Nineteen
766 Words
The carriage was silent, with distant, colorful lights flickering as vehicles passed by.
Chris’s voice, mingled with the cool night breeze, reached Elena's ears.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on your life these years.”
And waiting for you to grow up.
The unspoken words were buried deep in Chris's heart, not revealed. His eyes, however, grew more profound.
He was waiting for his young fiancée to mature, planning to propose to her after she graduated from college.
But something went wrong; his fiancée nearly got taken away.
Fortunately… everything has now returned to the starting point.
Elena's thoughts were sometimes chaotic, sometimes clear. In a vague sense, she reached a conclusion.
Chris was a man with a strong sense of responsibility.
There were some things she didn’t want to hide from Chris, to avoid potential problems in their future marriage.
“I slapped my sister in the face in the bathroom.”
She raised her head, staring into Chris’s deep blue eyes, hoping to find some surprise or confusion, but found nothing.
Indeed, a smart person like Chris must have long seen through the discord between her and her family.
Chris did not avoid Elena's probing gaze, only asking calmly.
“Why?”
Elena's lips moved slightly, and she spoke softly, “She threatened me.”
Chris frowned. “What did she threaten you with?”
His calm and indifferent tone carried a hint of concern, as if a parent worried about their child’s grievances, regardless of what had actually happened.
There was even a sense of wanting to support her.
This unreasonable favoritism made Elena's heart feel a pang of bitterness.
Her nervous emotions suddenly relaxed, her eyes softening. “Anna started learning ballet at five, and by nine, she was preparing for the Prix de Lausanne.”
“And then?”
Chris suddenly reached out to hold Elena’s hand. Elena did not pull away. “Later, she injured her leg. Everyone said it was my fault.”
Chris remained as calm as ever. “Was it you?”
Elena looked down. “Yes.”
“Why?”
Elena suddenly lifted her gaze, her bright, round eyes glistening with moisture. “Do you believe me?”
Chris’s large hand tightly gripped hers, his demeanor gentle. “You’re my wife. If I don’t believe you, who should I believe?”
Chris’s eyes seemed misty. She didn’t want anyone to see her weakness, so she turned her head towards the window.
She initially intended to pull her hand away, but Chris’s grip was too tight to free herself.
Chris spoke slowly, “I believe you. You wouldn’t hurt someone without reason.”
His tone was full of certainty and trust.
Many images flashed through Elena’s mind—Brian’s meaningful glances, her parents’ terrified and enraged expressions… At this moment, they seemed replaced by Chris’s calm and steady face.
“When I was nineteen.”
The simple statement made Chris feel a sharp, piercing pain in his heart for the first time.
At nineteen, Elena was struck on both hands by a piano, forced to bid farewell to the stage.
That fall made it impossible for her to become an excellent pianist again, sending her from the pinnacle of success to the abyss overnight.
In the same year, Anna fell from the third floor, severely injuring her leg and never being able to dance again.
Many things were left unspoken.
Elena: “You don’t think I’m vengeful or cruel, do you?”
The carriage remained quiet for a long time before Chris’s low, magnetic voice suddenly spoke.
“Did it hurt when your hand was injured?”
Upon hearing this, Elena’s eyes grew misty and emotional.
Chris suddenly opened his hand, the wedding ring on his long, slender fingers shining brightly.
Elena suppressed her tears and looked somewhat bewildered. “What are you doing?”
“Comforting my Patrick wife, wanting to hug her.”
Elena was startled, slowly resting her head against Chris’s chest.
The soft, delicate fabric of his suit absorbed the tiny tears and silently soothed the small wounds of the past.
After a moment, Elena leaned on his chest and spoke in a muffled voice, “Chris, I lost my parents when I was nine. You don’t have to be too constrained by the Jones family.”
Elena wasn’t foolish. After being immersed in the circle for years, she could naturally see the hidden intentions behind the Jones family’s reception of their new son-in-law.
Chris gently patted her back, his deep voice particularly gentle in the night.
“Whatever you say.”
- Writer
