Filed To Story: The Scarlet Vengeance: Justice of a Framed Beauty Novel (Grace & Jason)
If her parents were still alive, they would be amazed to meet someone like Brian.
Would they have difficulty believing she had found such a brilliant boyfriend?
‘It’d be great if they were still alive…’ Valda Theller’s nose turned sore as her eyes reddened.
“Are you going to cry?” Brian noticed something different about her.
Valda Theller sniffed and suddenly muttered, “Do you know I caused my parents’ death? It’s why my aunt calls me a Jayx and thinks I’m someone who brings bad luck to people.”
She had kept some things in her heart for years. She had never told anyone about them, but she suddenly wanted to confide in him.
“You’ve never been a Jayx, so don’t take it all on yourself,” he said.
“But it was my fault. My dad wasn’t feeling well that day, but I made a fuss and insisted on going to the canyon, so my dad took some fever medicine and drove me and my mom there. But the fever medicine contained valium… We got into a car accident. My dad died on the spot while my mom cradled me in her arms. She ended up staying in the hospital for two days before passing away. I was only slightly injured.”
Even to this day, the horror of that scene still filled her mind sometimes when she dreamed at night.
“If you think of it that way, aren’t you betraying your parents’ wish for you to live? Your parents wouldn’t want to see you in pain,”
said Brian.
“Betray?” murmured Valda Theller. Her eyes stared at the black and white photos on the tombstones.
They were her parents’ photos. That was what they looked like when they were alive. “Yes, I… I can’t betray their wish. I want to live a good life. I gotta make an effort to live each day well so that I don’t betray their wish…”
However, tears kept pouring out of her eyes as she spoke. They were like loose pearls, flowing constantly…
She fumbled to wipe her tears. “I won’t cry… I won’t cry… They dislike seeing me crying the most. I won’t cry…”
She tried desperately to stop the tears, but they kept pouring out.
What should she do to stop crying?
Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into a wide embrace.
The familiar and reassuring scent poured into her nose. An elegant voice spoke softly above her head, “Don’t cry… Alright, stop crying…”
Like magic, the voice slowly stopped her tears.
With her face in his arms, she felt for the first time that she was not so alone! She used to come alone on this day and feel the loneliness and pain all by herself.
She now had someone by her side, helping her ease the pain little by little.
After a long time, Valda Theller finally left Brian’s arms. “I’ll… stop crying. They like to see me laugh, not cry.”
Her eyes were red as she said this, and her face was covered with tears, but she was trying hard to smile.
Brian only felt his heart being struck by something. It was heartache. His heart broke for this woman.
After the incense burned out, Valda Theller blew out the candle and cleaned up before saying to Brian, “Alright, let’s go back. I appreciate you coming here with me today.”
“You don’t need to thank me all the time,” said Brian. He then looked at Valda Theller and asked, “Are you doing anything later?”
She shook her head. “No, I have nothing planned for today.”
“Accompany me somewhere later,” he said.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“You’ll see,” he said and checked the time. “We can have our lunch there if we go now.”
The two got back in the car, and Brian drove toward the north of tMason Swansonty.
Only after driving for more than half an hour did Valda Theller’s expression change. This road… She remembered it to be the way to the canyon.
She got into an accident on this road. This road had appeared hundreds of times in her dreams!
“Where… Where are you taking me?” murmured Valda Theller as she paled.
“The canyon,” he said.
She grew paler at the sound of those words. “No, I don’t want to go there!”
That place was a sin to her. The accident would never have happened if she had not insisted on going there and making a fuss.
“That’s where your problem is. In that case, why don’t we solve it?” Brian said. Speaking of which, he had never been someone who would meddle in other people’s business.
However, his heart broke when he saw her trying hard to smile while crying.
He could see that she had not gotten over the incident and was still haunted by it. He wanted to help her dispel it.
“The canyon is nothing to be afraid of. It was a journey that your parents wanted to accompany you on.
Since the journey stopped before you reached the destination, it’s better to complete it now,”
said Brian.
‘Complete the journey?
‘Can I complete it?’
As the car approached the accident site, Valda Theller’s pupils widened as she felt her blood freezing.
Her face was pale, and her eyes filled with fear as her drooping hands clutched at the hem of her dress.
The violent crash, her father’s scream, and her mother’s shriek kept ringing in her ears. Blood seemed to spread before her eyes.
‘Whose blood is it? Is it Dad’s blood or Mom’s blood?’
All she could see was blood… Her body began to tremble, and even though she tried to stop it, she could not.
‘Don’t… Don’t go any farther. No! No!’
Her consciousness seemed to be screaming desperately. When the car finally arrived at the accident scene, she could not help shrieking. Then, there was the screech of the emergency brake.
“Don’t… Don’t… Don’t die. Don’t die…” she stammered.
The next moment, she was pulled into a warm embrace.
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were going to have such a big reaction. I’m sorry!” A familiar voice rang in her ears.
‘Whose arms are these? Mom?’
“Valda, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid. I’m here. It’s gonna be okay, so don’t be afraid… Don’t be afraid…” The voice continued ringing, and it was as though her blood that she had felt becoming frozen earlier finally began to flow again.
Valda Theller looked up in a trance, and the handsome face was reflected in her dark pupils.
However, the face was no longer filled with its usual indifference but worry and anxiety.
‘It’s… Brian!’
She looked blankly at him. ‘Who is he worrying about? Who is he anxious about?’
“Valda? Valda!” Brian anxiously called the person in front of him.
He wanted to take her to the canyon in hopes that she could move on. He did not expect her to have such a big reaction on their way there.
He was regretting his decision now. If he had not taken her to the canyon, she would not be reacting the way she was.
She was as fragile as a porcelain doll already full of cracks. She shattered to pieces with just one touch.
“Brian…” Valda Theller finally mumbled as if using up her strength to do it.