Filed to story: A Second Chance with My Billionaire Love
When the old woman noticed Flossie’s sympathetic gaze, a kind smile dawned on her wrinkled face. “Miss, you don’t have to pity me. I feel quite blessed to have been able to live until this age. The truly pitiful people are the ones who died young…” A long sigh escaped the old woman. “My Garcia Village has always had bad luck. Many unfortunate things happened, and those kids are the pitiful ones!”
“What happened?” Flossie asked curiously.
“It’s a long story. Come in, it’s dark outside and you all should get some rest.” The old woman enthusiastically invited them into her house.
“Thank you.” Flossie thanked the old woman and followed her into the house.
Jeffrey wanted to follow suit, but Daisy grabbed his arm, her face pale.” Don’t go, Jeff! The house is so dark and scary, and that old woman… We don’t know who or what she is. We’d better not go in.”
There were many horrible legends about Garcia Village, and the worst was the one about the sea witch who took revenge on the whole village. After that, something had happened to their drinking water, and all of the villagers died. It became an infamous haunted village, and many fearless streamers went there to do a live broadcast. While some of them did manage to broadcast the eerie village, they mysteriously got fevers once they returned, and some had even died. Flossie was pretty much doing the same, and it was courting death. Hence, Daisy refused to go.
“Just wait outside if you don’t want to go in, but I’m going.” Jeffrey pulled his hand away and followed Flossie into the house.
“Ah, wait! Come back!” Daisy stood at the door and watched Jeffrey leave anxiously, then looked around. The night air was cold, and the candles at the door were creepy. Some crows cawed nearby, making her shiver. “Oh, this is horrible! I want to go home!” Daisy cried for a while, then finally braced herself and walked into the house. She wouldn’t have come if she knew this was going to happen.
The old woman’s house was a typical farmhouse, and it was rather large with a big yard in the middle. There were a few rooms scattered in the four directions of the yard, but they were unfurnished. The walls were gray, making the house look dark and gloomy, and the coffin in the living room made the atmosphere even more sombre.
The old woman spent most of her time in the living room, which was also where she entertained guests. Flossie and the others sat in front of a small wooden table awkwardly, glancing at the large coffin beside them.
“Flossie, are we going to stay here?”
When the old woman went to get them water, Jeffrey turned to Flossie worriedly. He had seen all kinds of dangerous animals in the sea like sharks and sea snakes, but he had never been as frightened as he was now.
“Relax, I think she’s a nice person. She’s just poor, so this place looks a little primitive, but it’s safer here.” Flossie tried to console the two teenagers, but wasn’t so sure herself. She believed that the old woman meant no harm, but the house was very strange. She kept feeling like a ghost might emerge from one of the rooms at any moment.
The old woman carried a pot of water and a few cups into the hall. “I’m sorry, nobody’s visited me in years, so it took me a while to find some cups. I’m sure you all are thirsty-have some water.” The old woman poured water for them, looking happy to have guests.
Flossie took the cup of water and hesitated briefly before boldly downing the whole cup. However, Jeffrey and Daisy were more cautious, and didn’t drink it because they were worried there might be something in the water.
The old woman noticed their refusal to drink, but still smiled at them warmly. “You three are good people. Although you’re afraid of me, you’re still willing to come in and talk to me. Thank you very much.”
“Madam, don’t say that. We’ve troubled you.” Flossie fished out some money and jewelry, then stuffed them into the old woman’s calloused hands. “I’m sorry for imposing on you like this, Madam. Please take this, it’s only fair.”
“No, I can’t. I already have one foot in the grave, so I’m just thankful to have you all here. Take it back!” The old woman tried to give the money back to Flossie. “I’m old, so I don’t need any money.”
“Just take it. We won’t feel comfortable staying here if you don’t,” Flossie insisted, giving the money back to the old woman.
Daisy chimed in, “Madam, just keep it since she wants you to have it. She’s rich, so this bit of money isn’t much for her.”
“Yeah, I’m rich. Just keep it.” Smiling, Flossie agreed.
“Oh… Alright then.” The woman finally accepted the money and sighed wistfully. “Rich people like you are the ones that are truly kind. I bumped into a rich couple many years ago, and they always came to visit me. This village developed well back then because of that couple’s support.”
The woman’s tone was casual, but Flossie realized that this information could be important. She straightened and asked, “Madam, do you remember what they looked like? Why did they come to this small island?”
“Yes, I do. They were very charming. The man looked like a businessman, and the woman looked like a rich young lady… They kept a low profile every time they came, and asked me not to let others know when they were around. I’m not sure why they came though. Maybe it was for business … or maybe they just came here to relax.” The old woman shook her head, looking thoughtful. “But they liaised with George Garcia every time they came, and they also gave him a lot of money. Sometimes I feel that George might have owed them too much, which was why his family was…” The old woman trailed off, looking sad.
“Who is George Garcia? What happened to his family?” Flossie asked eagerly.
“George…” The old woman trailed off gloomily, her gaze unreadable as she recalled the past. “He was a famous and powerful figure in Garcia Village back then. Everyone avoided him.”
“What do you mean?” Flossie urged.
“It’s not what you think. He was unreasonable and very nasty…” The elderly woman’s tone became angry. “He was a tyrant in our village, and he bullied almost all the families here. He would either take other people’s things away and even beat them up.”
“Was he really that arrogant?” Flossie frowned. “Such a person should have been in jail.”
“If we could, we would have done it ages ago, but he had connections. He would be released after being locked up for a few days every time the villagers called the cops, then he would take revenge on the person who reported him. So… nobody dared to say anything.”
Jeffrey frowned. “I heard about his family when I was young because my village is only nearby. Mom always told me not to sail my boat too far while fishing in case I accidentally entered their territory and they came after me. 1?
“Yeah, George’s nastiness was infamous around these parts, but strangely… ” The old woman’s tone changed as she said slowly, “The horrible man did something good-he adopted a kid.”
Flossie’s heart skipped a beat. If her hunch was right, that child was Quinton … but why would a terrible man like George adopt a child? “Madam, did they really adopt the kid or did they maybe have ulterior motives?” Flossie asked the old woman carefully.
“I don’t know…” The old woman sighed sorrowfully. “But that child was pitiful. George ordered him around as if he was a slave, telling him to do all kinds of dirty and tiring work, but he never fed the boy and would always hit and scold him. I remember one day when the boy released a fish that was about to lay eggs. When George found out about it, he yelled at the boy saying he was being wasteful, then beat him up and locked him in the doghouse. He wanted the dog to maul the boy and kill him, but the boy managed to tame the dog and spent two weeks with him instead! We found him pitiful and gave him bread when we could, but when George found out, he would come after US.” The old woman’s eyes were filled with hatred for George, and compassion for the child. 3
“How abominable!” Flossie’s whole body trembled in rage, and she smacked the table hard. “I’ll kill him if he’s still alive!”
Flossie knew that Quinton had suffered a lot, but she had no idea that it was that bad. They were both siblings, but while Flossie’s parents doted on her and loved her greatly, Quinton had gone through hell.
“Yes, George was despicable, and his family got their karma…” The old woman hesitated, then continued softly, “His family members were all wicked except for his youngest daughter. We called her Joanne, and she was a nice girl who always took care of her foster brother. Unfortunately, George’s eldest son tried to take advantage of the girl, even though he was her biological brother, and then… a sudden fire burned down their house. All of them ended up dead! Honestly, most of George’s family were better off dead, but Joanne and the adopted child didn’t deserve such a fate.
They were very kind, but their lives were ruined.” 1
Daisy listened to the old woman attentively, then chimed in, “But it seems like that girl had been possessed by the sea witch, and purposely seduced her biological and foster brothers. She made them fight each other, then her biological brother finally killed their family and ran away with her.”
“Nonsense!” The old woman glared at Daisy. “The sea witch is merely a rumor-there’s no such thing. George’s family died because of all the bad things they did, it was fated that they encountered such a tragic demise. Joanne and that foster kid were already very pitiful, and all of this happened so long ago, so let’s not talk about them anymore.”
“What? Everyone says it’s true…” Daisy insisted, glancing at Flossie pointedly. “The sea witch is real, and she might still be around. We need to be careful.”
“Where are you from, girl? You’re getting on my nerves with your nonsense. Please leave,” the old woman said crossly, unable to bear people saying bad things about those two nice children.
“Okay, I’ll stop, just don’t kick me out!” Daisy hid behind Jeffrey in fear.
Flossie couldn’t be bothered to scold Daisy; she just wanted to know how George came to adopt Quinton and why he did it. “Madam, do you know why George adopted that boy? Logically speaking, he had a son and a daughter, and George wasn’t the type to be kind, so there was no reason for them to adopt a child.”
“Yes, I find that odd too!” The old woman frowned. “Even after two decades, I can’t figure it out. Why would a horrible man like George do something good like that?”
“Did he purposely get a boy to work for him?” Jeffrey guessed.
“But he didn’t have to get a newborn baby, did he?” The old woman mused doubtfully. “I remember that the baby was still wrapped in cloth when he came, his body bloody and his umbilical cord still attached. It looked like his mother had just given birth to him. George’s wife said that she’d given birth to the kid, but how could that be? She hadn’t even been pregnant! I doubt that the rich couple gifted the baby to George and his wife too.” 2
Flossie also agreed with the old woman-the couple seemed quite strange. If she had the chance, she wanted to meet them, but the old woman didn’t know much about them and didn’t remember much since they had come to Garcia Village ages ago.
Flossie’s mind was troubled the whole night at the old woman’s house. She didn’t wake Jeffrey and Daisy up the next morning, and decided to wander around the island to see if she could find clues instead. She soon found a house that matched the old woman’s description of George’s house… but it was nothing but ruins. All that was left were ashes and burned items, and after many years of wind and rain, even those had practically disappeared into the ground. There was no trace of anyone ever living there. However, that area was the best in the village-it faced the vast sea and the soil was rich, making it ideal for both fishing and farming. Flossie imagined her brother living there many years ago, and uneasiness gripped her when she imagined the suffering he had been through.
Flossie took off her shoes and walked towards the beach ahead. It felt nice walking on the soft sand, and the waves gently washed over her feet. It felt like she was sitting on a boat, watching the waves go back and forth. The ocean was mysterious and unfathomable, and it seemed to call out to her … Unknowingly, Flossie walked further into the sea. Suddenly, a strong force gripped her legs and pushed her forward into the dark waters.
“Help!” Flossie lost her balance and fell forward into the deep sea. She tried her best to swim back to the shore, but the current was too strong. Her face paled as she realized she was stuck in a rip current, and one this powerful would only drag her deeper into the depths of the sea. The more she struggled, the more dangerous it would be. The only thing one could do was accept her fate…
Flossie watched as the shore got further away. She was all alone, drifting in the sea, and sadness overwhelmed her. Although she had been depressed and frustrated lately, she didn’t want her life to end here. She wasn’t scared to face death, but she also didn’t want to leave behind her loved ones. She could no longer see Adie and Abby, or go shopping and gossip with Leia. She would never be able to have a heart-to-heart talk with Quinton, and worse of all… She wouldn’t be able to meet Halston one last time. She didn’t want to die like this, but if this was her fate, what could she do?
After choking briefly, Flossie closed her eyes and stopped struggling. She gave up and accepted her fate. However, just as she was about to lose consciousness, she felt a strong arm around her waist. Vaguely, her mind registered someone carrying her to shore. She tried her best to open her eyes, and a man’s face swam in her vision.
“Halston!” She couldn’t believe her eyes, and tried her best to hug him. “Is that you, Halston? Am I dreaming?”
To Flossie’s shock, the person she had been yearning for day and night had appeared in front of her. She could scarcely believe it.
“Hold me tight,” the man whispered as he lowered his head to look into Flossie’s eyes. They were still at the edge of the cliff and had yet to swim out of the rip current. If they let their guard down, they would die at sea.
“I will! I have to hold on to you because I have so much to say to you. I… Ack!” Flossie choked, too excited to talk to Halston. She couldn’t tell if she was dreaming, so she just tried her best to hold on to him. However, the current was strong, and Flossie’s grip started to loosen. She couldn’t hold on any longer, and eventually blacked out.
When she woke up, she found herself lying in a hospital bed, a vast expanse of whiteness above her.