Chapter 316 The Stranger I Used to Know Well 3
Clarie and Joey were walking, chitchatting, toward the backyard.
I shook my head resignedly and couldn’t help but smile. I used to worry that Clarie Bear would be growing up lonely, but now I saw that she had been getting along so well with Joey as if they were biological brother and sister.
Looking back, I noticed a scorching gaze at me – I regained my senses and noticed that Dennis was staring at me tightly with his two black eyes, and his eyes were complex and deep.
I was stunned for a second, then subconsciously said, “Please excuse me for a second, Mr. George, I am going into the kitchen and see if Nathan needs any help. I will be right back.”
My wrist was pulled by Dennis – His voice was low and restrained, “How have you been all these years?”
His words touched a soft spot inside my heart and I hesitated briefly. But then I looked back at him with a calm gaze, “I have been well. These have been the most pleasant and peaceful four years in my life.”
There was a hint of pain in his eyes, and he mocked himself, “Great. It does seem like everything has been going well for you.”
I nodded lightly but didn’t know what other topics we could continue with, so I spoke, “I will go and help out Nathan in the kitchen. Hold on.”
“Can we still be friends?” Dennis’s voice came from behind, but he sounded helpless and distant, “It’s been four years, Clara. I’ve tried countless ways to numb myself and to forget about you, and none of those worked. Was that the way it should be? The more one wants to forget, the deeper they remember it, and eventually the harder it’s become to let go and move on.”
I sighed, didn’t know what to say to comfort him, looked back at him, and said, “Mr. George, we’ve all got to learn to let go. I have been doing well here. If I am around you, I will continue to be resentful against you, it will break me down. I did seem to have my family and friends in Newton Town and City P, but I was deeply drowned in pain. I wasn’t able to let go of those past memories. But HL Area is different, it’s where my heart belongs to. And I can live my life the way I have always been dreaming of here. I hope I can have your understanding and blessing, Mr. George.”
Dennis looked at me, his eyes were complicated and cold – His pain could not be concealed anymore and it overflew. After a long time, he nodded and spit out a word heavily, “Okay!”
And then Dennis turned to leave. I sighed slightly. After all, life was not a fairy tale, things had changed over the years, and it was we who seemed to have had a hard time letting go of how we used to be.
I entered the kitchen and saw that Nathan was washing the vegetables. When he saw me coming in, he was a bit surprised, “Why don’t you accompany Mr. George? I can handle it here.”
I smiled, “I can help with preparing the ingredients.”
Nathan shook his head, but his eyes fell on my ankle, “It seems to be swollen again. Go and rest up!”
He convinced me. So I went back to the yard. But then I saw Toby. He was as cold as ever, looking at me with a pair of black eyes, his back was straight.
“Toby, what a surprise! What’s brought you here?”
Toby handed me the plastic bag in his hand and said, “Mr. George told me to bring over this medicine for your sprained ankle.”
I nodded and took it, “Please tell him that I appreciate it.”
He nodded and pursed his lips slightly, “Ms. Clara, Mr. George has been waiting for you. You know, he could easily pin down your location if he really wanted to. But he feared that you would still resent him and push him away, so he’s just been waiting, waiting for you to let go of the past, and waiting for you to come home to him.”
I smiled lightly, not exactly upset. I said calmly, “Thank you, Toby. Please tell him that I am thankful for him. But please also try and persuade him into letting go. It’s time for him to move on and start a new chapter in his life. No one should suffer from the pain dwelling on the past anymore.”
Hearing my words, Toby opened his mouth and there were no words coming out of it. He sighed slightly and left.
…Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.
The next day.
The injury to my ankle had healed a lot. After sending Clarie Bear to kindergarten, I went back to the hotel.
At the entrance, Antonia Gilbert blocked my way, and there were two sturdy men behind her.
I frowned and looked at her coldly, with slight suppressed anger.
“Clara Kennedy, if you kneel down and apologize to me now, I will consider looking past your scalding my hand and letting you keep your job at the hotel. If I don’t, I will…”
“You will what?” I said this calmly.
Antonia snorted coldly, “Don’t blame me if there’s anything bad happens to your daughter. I will make you a well-known…”
I frowned. Being young was supposed to be a romantic and beautiful thing. However, looking at her, I couldn’t help but feel that being young could sometimes be annoying.
Looking at the men behind Antonia, I said, “Bite me! Show me what you can do then!”
Antonia became angry, she looked at the two men behind her and said, “Cousins, did you hear that? Take her away and make her pay for her arrogance!”
In this slap-sized county, whoever was in power was King. There were not many rich people, and even if there were any, they wouldn’t bother to mess with any of the people here.
Antonia was arrogant. Part of it was that her father had indeed stayed in this position for many years – He was kind of the big cheese here.
Seeing the two men approaching me, I frowned and my tone became cold, “Antonia, do you have any idea who you are messing with here? Did you not run any background checks?”
She sneered, “Who do you think you are? Why should I even bother to learn more about you?”
I took out my phone and dialed Link Kennedy’s number. I then looked at Antonia with my cold eyes, “I’ve warned you. If your father gets kicked off his position, it’ll be all your fault! You deserve it!”
Antonia’s face looked bad. She spoke directly to the two men in anger, “Make sure she suffers!”
The call was connected on the phone in my hand, and Link Kennedy’s voice sank, “Clara, is everything okay?”
Holding the phone, I pursed my lips and said, “Uncle Link, the magistrate of HL Area has been bullying the people here, and he takes all the money allocated for HL Area’s poverty alleviation. Please send someone for an investigation!”
Link agreed with an “Mhm.” And he added, “Are you alright, sweetie?”
“I am okay. They dare not do anything to me!”
Link answered with an “Mhm.” And then he said, “I will come over tonight. Just be safe and I will handle the rest.”
I nodded and hung up.
Antonia paused for a few seconds, then she sneered and said sarcastically, “Clara Kennedy, you are just a poor single mother. You will never be the rich lady you are pretending to be right now!”
Looking at the two strong-built men, Antonia continued, “Cousins, take her to a wild deserted place. It won’t matter if you kill her, I have your back.”
The two men were fairly rational. They looked at me in hesitance, and then said, “What’s your last name?”
I raised my eyebrows, “Clara Kennedy. Haven’t Ms. Antonia Gilbert told you my name?”
The two men were taken back. They looked at each other and said, “There is someone named Link Kennedy. The last time when Uncle Derek went for a meeting downtown, he’s met the man once. It’s said that the man is going to get promoted again.”
Antonia looked disdainful, “Stop thinking too much into this, cousins. She has stayed in the HL Area for four years, if she’s really got connections in power, she would have left long ago. I haven’t seen anyone coming to visit her and the daughter.”
“This is ridiculous!” There appeared a sneer, the voice was cold and mocking. “You are digging up your own grave!”
This was said by Toby who came out of the hotel. Dennis followed him, the man’s eyes were low and cold, with a bit of the chill.
Antonia was stunned, then quickly looked at Dennis and Toby and said, “Mr. George, Mr. Rollins!”
Dennis didn’t look at her at all. His eyes fell on me and then sank slightly. He said, “Is your injury healed?”
I nodded, without speaking.