Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
Three minutes later, Xavier texted her back. [What’s the matter?]
[I don’t know. Maybe I miss you too much. Where are you? Can I see you?]
Then, Xavier stopped replying. Leia did not know if Xavier had gone back to sleep or went out to meet Shirley, but his reply filled Leia with sadness.
At first, the others thought Leia would read some texts out so they could have a good laugh, but they noticed that Leia had fallen silent, staring at the phone screen solemnly.
Flossie rushed over and held Leia’s shoulders. “What’s the matter?”
Those were the words that Xavier had used with Shirley, and it made Leia’s heart ache. It showed that he still cared about her. Leia shook her head, unable to stop the tears that fell onto the phone screen. “I got some dust in my eyes. You read it-l think… there’s probably some information you want on the phone.” Then, Leia stuffed the phone into Flossie’s hand and got up to leave awkwardly. She had wanted Xavier’s phone to check if he had been in contact with Halston, so they could find out Halston’s location… But in the end, Leia had been the fool.
Flossie took the phone and scrolled through the texts. Naturally, she saw the conversation between Shirley and Xavier, and the conversation between Xavier and Halston was right below it. Her finger lingered on Halston’s profile photo, and she hesitated for a long time. However, she was too timid to click on it. She was afraid she might see things she wouldn’t be able to accept, and would end up like Leia-a clown at others’ mercy.
At night, Flossie finally breathed a sigh of relief after putting the children to bed. Flossie stood at the large balcony in her room, enjoying the cool night breeze under the dim moonlight.
“Do you want a drink?” Leia walked into Flossie’s room, her eyes bright as she carried two cans of fruit beer with a high alcohol percentage.
When Flossie heard Leia, she turned around eagerly. “Sure!” She hadn’t had alcohol since she turned blind and got poisoned. It had also been a long time since she had been this relaxed.
“Wait!” Leia dragged a chair over to Flossie, then ran downstairs and brought up a large bag of takeouts. “I bought some fried prawns and French fries. Let’s have a feast tonight!”
“Sure! It’s been a long time since I had fried prawns!” Flossie sniffed the tasty prawns eagerly. Previously, she couldn’t eat spicy food, but over the past few years, she was learning to try food with strong flavours.
They unscrewed the cans and clinked them before gulping the beer down. Then, they put on gloves and started peeling the prawns. The fresh prawns with the spicy sauce coupled with the taste of the fruit beer were perfect.
“This is great!” Leia burped and smiled in satisfaction. They were both in good spirits.’ Bestie, you’ve changed a lot. I felt very sorry for you before this…” Leia couldn’t hold her alcohol well. She got drunk easily, and would start rambling when she did. “It was my fault. I was useless, and I’ve wronged you. If I had kept an eye on you, that crazy Jovan would not have taken you away… That guy even tried to sow discord between us. He said you hated me, so you wouldn’t call me! I’m so sorry, Flossie. I got too distracted and didn’t take good care of you. Can you forgive me?” Leia grabbed Flossie’s shoulders, tears in her eyes.
“Oh, why are you being so silly…” Flossie patted Leia’s head as a long sigh escaped her. “I wasn’t myself before this, and everything that happened is my fault. I knew my mental state wasn’t good, so I stayed away from you all because I didn’t want to affect you.”
“Why?” Leia looked up intently, and asked, ‘ Did something bad happen to you? I feel like you were in more pain when you were poisoned and on the verge of death!”
“I…” After a pause, Flossie gloomily drank some beer. “I don’t know if I should tell you.” She was ashamed to talk about it, but she couldn’t keep it locked up in her heart forever.
“If it’s affecting you that much, I think you should talk about it. It’s better to face the problem than avoid it.” Leia looked certain. “It’s just like Xavier and me-he and I never hide anything from each other. If there’s any issue, we’ll definitely tell the other person what it is. If it can’t be resolved, we’ll break up. We should be able to lead our lives well without disturbing others n
“You’re right…” Flossie always felt that Leia was a novice in romance, but in all honesty, maybe she was the novice instead. She was not as straightforward and mature as Leia. “Will you believe me if I tell you that Halston had an affair?”
Leia almost choked on her beer. Her eyes widened as she stared at Flossie in disbelief. “Flossie, what did you say?! Halston had an affair?”
“Maybe.” Flossie shrugged and laughed bitterly. “Isn’t it dramatic?” She had suffered so much pain lately. She had lost her sight and her baby, then had nearly died from the pain of heavy metal poisoning. She had yearned for Halston to come home quickly when she was in so much pain that she wished to die because he had been her strength and support. She had never been so depressed back then, but she had almost had a mental breakdown when she found out about Halston and Jessanna. It had disgusted her so much that she had finally given up hope; All that was left in her was disappointment.
“It can’t be!” Leia put the can down and sat up straight. She looked at Flossie and said firmly, “I know Halston-he’s not the type to cheat on his lover. If he wanted to, he would have done it ages ago. You both were entangled for many years, and I know that he’s always been honorable, and he also knows how to keep his distance around other women. Do you remember when you were away from the world on Sun Island? Everyone at Beach City assumed that Halston wasn’t straight because he rarely spoke to women and spent all day with his buddies like Xavier. The only other woman in his life was Seraphina, his friend who he didn’t even regard as a woman. How could a guy like that have an affair?” Although Leia found Halston an eyesore, she believed that Halston knew his boundaries in a relationship.
“I didn’t believe that he would do such a thing either, but there were photos of it. I couldn’t lie to myself even if I wanted to…” Flossie sipped some beer again. Although it was supposed to be sweet fruit beer, she tasted nothing but bitterness. ‘I couldn’t figure it out, and I slowly turned negative and depressed until I ignored everyone.” Luckily, she went to Joyner Village to heal, and had finally escaped from that abyss.
“There were photos?” Leia gasped. “Who did Halston do it with? What kind of photos? Were they indecent? Can you show them to me?” She was just curious about the woman who had managed to bewitch Halston. Even if the woman had only slept with Halston, she had to be extremely charming.
“Let’s not look at the photos. They’re boring, and anyway, I deleted them.” Flossie did not want to keep on hurting herself, so she deleted the photos once she started feeling better.
“But who was it?” Leia hurriedly asked.
“Jessanna.” Flossie sounded indifferent. She did not expect that she could say that name with such calmness after so many years. If Jessanna had not meddled in their relationship, Flossie and Halston would not have had to face so many obstacles. However, Halston had to be blamed too-if his morals had been strong, an incident like this would never have happened.
“Jessanna?” Leia gaped at Flossie in bewilderment. “Why is that wicked woman suddenly back in the picture? She just doesn’t go away!” However, considering how obsessed Jessanna was with Halston, Leia could picture it happening. After all, Jessanna had gone to extremes to meddle in Halston and Flossie’s relationship, and it had made Flossie and Halston miss the chance to be with each other for many years. If Jessanna hadn’t meddled in it, Flossie and Halston might not have gotten a divorce, and they would have been a happy family of four.
“Jessanna said Halston was a normal man with desires, and since I was sick and bedridden back then, I couldn’t satisfy him… which was why he went to her. ” Flossie explained calmly, reiterating to Leia what Jessanna had told her.
Surprisingly, she no longer felt pain when she spoke about it; It just sounded ridiculous, like one of those melodramatic dramas she had watched.
“Don’t listen to her crap!” Leia snorted. “That scumbag wasn’t the kind of man who indulged in such things-he’s got good restraint. If he just wanted to satisfy his needs, he didn’t have to wait until now. Is it possible that Jessanna had drugged him or… threatened him with something?” The novels Leia had read usually had scenes of people being drugged, and she could imagine a wicked female supporting role like Jessanna doing such a thing.
“He looked perfectly aware in the photo, so I don’t think he was under any influence,” Flossie thought of the photo and said slowly.
“Then, he must have been threatened!” Leia smacked the table, her gaze intense. “Come on, let’s figure it out. You were seriously ill back then, and Halston was worried sick about you. He was trying so hard to find the cause of your poison… then he suddenly found it. How do you think he found it?”
Flossie’s eyes widened comically. “You’re saying that…”
“I mean that Jessanna was the one who poisoned you, so Halston probably negotiated with Jessanna to get the antidote for you. Then, Jessanna threatened him with it and slept with him, and recorded everything because that’s the kind of scheming person she is.” Leia cleverly analyzed it, then sat back with an impressed smile. “It fits perfectly, and everything makes sense now. That has to be it!”
Flossie was at a loss for words. She became quiet as she pondered Leia’s theory. Even though she was the one at the center of this issue, she hadn’t thought about it that way. When Leia reasoned it out like that, it did sound highly plausible.
Leia took a deep breath, then asked carefully, “If what I’m saying is true, will you forgive Halston?” If Halston slept with Jessanna to save Flossie, he had sacrificed his body for her. Technically speaking, he would be a victim in this too.
“I…” Flossie bit her lip, looking conflicted and pained. “I don’t know.” She might have forced herself to ignore it if it was anybody else, but it was Jessanna… That woman had been entangled with Halston for almost a decade.
Both women had things on their mind, and once they were both drunk, Leia left the room.
Once Leia was gone, Flossie lay in bed alone. Her head hurt and she couldn’t fall asleep, so she got out of bed and made her way downstairs. At last, a voice in her heart led her to the manor next to hers. It was the manor she had looked at when they played the game today.
In the past, a foreign businessman stayed there, but when the neighborhood was rumored to be haunted because of the affairs concerning Ellsworth Manor, a lot of people left, including the businessman. Flossie remembered that the neighboring manor had been vacant when Ellsworth Manor was being rebuilt, however, though the manor still looked abandoned, it felt like someone was still living there. The lights in the bedroom facing hers were on, so… was Halston upstairs right now? Flossie was quite sure that Halston was living in that manor. She could always feel an invisible gaze on her back, and Halston’s IP address that Justin had found led to there too. Besides, Xavier had been acting odd about it as well.
However, once she had reached the manor, she couldn’t bring herself to ring the doorbell. She stood at the door and looked up at the window, her heart aching as she saw a shadow against the curtains. The night was cold, she was drunk, and the icy breeze was making her head hurt even more. The moon grew dimmer as she stood there, and finally, the lights upstairs turned off.
Flossie didn’t ring the doorbell, but as she turned to leave, frustration filled her. “Damn it! I want to see what’s going on!” She walked unsteadily towards the fence of the manor. “I’ve got to climb over the wall and sneak into the manor quietly. I want to see who’s there, and what they’re doing…” Flossie climbed a tree beside the fence, intending to climb over the fence. She wanted to enter and leave the manor quickly, so she couldn’t use the entrance. If she saw Halston, he wouldn’t know, and she could save her dignity…
The tree she was on was a cherry blossom tree. It was not tall but its branches were thin, and if she wasn’t careful, they would break under her weight. Flossie had confidently climbed up the tree, but once she had reached the highest spot, she realized she had misjudged the distance between the tree and the fence. She couldn’t climb over the fence, and could only cling to the tree.
“I’m screwed!” Flossie hugged the tree tightly like a monkey, unable to go up or down. Anxiety overwhelmed her, and she wanted to call someone to help her, but when she reached into her pockets, she realized that she hadn’t brought her phone. After ten minutes of doing nothing, Flossie gritted her teeth, staring at the ground contemplatively. She wanted to jump down from the tree, but she would most probably slip and hurt herself if she did. However, she couldn’t stay stuck in that tree—it was too embarrassing. Taking a deep breath, Flossie started counting down. Three, two…”
At that moment, the iron gate of the manor swung open, and a tall man exited it. He walked over to the tree and looked up at Flossie, an amused smile curving his lips. “Does the damsel in distress require assistance?”
“You…” Flossie tightened her grip on the tree, squinting at the man below. He seemed familiar, but she couldn’t remember his name.
“It looks like you’ve forgotten about me, little girl!” The man sighed dramatically, but his eyes shone with mirth. He had sharp features, brown curly hair, and light blue eyes like Flossie-he looked like a typical guy from Varangia.
“You’re…” Flossie frowned as she tried to recall who this stranger was. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “Are you Jamie? Is that really you, big guy?”
“Thank God you remembered-l wouldn’t be able to call myself your childhood friend if you didn’t!” Jamie Thatcher’s smile deepened, dimpling his cheeks. He was the son of the Varangia couple who lived next door to the Ellsworths, and he had grown up with Flossie. Since they were of different ethnicities, he had always been taller and sturdier than Flossie, leading to Flossie calling him ‘big guy’ and him calling her little girl’.
When they were young, Jamie doted on Flossie very much. He always carried her around on his back and helped her climb trees. Unfortunately, his family had to move back to their country, and Jamie had left with them. Eventually, the manor was abandoned, and Flossie and Jamie lost contact.
Jamie and Flossie had changed a lot since they had last seen each other. Jamie was not as plump and bear-like as before, and he looked more refined and handsome now. Flossie, on the other hand, had grown from a slim and petite young girl into a tall and charming woman. Jamie had recognized her immediately, and although seeing her climbing trees brought back memories of their childhood, her transformation still amazed him.
“Big guy, when did you come back? Why didn’t you come meet me?” Flossie couldn’t hide her excitement as she eagerly chatted with him.
“I did, but you weren’t home. I had to keep waiting until I found you.” Jamie raised a brow, pursing his lips. He was still trying to figure out why Flossie was in the tree. “That doesn’t look very comfortable. Do you need me to help you… the way I used to when we were kids?” As a child, Flossie had loved climbing trees, and would always attempt to climb them no matter how tall they were. Jamie would always let Flossie step on his shoulders to come down, or let her jump into his arms. If that didn’t work, he would climb up the tree and bring her down. He spoiled her more than a brother would spoil their sister.
“Umm… Isn’t that inappropriate?” Flossie did want to leap down from the tree, but she wasn’t as light as she used to be. Besides, they weren’t kids anymore, so they shouldn’t be getting close to each other like that.
“What’s so inappropriate about it? You’re still that cute little girl to me, and I don’t see you any other way. Just jump—I’ll catch you!” Jamie grinned, stretching his arms wide.
After a long hesitation, Flossie leaped down, and Jamie caught her smoothly. He looked at the embarrassed woman in his arms and smiled charmingly. “I hope it’s not too late to catch you this time.”
The atmosphere immediately became heavy.