Chapter 77
In the living room, hearing Ralph’s instructions, Harriet clung to
his arm with a look of gratitude. “Thank you, Grandpa.”
Seeing this, Ralph patted Harriet’s arm and comforted her, “I may not be capable of much, but I can certainly provide for you
for a lifetime”
Last time he was in the hospital, Ellsworth had behaved well,
but his actions over the past three years had already chilled
their hearts. And the things he said about his granddaughter-
Harriet might not mind, but Ralph remembered them.
He minded.
At Ralph’s reassurance, Harriet smiled and said, “Don’t worry,
Grandpa. I’ll take care of you in your old age. You won’t have to
worry about a thing.”
Ralph patted Harriet’s hand again, signaling that he believed
her. He also knew she had suffered a lot these past few years.
After their conversation, Ralph said it had been a long time
since he played chess, so he pulled Harriet along to play with
Chapter 77
him.
After a few rounds, as they started a new game, Harriet looked
at Ralph seriously and said, “Grandpa, it’s getting late. This will
be the last game for today. I’ll play with you again next time.”
Ralph stared intently at the chessboard. “Alright, alright. But I’m
not going to go easy on you this round.”
Hearing Ralph’s words, Harriet smiled and continued to play
chess with him.
Not long after, just as Ralph was about to lose, Harriet’s phone
rang from where it was placed nearby.
She picked up the phone unhurriedly and glanced at the
number. The lively look on her face instantly turned heavy.
Holding a chess piece in her hand, Harriet answered the call
and asked gently, “Is something wrong?”
On the other end of the line, Ellsworth’s lazy voice came
through: “Do you know what time it is? Aren’t you coming
home?”
At Ellsworth’s question, Harriet looked up at Ralph, then said, “I’m staying home tonight to keep Grandpa company. I won’t be
Chapter 77
going back to Auburn Heights.”
If it had been a few days ago, with Patsy at Auburn Heights, she
would have had to consider appearances and go back.
But lately, since Patsy hadn’t been staying at Auburn Heights,
Harriet didn’t have as many concerns.
On the other end, Ellsworth listened to Harriet’s words in
silence.
Seeing this, Harriet said to him, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang
up now. Get some rest early.”
With that, not waiting for Ellsworth to respond, Harriet hung up
the phone and continued playing chess with Ralph.
Back at Auburn Heights, Ellsworth listened to the beeping of the
disconnected call, then tossed his phone onto the cabinet
beside him with a thud.
With both hands in his pockets, Ellsworth gazed at the night
outside the yard, his expression dark.
In the past, it was always Harriet who waited up all night for him
to come home.
Now, it was his turn to wait in vain for Harriet’s return.
His eyes calm as he looked out at the yard, Ellsworth suddenly found himself curious about the person mentioned in Harriet’s
diary.
With that thought, Ellsworth turned around, grabbed his suit jacket, and headed downstairs.
At the Chavez’s mansion, after hanging up on Ellsworth, Harriet checkmated Ralph in just a few moves, then urged him, “Grandpa, it’s already ten o’clock. You should get some rest. I’l play with you again tomorrow.”
Ralph, leaning on his cane with his right hand, got up unhurriedly and said, “Alright, alright, we’ll continue tomorrow.”
Seeing Ralph get up, Harriet quickly helped him to his bedroom
and took care of him until he was settled in for the night.
After leaving Ralph’s room, Harriet looked up at the sky. There
were many stars tonight, and the moon was full
Gazing at the familiar night scenery around her, thinking about
Ellsworth’s call just now, yesterday’s farce, Kelsey, and the past
Chapter77
three years, Harriet let out a gentle sigh.
There’s no going back. She and Ellsworth could never go back.
Withdrawing her gaze, she looked at the flowers and plants in
the yard. Harriet felt healed again, as if she had returned to three years ago, before she married Ellsworth.
Once the divorce was finalized, she would spend a few good
years at home with her grandfather and get her life back on
track.
From now on, she would live for herself.
After staying in the yard for a while, Harriet went back upstairs
to her room.
Although the Chavez’s mansion was a traditional courtyard
house, it had been renovated into two stories. She had lived on
the second floor since childhood. The front window overlooked
the flowers and plants, while the back window looked out onto
the big tree in the yard-a hidden paradise in the middle of the
city.
