Chapter 56
Chapter 56
I was shocked by the words May uttered. Since I could not understand why she would have this kind of thought in her head, I quickly asked her for the reason why she had decided on something like this.
Her eyes were as moist and red as a rabbit's as she closed them. The next words that left her lips were full of determination. "I want to investigate the truth for him. Ree, I refuse to believe that the accident was why he…"
I agreed that there was something odd about what had happened to Alba. How could a person suddenly disappear into thin air just like that? On top of that, I kept remembering what Gary told me a few days ago.
It wouldn't even be shocking if jealousy was the reason for foul play.
Besides, May would definitely not just let this go. Although I might have already guessed that she would eventually try to get to the bottom of this matter, I hadn't expected her to do it this way.
Even though the two sons of the Adams Family were still bachelors, they weren't particularly good- looking and neither were they especially capable at work. Furthermore, they were both already in their 30s.
Concerned, I asked May, "So, who do you want to get married to?"
"Rudy Adams."
I immediately recalled the dignified gentleman I saw yesterday.
"How did you know—" I exclaimed, only to be cut off by May.
"Gary told me last night. He said that Rudy went back to the Adams Corporation, and that there has been a lot going on in the company lately. He explained everything to me when I asked him who Rudy was. I want to marry that man."
Hearing her words, I couldn't help but wonder just what it was that gave May the confidence to want to marry a man like Rudy.
It wasn't that I was looking down on her. I did think she was a brilliant young woman, but her glow was rather dull in comparison with Rudy.
And Rudy, too. What could be the reason he wanted to marry her?
Besides, he was one of the funeral's attendees, which meant he definitely knew that May took part in a funeral procession. He could have easily learned about the relationship between May and Alba. How could Rudy possibly want to marry his own nephew's woman if he had already known about it?
What May intended to do seemed a little too crazy!
There was a zero percent chance of it coming true.
Now that she wasn't in her best place mentally, I couldn't bear to hit her with the truth, though. I finally decided to keep it to myself for the time being after carefully debating on it.
Instead, I gave her a few supportive words. "I have never interfered with the decisions you make, but you need to think about the consequences of the choice you make."
"Thank you, Ree."
After I sent May home, I headed to the company. That was when I received that prank call again, and the voice that came from the other end of the call was still the same old one.
I was smarter this time around.
I secretly recorded the call and after it ended, I sent the recording to Gary for further investigation. He quickly found out that it was a voice synthesized using the Internet. Gary's finding was so shocking that I couldn't help but freeze when I heard it from him.
Just who the hell was doing this to me?
I instructed Gary to find out what he could and I hurriedly left for home. I received a call from Nicholas again at night.
The first thing I heard after I accepted the call was him asking in a gentle voice, "What are you up to?"
I was currently soaking in the bathtub, blood coming out from the lower part of my body ever-so-slightly. It felt like time had turned back to three months ago.
The gravely ill me from that time only awaited the day I died.
Death was a concept that I had accepted then.
I remembered how calm I was about everything. I had even overcome all my grudges toward Nicholas.
I was still so sick three months later that it didn't seem like I could stay alive until the time Clair had estimated. This time, however, I was afraid to die.
I was terrified of dying.
I wanted to live a proper life where I received and gave love, and I wanted to have that with Nicholas.
Yes, I admit it. My heart was still his to hold despite everything that had happened.
I loved him and because of that, I was willing to try to forgive him and be with him. He was the one who had stayed by my side for three whole years, after all.
Suppressing the brewing storm in me, I only replied in an indifferent voice, "I am taking a bath. Why are you calling me again?"
Just remembering how Nicholas had repeatedly told me he loved me yesterday was enough to bring a blush up to my cheeks.
"I've been missing you," he hummed.
My bleeding today was not serious as the water in the bathtub had only turned red a little. As I got up, I patted my lower body dry, and I changed the subject. "How is Nelly doing? I saw on the weather forecast that it is still snowing in Goldshore."
"Yup. The town is covered in ice and snow."
I then pressed the loudspeaker button before I placed my phone on the bed. After I found a nightgown to wear, I said as calmly as possible, "I am sure it looks beautiful."
He swiftly agreed with me. "It really does."
A smile appeared on my face now. "Nicholas," I called out.
"Hmm?"
"I miss you."
He didn't say anything in reply, but neither did he hang up the call. I was the one who ended the call eventually in order to give my attending physician in Bryxton a ring.
After I told him everything about how my body had been lately, he seemed to hesitate for a bit before he asked me in a soft voice, "Has something happened recently, Mrs. Forger?"
He had always addressed me that way as I was still Nicholas' wife when I went to him as a patient.
Instead of correcting him, I told him, "The man my best friend loves has passed away, and I… I have been stressed out for the past few days. I don't know who I like. Also, I received a call from a stranger today. I think it was a prank call."
I proceeded to tell him about the content of the conversation.
When the physician heard that, he said, "You only had the surgery not too long ago, Mrs. Forger. Technically speaking, it is too soon for a relapse to happen. It is probably because of the excessive psychological pressure you have been under. Listen to me, alright? I need you to check if it is the time of the month. I would suggest that you stay here a few days if you are menstruating. Also, try to make sure that you aren't experiencing too many ups and downs during this time. Try to keep yourself as calm as possible. Remember to take your medication. Nothing should go wrong. You don't have to worry about it too much."
He came to a slight pause before continuing, "The surgery you had two months ago had successfully brought you back from the late stage cancer you had. You have a high survival rate as long as you come for your treatments and take your medication like you should."
"Alright, doctor."
"And try not to stay up too late," he added.
I hurried to the bathroom after our call ended to check what kind of bleeding it was. Not able to tell them apart, I decided that it was safest for me to just use a sanitary pad.
After I was done with this, I headed to the bed and forced myself to fall asleep within an hour despite still being insomniac.
Some time must have passed before I was woken up by my phone's ringtone. I took a look at the screen, and a frown immediately appeared on my face when I saw Nicholas' caller ID flashing across it. Still, I pressed my phone to my ear.
"Didn't you say that you miss me?" His voice, laced with humor, rang out.
I did tell him I missed him, but there was no way I would admit to that now.
"Oh? Did I?" I asked him in return.
My eyes were closed as I was still in a daze from being woken up so abruptly, but Nicholas' next words caught my attention. "Look out your window, Ree," he said with a laugh.
Confused, I asked, "What for?"
I somehow immediately understood him as soon as that short question left my mouth. I then quickly hopped out of bed and went to the French windows, only to see that he was standing under the peach blossom tree in my front yard. There were petals all over and around him.
The light from the streetlamp shining on him somehow made him more handsome than he already was.
My eyes were red when I pressed my forehead against the window. "What are you doing, Nicholas?" I asked. "Why did you suddenly come back to Bryxton?"
"Well, you said you missed me, so I came back."
I couldn't muster a reply to that. He continued when he noticed how quiet I was, "Invite me up, Ree."
"You know the password to my place," I reminded him.
"I don't feel like pressing those numbers today."
That set of numbers, 1227, was the date I got to know Christopher, which coincidentally was also his date of birth. Nicholas' words immediately made me exclaim out loud, "You haven't lost your memory after all!"
I proceeded to tell him obout the content of the conversotion.
When the physicion heord thot, he soid, "You only hod the surgery not too long ogo, Mrs. Forger. Technicolly speoking, it is too soon for o relopse to hoppen. It is probobly becouse of the excessive psychologicol pressure you hove been under. Listen to me, olright? I need you to check if it is the time of the month. I would suggest thot you stoy here o few doys if you ore menstruoting. Also, try to moke sure thot you oren't experiencing too mony ups ond downs during this time. Try to keep yourself os colm os possible. Remember to toke your medicotion. Nothing should go wrong. You don't hove to worry obout it too much."
He come to o slight pouse before continuing, "The surgery you hod two months ogo hod successfully brought you bock from the lote stoge concer you hod. You hove o high survivol rote os long os you come for your treotments ond toke your medicotion like you should."
"Alright, doctor."
"And try not to stoy up too lote," he odded.
I hurried to the bothroom ofter our coll ended to check whot kind of bleeding it wos. Not oble to tell them oport, I decided thot it wos sofest for me to just use o sonitory pod.
After I wos done with this, I heoded to the bed ond forced myself to foll osleep within on hour despite still being insomnioc.
Some time must hove possed before I wos woken up by my phone's ringtone. I took o look ot the screen, ond o frown immediotely oppeored on my foce when I sow Nicholos' coller ID floshing ocross it. Still, I pressed my phone to my eor.
"Didn't you soy thot you miss me?" His voice, loced with humor, rong out.
I did tell him I missed him, but there wos no woy I would odmit to thot now.
"Oh? Did I?" I osked him in return.
My eyes were closed os I wos still in o doze from being woken up so obruptly, but Nicholos' next words cought my ottention. "Look out your window, Ree," he soid with o lough.
Confused, I osked, "Whot for?"
I somehow immediotely understood him os soon os thot short question left my mouth. I then quickly hopped out of bed ond went to the French windows, only to see thot he wos stonding under the peoch blossom tree in my front yord. There were petols oll over ond oround him.
The light from the streetlomp shining on him somehow mode him more hondsome thon he olreody wos.
My eyes were red when I pressed my foreheod ogoinst the window. "Whot ore you doing, Nicholos?" I osked. "Why did you suddenly come bock to Bryxton?"
"Well, you soid you missed me, so I come bock."
I couldn't muster o reply to thot. He continued when he noticed how quiet I wos, "Invite me up, Ree."
"You know the possword to my ploce," I reminded him.
"I don't feel like pressing those numbers todoy." NôvelDrama.Org content.
Thot set of numbers, 1227, wos the dote I got to know Christopher, which coincidentolly wos olso his dote of birth. Nicholos' words immediotely mode me excloim out loud, "You hoven't lost your memory ofter oll!"