondue. You’ll feel lonely if you go back home alone. They’ve prepared a variety of dishes, including your favorites. Well, actually, Luke instructed the cook to prepare them.”
Estelle suddenly found herself torn and didn’t know what to say. With both of them persuading her simultaneously, she pictured herself going home alone without anyone by her side.
As Estelle hesitated and almost changed her mind, Eva added, “Estelle, I think it’s time for you and Mr. Hans to talk things out.”
However, Eva’s words had the opposite effect. Feeling that Eva was siding with Cristofer too quickly, Estelle responded angrily, “I have a stomachache, and fondue is too heavy for me.”
“What? When did you have a stomachache?”
Estelle answered impatiently, “You should ask Vincent. He reminded me about the cold weather this morning. Maybe it’s the weather that’s causing my severe stomach ache.”
Upon hearing Estelle’s response, Eva was bewildered, and Vincent was at a loss for words. Before Vincent could regain his composure, Estelle abruptly ended the call. She then snapped at Eva, “Don’t try to convince me anymore. If you bring this up again, you can go straight back to Cristofer.”
“Alright, alright. I promise I won’t bring it up again,” Eva said apologetically, folding her hands in a gesture of apology. After Estelle retreated to her office, Eva sighed, “Estelle won’t change her mind. There’s nothing more we can do.”
Meanwhile, Vincent sat in the car, staring at his phone in frustration, and sighed to himself, ‘Seems like Mr. Hans has a much tougher road ahead to win back his wife.’
He tried to call Estelle again, but she swiftly hung up. So, Vincent had no choice but to reach out to Luke for help. “I failed. We need to move on to plan B.”
Five minutes later, Estelle’s phone rang once more. Thinking it was Vincent attempting to persuade her again, she answered with a growl, “I already said I’m not going. Stop calling me!”
“Estelle, it’s me,” said Luke anxiously.
“Uncle Luke? I thought…” Estelle wanted to maintain respect for Luke, so she tried to find an excuse for her earlier anger. But Luke didn’t ask about it and said, “It doesn’t matter. Estelle, I know the weather is terrible, but I really hope you can come this evening.”
Estelle couldn’t treat Luke the way she did with Vincent, so she replied politely, “Uncle Luke, I took the children there only because they missed their dad. I had no other intentions.”
“I understand,” Luke said with concern, “I have something else to tell you. Please stay calm when you hear this. Christina actually fell down the stairs. Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt, but she’s been crying and asking for you. I can’t bear to see her like this.”