On the following day, Leslie didn’t have any rehab sessions. She planned to utilize the free day by doing what she had been delaying all this ti – reading Charlene’s diaries.
Leslie didn’t an bad but, Calix’s absence gave her space to jump into Charlene’s past, reliving the mories lying dormant in her mind after fully possessing the latter’s body.
’I hate getting headaches but, I can’t delay it any longer.’
Every ti Leslie tried thinking further about Charlene and the child she had seen before, a piercing pain clawed into her head. She pushed her intention back, thinking to resu once her eyes got better.
Now that her eyesight improved, she reached her own dateline.
"Mrs. Su, you can go and do... anything you want. You can watch TV too..."
Leslie told Mrs. Su after the private nurse helped her do light exercises in the bedroom. The clock pointed to half-past ten in the morning.
Leslie had breakfast with Aunt Wendy and Uncle Raymond today. She attempted to eat by herself but, ended up spilling so soup on the table.
Not wanting to make any more ss, Leslie accepted Aunt Wendy’s help in feeding her. She had breakfast by listening to the spouses’ stories about their acquaintanceship with Calix through Edward.
"Please call if you need , Mrs. Xu."
Mrs. Su understood that Leslie wanted to be alone. She bowed lightly at the younger woman. The caretaker swiftly left the bedroom, slowly shutting the door on her way out.
Once Mrs. Su was gone, Leslie fiddled with the knob, moving the wheelchair to the bedside table on the left side of the bed. She kept Charlene’s diaries in the locked drawer.
’Mimo, I’m going to read Charlene’s diaries now. I wonder what will I find.’
Jumping into the air, Mimo flew before landing on Leslie’s left shoulder. The crochet fox toy initially sat on the couch. Its childlike voice echoed above Leslie’s head.
|Let’s find anything we can. Leslie, don’t overdo yourself ah.|
’Hehe, I won’t. I feel better than usual. It’s just right for to look for the answers. I have so many questions about Charlene now.’
Once Leslie unlocked and pulled the drawer out, Leslie saw the stacks of diaries. She picked them a few by a few. Her wrists couldn’t handle lifting heavy weights yet.
"If I wanna know about... the child... I should look for the... old diaries..."
When Leslie had just procured these diaries, she started by reading from the recent ones. She had yet to finish the diaries from the last two years.
"Which one should I... start?"
Leslie moved the later-dated diaries to the bed. Her brows slightly wrinkling, her eyes fell on the ones dated to five and six years back.
’The child... I didn’t get a proper look, but...’
Her heart skipped a beat, Leslie reached out for the diary marked January from six years ago. Sothing nagged in the back of her mind as if pushing her to choose that one among the rest.
"Six years ago, I was on my way ho after attending a banquet. The road was icy. It’s late January."[1]
"En... I felt tired so, I rested in a room. I left the hotel before dawn."
Blinking, Leslie shook her head. A deeper frown marred her forehead when out of nowhere Calix’s words from before echoed in her mind.
’Why did I suddenly rember that?’
Leslie pursed her lips, trying to not distract herself with other thoughts. Staring at the diary lying on her lap, she opened the first page. Familiar handwriting belonging to Charlene greeted her eyes.
[January 1,
Start of the brand new year...]
In the tranquility of the morning, Leslie began her silent quest looking for the answers to the questions that had been bugging her all this ti.
Without Leslie anticipating it, she was deeply imrsed in the docuntation of Charlene’s life, done by the latter herself. Her countenance morphed from curiosity to perplexity the deeper she fell into the long chronicle.
A headache still ca to Leslie but, she willed herself to keep going. Surrendering now would just leave an unsettling feeling to her.
"This... how could this be?"
In the end, Leslie received vague answers yet, the rising of the other unsolved mysteries sent chills down her spine.
Blinking her eyes, Leslie blankly stared at the wall behind the bedside drawer. Her mind was caught in a whirlpool of what-ifs.
"Don’t tell ... ugh!"
Wincing in pain, Leslie unconsciously hunched her shoulders down. She pressed both of her temples, hoping the headache would disappear soon.
Even if it faded, the questions were still left unanswered.
**********
"Haa... I’m finally ho."
Stepping out of the car driven by one of his bodyguards, Calix smiled in relief at the sight of Graceville Manor basking under warm orange lights.
After three days of being away, Calix was glad to arrive now despite the ti being late. Midnight would begin in a few minutes.
"Give the luggage to ," Calix told the bodyguard who brought out the suitcase from the car trunk, "All of you can leave now."
"Have a good rest, Boss Xu."
Calix gave two days off to the bodyguards who followed him during the business trip. He also did the sa to his assistants but, only one day.
Because tomorrow was Friday, the assistants under Edward would have three days off including the weekend. As for Calix, he still needed to go to the office tomorrow.
Aside from work, there was sothing he had to do.
Shrugging, Calix dragged the wheeled suitcase to follow him. He had told Aunt Wendy about his arrival by midnight but, he reminded the housekeeper not to wait for him because the ti was already late.
But...
Chuckling in helplessness, Calix looked at Aunt Wendy who greeted him at the entryway. Uncle Raymond was also there. The middle-aged spouses smilingly welcod him back.
"Aunt Wendy, did you forget what I’ve told you? Uncle Raymond is also here."
"Hehe, we ignored it, Mr. Calix," Uncle Raymond stepped forward, wanting to get the suitcase, "Give your luggage to . I’ll clean its wheels first."
Knowing how unstoppable these spouses were, Calix simply handed the suitcase to Uncle Raymond. The latter imdiately left to the toilet near the kitchen.
"Mr. Calix, I’ve prepared so soup for you. How about having so before going to bed? Aren’t you hungry after a long flight?"
"It’s just two hours, Aunt Wendy. But, coming ho to a bowl of your delicious soup sounds nice. I’ll have so after bathing."
Calix chuckled. Changing into his ho slippers, he walked away from the door. Aunt Wendy tailed from behind.
"When did my wife sleep? I couldn’t call her tonight."
Calix wanted to video call Leslie before heading to the airport, but he didn’t have ti to do so. He simply sent her ssages, noticing her about his arrival.
"About that, Mrs. Charlene..."
Trailing off, Aunt Wendy gestured to the lounge. Calix noticed lights coming from there.
"Don’t tell ..."
Having an inkling, Calix rushed to the lounge, his footsteps echoing in the quiet hallways. Aunt Wendy smiled before she went in the sa direction, thinking how spring had co to her employer.
----------
Reference:
1 - 1
Reviews
All reviews (0)