Chapter 3 You Can Take a Cab Home
Finished
Madeline had been talking with the members of the Bowen family, but she couldn’t get a word in, so she went to the garden
for some air.
The Bowen family was also a well–known clite family in Javerton, and their garden was enormous.
She walked until she felt a bit tired. Spotting a swing set, she down.
Suddenly, she noticed a line of small words carved into the fence beside the swing: “Nathaniel and Isabelle, together forever.”
The handwriting was childish. It must have been carved by kids.
She thought of how Nathaniel and Isabelle had grown up together. They must have played at the Bowen family’s house often as children, so it wasn’t surprising to find a mark like this.
Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard Nathaniel and Isabelle’s voices coming from ahead.
“Nate, my place is getting renovated, and I don’t want to go home and listen to my parents nagging. Can I stay at your place for a while?”
Nathaniel’s voice was gentle. “Of course, no problem. I’ve always kept your room ready.”
Estella couldn’t help but tighten her grip on the swing’s ropes.
In the villa she shared with Nathaniel, there was a large, bright guest room.
The housekeeper cleaned it every day, and the bedding was changed every few days.
At first, she had wondered why a vacant room needed to be kept spotless.
Now she finally understood. That room had always been meant for Isabelle.
After the funeral, Estella walked behind Nathaniel.
He stared at his phone in silence, making no effort to speak to her.
Estella had no interest in forcing a conversation. She was only by his side because of the contract.
Isabelle caught up from behind and naturally took Nathaniel’s arm.
“Nate, let’s go to my place to grab my luggage first, okay?”
Nathaniel nodded, as if only then remembering to inform Estella.
“Estella, Isabelle will be staying with us for a while. Since you have nothing to do, take care of her.”
He spoke in a commanding tone, not as a request.
She knew that, to him, she was no different from a nanny.
Since they were getting divorced soon, she had no interest in arguing over whether this was reasonable.
Her expression was calm as she simply said, “Okay.”
Maybe because she agreed too easily, Nathaniel found it strange and glanced up at her.
He had never hidden his meetings with Isabelle.
Every time he returned from Edinland, he could sense her mood sinking.
But now, her expression showed no change at all.
For some reason, that irritated him.
1/4
3:17 PM P
Chapter 3 You Can Take a Cab Home
At the parking lot, Nathaniel opened the passenger door for Isabelle.
Finished
Estella got into the backseat and was about to open the trunk when she suddenly heard Nathaniel say, “I’ll drop Belle off first. It’s not on the way. You can take a cab home.”
The Bowen family’s villa was on a mountain, making it nearly impossible to find a cab.
But Nathaniel acted as if he didn’t know that, driving away with Isabelle without a second thought.
Estella stood in the cold mountain air for over an hour before finally finding a driver who accepted the fare that was thirty dollars more than usual, to take her home.
By the time she got back, she was starving and exhausted.
But at the dining table, the atmosphere was warm and lively.
Nathaniel, Isabelle, and Naomi were all there, enjoying broth fondue.
Naomi looked displeased. “Estella, where did you go? Why are you only getting back now? No one was home to cook, so we had no choice but to eat broth fondue.”
Nathaniel placed a piece of cooked beef into Isabelle’s bowl before turning to Estella.
“The sauce Zelda made doesn’t taste right. Go to the kitchen and fix it.”
Zelda gave her an apologetic look.
Zelda was originally the cook, but since Nathaniel never liked her food, she had been relegated to housekeeping.
With Estella gone, Zelda hadn’t known Nathaniel’s preferences, so the meal didn’t suit his taste. In the end, he decided to settle for broth fondue instead.
Zelda treated Estella well, so Estella didn’t want to make things difficult for her and went inside to prepare
the sauce.
Just as she set the sauce down, Naomi continued giving orders. “Estella, make some meatballs for us. The ones they sell outside taste awful, all artificial.”
Estella was exhausted and starving. She had no energy to make meatballs.
She simply sat down and dumped the boiled potatoes and all the meatballs from the pot into her own bowl.
Seeing that Estella wasn’t going to the kitchen and had even taken all the cooked meatballs for herself, Naomi snapped, “Estella, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you understand what I’m saying?
Estella calmly ate a meatball before replying slowly, “These are all artificial. I’m doing you a favor by eating them first. As for the handmade meatballs you want, that won’t happen today. We don’t have enough ingredients. Why don’t you go buy some?”
Naomi was so angry she choked on her words and turned to Nathaniel, ready to complain.
But Nathaniel cut her off. “If you don’t want to eat, order takeout yourself.”
Usually, whenever Estella and Naomi clashed, Nathaniel would side with Naomi.
But today, because Estella had agreed to let Isabelle move in, Nathaniel saw it as a sign of maturity and didn’t plan to defend his sister.
Naomi sulked and angrily bit into her beef.
Estella didn’t believe Nathaniel was suddenly speaking up for her. As expected, the next second, he said, “Isabelle likes sweet potato and milk oatmeal. It’s a hassle, so wake up early tomorrow to make it for her.”
Estella’s grip on her fork tightened, her expression turning colder.
To him, Isabelle was clearly more important than Naomi.
2/4
317 PM P P
Chapter 3 You Can Take a Cab Home
She could refuse to serve Naomi, but she couldn’t refuse to serve Isabelle.
Estella smiled faintly. “Sure.”
She could agree. But whether it tasted good or not, she wouldn’t guarantee.
Isabelle gave her a sweet smile. “Then I’ll be counting on you, Estella.”
Estella didn’t respond, just continued eating her meatballs.
Since Estella had taken all the meatballs, Naomi didn’t get a single one and was fuming.
Seeing Estella stand up, Naomi seized the moment and deliberately nudged the scalding pot with her fork.
Boiling soup splashed toward Estella.
She dodged to the side, but her arm was still burned. A sharp pain instantly spread through her entire body.
Her face turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
Yet Nathaniel didn’t even look at her. Instead, he anxiously turned to Isabelle.
A few drops of soup had splashed onto the back of Isabelle’s hand, leaving a faint red mark.
I’ll take you to the hospital!” He immediately picked Isabelle up and rushed outside.
Naomi shot Estella a smug glance and followed them out.
Zelda hurried over to support Estella.
When she rolled up Estella’s sleeve, the sight of the dense blisters made Zelda’s eyes turn red with distress.
“Mrs. Hartwell…”
Estella gasped in pain. “I’m fine, Zelda. Don’t worry.”
In the end, it was Zelda who called a cab and took Estella to a private hospital owned by Hartwell Group.
The doctor treated her burns and had a nurse set up an IV drip.
Knowing that Zelda had to go home later to look after her grandson, Estella told her to leave first.
She dozed off in the chair, only waking when a nurse came to inform her the IV was finished.
As she picked up her bag to leave, she overheard two nurses talking nearby.
Finished
“I heard Mr. Hartwell reserved the entire VIP floor upstairs just so Ms. Isabelle could have a quiet place to rest tonight.”
“It’s just a minor burn. If she hadn’t come so quickly, the mark would’ve faded on its own. Was that really worth reserving an entire floor?”
Estella’s footsteps paused.
She looked down at her own injured arm and found it laughable.
Taking a cab back to the villa, she washed up and went to sleep.
The next morning, Nathaniel woke her up.
Drowsily opening her eyes, she looked at him in confusion. “What is it?”
Nathaniel’s face was cold, his entire presence radiating displeasure. “Didn’t I tell you to wake up early and make sweet potato and milk oatmeal? Where’s the oatmeal?”
