Hamish vented his heavy punishment on Elisa without taking any precautions, only realizing it afterward. Elisa, diagnosed with stomach cancer and unable to conceive, lay heavily in bed. She struggled even to move a finger. Watching Hamish leave the room and return with a glass of water and a pill, she shivered at the sight of the medication in his hand. What kind of pill could it be that he would give her? Well, it was probably for the best. If by accident she were to become pregnant, leaving would no longer be an option.
Hamish stood by the bed, his expression icy as he looked down at her. Elisa took a breath, summoning her strength. Her right hand trembling, she defiantly lifted the pill to her mouth. Normally, swallowing a pill required half a glass of water, but now she crushed it and forced it down with saliva, the bitterness filling her mouth. She couldn’t help but retch, tears swirling in her eyes. She quickly covered her mouth, glancing at Hamish.
The bitter taste in her mouth was nothing compared to the bitterness in her heart. After the surge of stress subsided, she spoke firmly, “Don’t worry, I won’t throw it up.”
Hearing this, Hamish’s eyes flickered, his lips twitched, but in the end, he said nothing. His phone on the bedside table vibrated twice. Hamish glanced at it; it was Elisa’s phone. He picked it up and opened a Facebook message, undoubtedly from Finn. Elisa saw it too but remained silent, waiting for Hamish to speak.
In front of her, Hamish blocked Finn and deleted the message. Then, he threw the phone onto the bedside table and left without turning back. Elisa watched his cold figure depart. She was accustomed to suppressing her emotions. Even when she cried, it was always silent. She opened her mouth to call out to him.
“Hamish.”
He paused but didn’t turn back. Elisa continued, “Do you love me?”
“I love you. I only love you in this lifetime, so don’t think about leaving me.” He would rather let Elisa be with someone else than let her leave.
He dared not turn around, afraid to see Elisa’s cold, decisive gaze. Lifting his foot, he left the room for the last time. Hearing the sound of the car downstairs, Elisa buried her face in the sheets. The area around her eyes burned from the hot tears.
After some time, Elisa forced herself to get up and change into a clean set of pajamas from the wardrobe. She had no extra energy. After changing, she collapsed back onto the bed until Mrs. Rugger came upstairs at seven to call her for dinner.
Seeing the torn pajamas on the floor and the cake on the carpet, Mrs. Rugger fell silent. She had intended to come up and offer some advice on the argument between Hamish and Elisa, but Hamish’s expression had been too frightening.
Mr. Clegg went upstairs to observe briefly, seeing that the two were only arguing and not physically fighting, then left. After all, they were just servants; how could they meddle in their employers’ affairs? Besides, marital disputes were common.
After Hamish left, the housekeeper arranged for Mrs. Rugger and the others to prepare dinner. Knowing something had happened upstairs, the male housekeeper was hesitant to go and instead asked Mrs. Rugger to check on the situation.
Mrs. Rugger entered the bedroom and saw the scene, feeling a tug at her heart. After a moment’s hesitation, she went in.
“Mrs. Burns, are you okay?” Elisa remained silent. Mrs. Rugger approached and gently lifted the blanket, seeing the injury on Elisa’s neck. She felt pained but didn’t know how to console her. After a while, she softly said, “Mrs. Burns, it’s time for dinner. Can you get up?”
Perhaps the cold air that entered when the blanket was lifted made Elisa shiver. Finally, she responded, “I can’t get up. I have no appetite, and I feel unwell.”
Mrs. Rugger’s heart twisted. “You still need to eat. I’ll bring it up for you in a while.”
Elisa, fearing she would make it difficult for them if she didn’t eat and Hamish asked, remained silent. Mrs. Rugger sighed and brought the meal upstairs. Knowing Elisa was weak, she sat by the bed and fed her with a spoon.
“Mrs. Burns, just have a little. Don’t starve yourself.”
Seeing the food brought to her lips, Elisa felt no appetite, even a hint of nausea. She shook her head, her voice hoarse. “I don’t want to eat. Can I not eat tonight?”
Mrs. Rugger paused and then shook her head. “Eat alittle; it’s okay to eat less, but you can’t skip the meal.”
Elisa numbly chewed and swallowed a few spoonfuls before feeling unable to continue. Mrs. Rugger set the bowl aside, dampened a clean cloth, and gently wiped Elisa’s face before tucking her in.
“Madam, Mr. Burns loves you. Don’t overthink it. He’s just been consumed by anger. Couples argue, but the key is how they continue living together after the argument.”
Elisa managed a bitter smile. “And what if I can’t go on living?”
“Then you should part ways. No one should endure unnecessary suffering.”
Elisa closed her eyes. How easy was it to talk about parting ways? Today, she discovered that Hamish was obsessive. He was unwilling to let her go, and in her memory loss, she couldn’t even resist.
“Mrs. Rugger, may I hug you?”
Without waiting for a response, Elisa reached out and embraced Mrs. Rugger, resting her head against her. Mrs. Rugger’s heart softened, and she sat down, gently caressing Elisa’s head.
“Mrs. Rugger, do you think I’m useless? A disgrace?” She couldn’t do anything without relying on Hamish.
Mrs. Rugger shook her head. “You’re not a disgrace. It’s rare to find someone as understanding as you.”
Elisa was about the same age as her daughter, and Mrs. Rugger had always treated her as a younger person. Elisa was beautiful and kind, never looking down on them because they were servants. Sometimes, she even helped in the kitchen. Due to her amnesia, she was very cautious, so much so that it was heartbreaking. Despite being only twenty-four, she possessed a composure beyond her years.
Elisa leaned against Mrs. Rugger’s leg, looking up at her. The warm, orange light illuminated her face, displaying her gentle countenance. The care in Mrs. Rugger’s eyes brought a hint of warmth to Elisa.
She wondered if her own mother would be like Mrs. Rugger.
Hamish and Tobias had said she was an orphan, raised in an orphanage without parents from a young age. She had been abandoned.
Seeing Elisa staring at her, Mrs. Rugger asked, “What’s wrong? Is there something on my face?”
Elisa shook her head. “I was just thinking, will my mother be like you?”
Mrs. Rugger hesitated to respond. “Mrs. Burns, you…”
When Hamish hired them, he mentioned Elisa’s amnesia, but no one knew the specifics.
Elisa offered a faint smile. “I’m an orphan. I’ve never seen my mother.”