“Who did you say is in heaven?” Stella Grace asked while frowning.
“What are you talking about? I just saw him. What’s wrong with all of you?” Stella was enraged.
It was fine if they didn’t want to help her to find Jasper. However, she could not tolerate them spouting nonsense.
She pushed Lynette away.
“Madam, you know it. The Chief died in front of you. It was Adviser Lanes who killed him. However, Adviser Lanes committed suicide after that. Have you forgotten all of it?” Lynette was bawling her eyes out while explaining.
The image of Jasper being shot through his head flashed across Stella’s mind, making her stumble back a few steps.
No, she didn’t believe them. None of them wished her well.
It was not easy for her to finally be with Jasper.
Jasper wanted to leave with her at first. Yet, he stayed to bear all of the responsibilities in order to protect everyone. Life had a cruel sense of humor.
It was distressing.
What was the point of living then? Should she just continue enduring the suffering?
She dialed Jasper’s number.
The phone was connected.
She relaxed a little.
“Stella,” It was Suzi’s voice.
Stella’s heart skipped a beat again, “Mom, where’s Jasper? Why didn’t he answer the phone?”
“Stella, he has passed away. I know that you can’t accept the fact for the time being, but this is the truth. Please don’t let anything happen to yourself. You need to take care of Dante. Besides, you’re pregnant. You must take care of yourself, alright?”
Stella hung up the phone in a panic.
She thought that she called the wrong number. Hence, she entered a series of numbers on her phone and dialed them again.
“Stella,” It was Suzi, again.
She was so petrified that she threw the phone on the ground and looked out of the window in a daze.
The sky was flooded with various shades of grey as if it was about to rain. She was in a trance for about ten seconds, then she picked up the phone from the ground.
She thought of calling Allen, for he was the only person in this world who wouldn’t lie to her.
The call was soon connected.
“Hi, Natalie, are you alright?” Allen was worried.
“Allen, everyone has been telling me that Jasper is dead, but I don’t trust them. I only trust you. Is Jasper really dead?” Stella questioned with a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Allen paused for a while.
Stella was anxious and she added threateningly, “You will never get a girlfriend in the future if you lie to me!”
“Natalie, I went to Jasper’s funeral. I even saw him lying in the coffin. He is indeed dead,” Allen mumbled.
“I can’t believe that even you would lie to me. I just saw him,” Stella replied irritably.
Allen remained silent.
“Whatever. I promised Jasper that I would make him some fish soup. He would invite his friends to come over as well. I am going fishing now. You may wish to come over tonight if you want to. It’s fine if you don’t. When you see Jasper coming back later, all of you will eat your words,” Stella then hung up the phone.
She headed back and set up a tent on her own. She put a sponge and a quilt in the tent.
There was a stove in front of the tent with a table next to it.
There were bananas, apples, and cups on the table.
She found some firewoods and lit them. After that, she placed a kettle on top of it.
She realized that she did not have the bait for the fish after she had prepared everything else, “Where’s the earthworm? Jasper, where did you put the earthworm? I can’t find them.”
Suzi Shine, Auntie Wood, and Lynette Lanes all looked at her with tears in their eyes.
A dark shadow walked out from the darkness and handed the earthworm to Stella.
Stella calmed down once she saw the earthworm. She looked at the dark shadow and smiled, “It must be Jasper who had asked you to come, right? I knew that he didn’t die. How could he die, right?”
The dark shadow did not say anything.
Stella placed the earthworm on the fishing pole and was ready to fish.
“Stella, Stella.”
She heard Jasper’s voice and turned to look at the space next to her.
Jasper smiled at her gently, “You always make people worry. Head over to the tent and be careful not to catch a cold.”
There was a smile on Stella’s face. She shouted at Suzi, “Mom, you told me that Jasper was dead. Why is he sitting by my side now then?”
Suzi couldn’t hold it any longer. She turned around and covered her mouth with her hand. She burst into tears and squatted down.
“Madam, I’m so sorry,” Auntie Wood tried to comfort her, but she couldn’t help crying along with Suzi.
Stella looked at them suspiciously and uttered, “They are acting so strangely.”
She looked to her side and whispered, “Where did you go just now? I was looking for you everywhere. Didn’t you know how worried I was when I couldn’t find you? Don’t disappear out of the blue in the future. You know that I can’t live without you.”
“Stella,” Jasper gazed at her, “I promise that I will never leave you.”
She leaned against his shoulder. However, her head touched the tent.
Stella glanced at her side again, but there was nothing.
“Jasper! Jasper!” Stella screamed with terror.
Suzi heard Stella’s panicked voice and headed towards her.
Stella looked up at her and uttered pitifully, “Mom, Jasper was still here a moment ago. Did you see him? I don’t know where he went right after that. Did he tell you where he went?”
Suzi hugged Stella and cried, “My silly child, Jasper is really dead.”
Stella pushed Suzi away with force.
Suzi fell on the ground.
“Enough! Mom, Jasper is your son. He is not your brother’s son. Jasper has always regarded you as his biological mother. Have you already known that? Is that why you lied to me? Your child’s died because of illness. It had nothing to do with Jasper. He was just a baby when he died,” Stella said absent-mindedly.
“What did you just say?” Suzi looked at Stella as her eyes went round in shock.
“Jasper!” Stella stared past Suzi, “Tell Mom that you’re not dead! Don’t just smile and do nothing!”
Stella stomped her feet in frustration.
“Has the Young Madam gone crazy?” Auntie Wood asked Lynette, who was standing next to her.
“Poor Young Madam,” Lynette cried.
Suzi got up in a trance and walked forward.
“Mom is going to leave now. Jasper, why don’t you say something?” Stella was anxious and she staggered forward as well.
“Young Madam, please be careful,” Lynette shouted anxiously.
Stella was walking towards the lake haphazardly. The next instant, she fell into a hole.
As her body sank into the hole, she noticed Jasper standing in front of her. He was furious, his hands hitting on his shoulders.
The water splashed in all directions, making her eyesight blurry. She could only feel someone pulling her out of the water. Her vision went dark and she lost consciousness.
She finally opened her eyes after a long while and saw Jasper sitting next to her, “I told you to tell Mom that you are still alive. Why didn’t you?”
Doctor Adam frowned. He was an old doctor serving in a clinic and he was called upon to treat Stella. He looked at Lynette and stood up, “She thought that I was Mr. Milton. I think that she needs to see a psychiatrist.”