The sky outside darkened gradually. Elisa stood by the second-floor French window, gazing at the path leading to the main gate.
How was Louis doing now? She had drugged him. At this moment, he might still be asleep, or perhaps he had discovered she was gone. Would he be furious at her sudden departure? Had he already signed the divorce agreement that lay on the bedside table, or had he torn it up? Elisa suddenly felt unsteady, her legs giving way beneath her. She collapsed by the window, curling up on the floor, resembling an abandoned puppy. It was her choice to leave, yet at this moment, she seemed so pitiful.
In winter, even the birds of the south did not come out. Occasionally, a few doves would fly down from the trees, briefly alighting on the ground before flying back to the safety of the trees.
At five o’clock, Hamish came to summon Elisa downstairs for dinner. He wore an apron, maintaining a smile despite Elisa’s extremely indifferent and expressionless face.
“Let’s go downstairs for dinner.”
Elisa looked up at him. The more she gazed at Hamish’s face, the more artificial it seemed, almost nauseating.
“Now that I’m here, can you let go of the White family and return the funds you took from them? What about Louis… If you dare harm him, I will die before your eyes,” Elisa said.
For a dying man like Hamish, any talk of making him pay was in vain. To him, Elisa’s life meant more than his own.
As soon as Elisa finished speaking, Hamish’s face briefly stiffened, then he let out a light laugh, his gaze somewhat distant.
“Don’t worry, I’ve ceased my actions against the White family. Within a month, everything will be back to normal, and I will make up for the losses. Besides, I can’t take this money with me when I die anyway.”
Knowing well that nothing could be taken after death, he still wanted to hold Elisa accountable before he died.
Elisa sneered, “I hope you keep your word.”
Hamish raised his wrist to check his watch. “Let’s go down for dinner. You haven’t even had lunch. Being too hungry can cause stomach problems.”
Elisa followed him downstairs and saw the table set with the dishes she loved. The aroma filled the air.
Hamish could cook, and the quality of the dishes was unexpected.
Elisa sat down, picked up a bowl of rice, and began to eat. She couldn’t afford to be hungry. She had suffered from stomach problems, from which stomach cancer was just a step away. She knew how unbearable it was.
Even if she wouldn’t starve herself, she wouldn’t treat her body unfairly. At this point, she was locked in a struggle with Hamish. If he died before her, she would consider it a victory.
Despite her words, she had no appetite. No matter how much the food suited her taste, the fact that Hamish had prepared it made it taste like wax in her mouth.
Hamish sat quietly beside her, watching as Elisa barely touched the dishes, as if she was just eating for the sake of it. He rarely helped himself to the food on the table, as if he was only doing so to please her.
He picked up some hot and sour shredded potatoes and put them in her bowl. “Have some vegetables.”
Elisa paused in her eating and stared at the shredded potatoes in her bowl for a long time, then suddenly picked up the bowl and emptied its contents into the trash.
“I’m not eating.”
Hamish knew his gesture had annoyed Elisa.
In the past, Hamish might have forced Elisa’s head into the bowl to make her eat. He wouldn’t allow anyone to waste his “kindness.” Even if it ended up in the trash, someone had to pick it up and eat it.
But now, seeing Elisa’s impatience, Hamish appeared at a loss. He didn’t know how to explain himself.
“I just saw that you weren’t taking any vegetables. I was afraid you wouldn’t eat well,” his impatience was clear in his voice.
“I won’t serve you vegetables anymore. You didn’t eat lunch; eat a bit more,” he said.
Elisa’s tone was sharp, “Seeing you is enough to make me full. If you really want me to live well, you should stay away from me.”
“I can’t do that. Whether you think I have ulterior motives or not, everything I do is for you. I just don’t want you to be let down or deceived again, just like the double-dealing Baker family.”
Elisa spoke coldly, “So, according to you, I should be grateful? The human heart can’t bear tests. Without your schemes, they could have continued treating me well. It’s you whocaused my alienation from them.”
Hamish responded, “I admit I schemed, but even without me, there would have been others. There are plenty of people more troublesome than me.”
Elisa furrowed her brow and looked at Hamish, who was red-faced and struggling to “explain”. This man had rarely shown “humility”.
“Don’t be so modest. In all my years, I’ve never encountered anyone more troublesome than you.”
Elisa’s sarcastic words felt like thorns piercing his heart. He wished someone could pull them out. In reality, his own selfishness occupied the largest part.
But without saying so, it seemed as if there was no reason to try to hold onto Elisa.
It was like the phrase often used by parents, “I’m doing this for your own good,” seemingly for the best, but often a way to exert control.