Beyond Boundaries

CHAPTER 3:

In silence, with cloudy weather outside, Michael and Layla sat at the dinner table in a tense atmosphere. A worried look was etched on Layla's face. Michael spoke with a concerned tone.

Michael: "I know Estelle will never get over her mother. However, I can't tell her the whole truth."

Layla, in a calm tone: "The same goes for Nolan's father. I kept that letter from him to protect him from his criminal father, but even after all the proof, he couldn't accept the harsh reality. That led to his rebellion in high school."

Layla, unsure: "But I started doubting. Is the real reason for your wife's condition unrelated to you?"

Michael: "The story I told you wasn't complete. Can you give me some time to explain everything?"

Layla: "I trust you, so there's no need to worry. You have all the time you need.

Nolan and Estelle were in the garden. Estelle sat lost in thought when Nolan approached her to discuss their plans.

Nolan: "So, what should we decide to do? Are you figuring out a plan while being spaced out?"

Estelle, annoyed: "Even if we tell them everything about the past, they won't separate. There's no way right now, I guess."

Suddenly, Estelle's phone rang. She looked happy and ran outside.

Nolan called after her: We still haven't figured out a way! Where are you going?

Estelle replied: "I'm busy. Let's decide another time."

She left, and shortly after, Nolan received a call from Stella, asking to meet since she had some free time.

Estelle's perspective:

"I am heading to meet Lucas after a long time. I'm so excited to see him after receiving his text!"

She ran like crazy when she spotted Lucas in the garden near their house. She jumped into his arms.

Estelle: "Lucas, do you know how much I missed you! How have you been?"

Lucas wasn't pleased. Maybe something was wrong.

Lucas with a warm smile: "I missed you too. I'm fine. How about you, Estelle? How was your meeting with your stepfamily?"

Estelle's expression changed, showing mixed emotions: "It was fine. Did you see my previous texts? I was desperately trying to reach you!"

Lucas, looking upset and regretful: "I'm sorry. I know how hard that day was for you, but when I tried to visit, you were already asleep, and your father kicked me out!"

Estelle, surprised: "You came? But it's far away, and there weren't any flights available! How?"

Lucas: "It's not that far. I took the train for three hours."

Estelle: "So you took a train at night for my sake. I'll talk to my father. How could he not let you in when I needed you the most?"

Lucas, with a serious look: "I hope those filthy bastards aren't bothering you anymore. I found something important about them. Their full wealth, their biggest estates, hide most of their dirty plans, including illegal stuff. I couldn't find more because I needed to be a powerful person, so—"

Estelle stopped Lucas from speaking with a bright smile.

Estelle: "Calm down, Lucas. This is enough. I thought you ignored my texts, but I was wrong. That makes me delighted!"

Lucas, showing an upset look full of guilt, embraced Estelle tightly.

Lucas: "I'm very sorry. I should have been by your side. I truly care about you."

Estelle, feeling warm, tears starting to fall from her face: "I don't know why I'm crying, but I'm glad I have you!"

After that, Estelle started talking about her step-family.

Estelle: "Well, do you know the most surprising thing? When I was with Lisa, I talked to a stranger outside, cursing my future stepmother and saying I would destroy her life. He agreed with me and said the same thing about his stepfather. Imagine my shock when I found out he was my future stepbrother! I couldn’t even look at him out of shame."

Lucas, stunned: "Well, that's very unexpected!"

Estelle explained that they agreed on the same thing and started a plan to ruin a wedding, but their operation was a failure.

Lucas, uneasy: "Estelle, are you sure you want to trust him? Maybe he just wants to get rid of you and take your position as heir of the Jefferson family. You don’t even know him well, so you should be careful when you're around him. I don’t want you to get hurt!"

Estelle, in a comforting tone: "I’m not stupid, Lucas. So far, he hasn’t done anything suspicious. Of course, I won’t fully trust him, but he’s clearly annoyed by his mother's wedding."

Lucas, worried: "Even so, I feel uneasy with him being around you."

Estelle thought for a moment, then showed a mischievous smile: "Are you jealous of him because he’ll spend more time with me than you?"

Lucas, annoyed: "Well, I won’t lie to you. Since he’s a man and around you all the time, it bothers me."

Estelle, sarcastically: "I only have you, but you working with that Piper girl is a problem for me too. She just wants to break us up because she's jealous of me."

Lucas: "She is my superior’s daughter, nothing more. You are my girlfriend!"

Estelle, doubtfully: "I hope so because I’m sure she’s the one who always places your phone away to ignore my texts!"

Lucas, seriously: "She’s my coworker. Also, I have a bad habit of putting my phone away when I get focused on work."

Estelle, showing a pretentious and upset look: "You better check it next time, or I will give up on you!"

Lucas caressed Estelle's cheek: "I will make sure to check, because I have no intention of losing you!"

Meanwhile, Nolan had received a text from Stella, asking to meet since she had some free time. He glanced at his phone and, seeing the message, decided it was time to leave. He hoped a change of scenery would help clear his mind.

Nolan made his way to the agreed meeting spot, anticipation building with each step. Stella had always been a source of comfort and clarity for him, and he hoped she could offer some much-needed perspective on the chaotic situation at home.

Stella, curiously: "So, how was the dinner I missed?"

Nolan, sighing: "Is that really the first thing you want to ask about?"

Stella, with an upset look: "Of course, especially after sending my boyfriend, who refused to be my fiancé, to meet another girl."

Nolan, with a warm smile: "I feel like an awful boyfriend. We always talk about me. I wanted to ask you about your fight with your manager the other day. It bothered me, but I couldn’t control my emotions and didn’t ask."

Stella: "Oh, that. I asked him to make our relationship public, but he refused. So, I threatened to not show up for the next project."

Nolan: "You should stop doing that. I don’t want to be the reason your career gets derailed after all the effort you’ve put in."

Stella: "You’re just changing the topic! I want to know everything about the dinner. Show me what she looks like!"

Nolan showed Stella a picture from the dinner.

Stella, annoyed: "She's very pretty!"

Nolan, tired: "Is that all you care about? Not like you; you're way prettier."

Stella: "I'll switch from acting to modeling so I can be with you more."

Nolan: "Alright, do whatever makes you happy. Don't be upset."

Nolan then told Stella everything that happened.

Stella, angry: "You mean fate brought you together?"

Stella, realizing: "You said Estelle Jefferson?"

Nolan, confused: "Yes, do you know her?"

Stella, furious and emotional: "She's the one who ruined my college life! She traumatized me by locking me in a walk-in refrigerator, and made my life miserable."

Tears filled Stella's eyes.

Nolan tried to comfort her: "Are you sure? Maybe you're mistaken."

Stella, trembling: "How can I lie about the awful things she did to me?"

Nolan, with darkened eyes: "Okay, calm down. Don't worry, I'll make her regret everything she's done to you."

After that, Nolan and Estelle returned home.

Estelle was happy, while Nolan had a frustrated, dark look.

The next day,

When the alarm started ringing, Estelle opened her eyes, straightening herself until she noticed the time. It was already ten o'clock, but she had set the alarm for seven-thirty. She hurriedly ran to the shower, and after she applied shampoo to her hair, the electricity went out. The sudden outage caused a shock that harmed her hand. Then, the water got cut off as well. She finished cleaning herself with bottled water.

When she entered the dressing room, everything was dirty. She couldn't find proper clothes or shoes. Fortunately, she found some shoes and put them on in a hurry. She ran outside, knowing her father would scold her for being late.

Her car was in the repair shop, so she received a call from Michael.

Michael, in a frustrated tone: "You were just blaming Nolan for being late. What is this? I waited for you for too long and then had to leave. Everyone else is at work, and you're the only one late at this hour. Is this how an heiress should act?"

Estelle stayed silent, then hung up the phone and requested a taxi in an awful state.

After Estelle arrived at her office and stepped onto the carpet stained with dog urine at the entrance, she was disgusted. She called out to the secretary, who, upon arriving and detecting the unpleasant smell, kept her distance from Estelle.

Estelle, visibly disgusted: "Who is responsible for cleaning this room? Get them here immediately!"

The secretary, holding her nose, went to call the cleaning staff.

Michael, having heard the commotion, arrived and covered his nose: "What on earth happened in this room? And Estelle, what’s with this disorganized outfit? Do you realize you’re at the company? Are you still in your rebellion phase?"

Michael continued: "Leave the company, please. Your presence is only making things worse. Trusting you was a mistake. I found all the copies covered in makeup stains—evidence of how much you care about your job, treating it like a makeup session!"

Estelle, shocked: "What? That can't be! I prepared them in a closed document file."

Michael, with an annoyed look: "It's a shame to have a child like you."

Michael then left.

Embarrassed by the scene in front of everyone, Estelle ordered clean clothes and shoes. After changing, she went to the parking lot, where her car was parked and already repaired.

At first, she tried to start her car but couldn’t. Frustrated, she hit the steering wheel and then drove off, screaming, "Is the world against me today?"

While Estelle was on her way, she suddenly couldn’t release the brake on the empty street. Panicking, she tried to stop the car, but a speeding vehicle blocked her path. She had to turn abruptly and ended up colliding with a light pole!

After waking from the shock, Estelle managed to get out of the car and stand up. She was physically harmed, with just a few scratches.

She saw a figure it was Nolan.

Estelle, still unstable, said, “Were you the one who blocked my way? Are you insane? I could have died!”

Nolan, with a cold voice, replied, “Well, at least you got a taste of how it feels to traumatize others.”

Estelle, feeling a headache, asked, “What are you talking about?”

Nolan, coldly, responded, “Do you remember Stella Stone?”

Estelle, confused, replied, “And what if I do?”

Nolan said, “Have you experienced the humiliation and fear you made her feel?”

Estelle, shocked, asked, “Don’t tell me you caused all of this. What do you suddenly have against me?”

Nolan said, “Nothing specific. I just realized how your father was right about calling you a failure and a disappointment, especially after what you’ve done to my mother.”

Estelle, devastated and angry, asked, “Why are you saying all of this?”

Nolan continued, “Having a child like you is a waste of dreams. Your father was right about his decision to marry and get rid of such a daughter. I especially feel sorry for your mother. Who knows what you’ve done to drive her to insanity? You should be in her place.”

Estelle clenched her fists, holding back tears. She took a deep breath, then slapped Nolan.

Estelle says, “You’re the jerk who doesn’t deserve a mother like her! Don’t ever try to get close to me again. or try to spell a word about my mother again or you won't see the light of day again”

Estelle called Lisa to take her!

After that, since Lisa's parents own a hospital, she took care of Estelle's injuries and provided her with a special room.

Estelle thanked Lisa for her help.

Lisa, out of curiosity: “Estelle, I know you don’t trust me because of my background, but I can be a normal friend sometimes!”

Lisa, who generally only cares about herself, actually has a warm heart. She's the only one who cares for Estelle more than others.

Estelle, with a bright smile: “Don’t worry. I like you more than those two. Since I have no other friends, you’re the only one I trust.”

Lisa smiled: “You flatter me. What about your boyfriend?”

Estelle: “I don’t want to worry him since he just returned to work.”

Estelle asked Lisa: “Do you remember Stella Stone?”

Lisa, with an unexpected look: “Why are you asking about her? I remember her, but now she’s a famous actress.”

Estelle, putting her hand behind her neck: “What did I do to her?”

Lisa, surprised: “How could you forget? You said some harsh words to her, but she was the one who started chasing after you. Can’t you remember?”

Estelle: “So, I did something unforgivable to her? Now that you mention it, the only thing I did was badmouth her. Is that all?”

Lisa: “Of course, she was no one to you, so you probably didn’t care much.”

Estelle’s perspective:

“It’s as I remembered. So why is he talking about fear so unexpectedly? Even if he was close to her, I did nothing wrong, so he has no right to do this. That bastard."

A sudden phone ring interrupted the silence. It was a message on Estelle's phone.

Estelle picked up her phone to check the message. It read: “How are you doing after our big investment?” It was sent by an unknown number, but the name "Jeremiah" was included. Everything froze in Estelle's body.