Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Matthew raised an eyebrow. Does she think the Leedon family’s standing isn’t high enough? Given Gideon’s capabilities, there’s no way he can rise any higher. However, if that’s what she wants, I don’t mind agreeing. “I wish you would cease assisting them, Mr. Quigley.” Aurelia kept her eyes lowered, fearful that the fierce hatred lurking within them might frighten the man before her.

“Oh?” Matthew was somewhat surprised. However, he did not inquire further. After seeing Aurelia finish signing, he lifted his wrist to check the time. “Let’s go in.” “All right.” The City Hall was scarcely populated that day, and shortly after entering, the certificate was quickly obtained. After stepping out, Aurelia stared at the marriage certificate in her hand, feeling somewhat dazed, as if she were in a dream. As she was in a daze, Matthew’s voice, slightly cold, rang out from the side. “Add me to your WhatsApp, and I’ll send you the address. You can move in the next couple of days.” Before Aurelia could even refuse, Matthew added her on WhatsApp and promptly left. Before getting her marriage certificate, Aurelia had thought about move to live with Mabel. She had never considered living together with Matthew. However, she could settle with the arrangement, as the outward harmony between the husband and wife could put Mabel more at ease. It was half past three in the afternoon now. Aurelia thought she could first head to the Leedon residence to collect her belongings. If it weren’t for a few precious items that Hannah had gifted her, she would have absolutely refused to set foot in the Leedon residence. On the subway to the Leedon residence, a phone call came through. Aurelia answered the call without checking who the caller was. “Hello.” “Dear, Melanie just called me a while ago. She mentioned that you had an argument with your parents when you were in the hospital. I feel that what you’re doing isn’t quite right. It could hurt your parents’ feelings. Moreover, Melanie also needs your help. You can’t just walk away like this. It’s too heart-wrenching. Where are you now? I’ll come find you, and then let’s go together to apologize to your parents. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go to the hospital again. After donating blood, how about we watch a movie?” Curtis’ voice continuously flowed from the phone, one soothing phrase following another. Aurelia gripped her phone tightly. In her previous life, she had loved Curtis wholeheartedly, from high school to university. On the day of their university graduation, Curtis proposed to her, declaring that in his lifetime, he would only ever love Aurelia. Indeed, some men would always make empty promises. Everything experienced during the year and more of paralysis before death was vividly etched in memory, deeply ingrained in the bones.

Curtis waited for a response from Aurelia, growing somewhat displeased when he didn’t hear back. “Hello? Did you hear me? Is it the signal problem? Should I text you on WhatsApp instead?” “Let’s break up, r*tard.” Aurelia didn’t want to have any relationship with Curtis. She couldn’t bear it even for a day. Decisively, she hung up the phone. The notification sounds from WhatsApp followed one after another. She didn’t look at her phone. However. she hadn’t blocked Curtis yet because it wasn’t the right time. Soon, she arrived at the Leedon residence. Gideon and the rest hadn’t returned yet. At this hour, the roads were congested. Even if they were given an extra half an hour, it was uncertain if they would be able to make it back. Aurelia didn’t have many belongings. She had just moved there just half a year ago, so a single suitcase was enough. As she descended the stairs, she noticed an antique painting hanging in a corner of the living room. The painting was hung in an extremely inconspicuous spot. It was a painting she had personally restored, a task that had taken her a full three months, all for the purpose of presenting it as a birthday gift to Luna. As a result, Luna showed a face full of disdain, instructing the housekeeper to hang the painting in the most inconspicuous spot in the living room. At that time, she was somewhat upset, wanting to explain the origin of the painting. However, Luna, with an impatient look on her face, happily accepted the designer bag gifted by Melanie. Aurelia thought Luna was unworthy of that painting and her sincere affection. Hence, she walked over, carefully took down the antique painting, rolled it up, and placed it in her suitcase. Forty minutes later, the trio, led by Gideon, had returned.

Upon entering, Luna glanced around. Not seeing Aurelia, she frowned and asked Lucy, the housekeeper, “Has Aurelia returned?” Lucy hastily paused her work and replied, “Ms. Aurelia returned half an hour ago, and then she left with a suitcase.”

“Left with a suitcase?” Luna’s voice rose in disbelief. “Yes, Mrs. Leedon.” Lucy nodded. Melanie was somewhat taken aback. She had assumed that upon her return, she would see a crestfallen Aurelia apologizing. Her eyes flickered with uncertainty. Didn’t Curtis say he could handle Aurelia? “Did she run away from home?” Melanie asked. Infuriated, Gideon declared, “If she has the audacity to do that, she shouldn’t bother coming back! She’s so thoughtless. I’m canceling her credit card right now!” Gideon thought Aurelia truly brought disgrace to his name. “I’ll go check her room. Perhaps she’s just trying to scare us with the threat of running away from home. I bet it’s because she wants a car but we didn’t give her one. She really is so thoughtless!” Luna furrowed her brows and quickly ascended the stairs, heading toward Aurelia’s room. She seldom visited the room before. When the door swung open, she was taken aback for a moment by the sight of the starkly bare and minimally furnished room. Right then, an indescribable sense of strangeness welled up within her. “Mom, perhaps I should leave. Aurelia probably doesn’t want to see me in the house. If I leave, she will probably come back.” Melanie approached, noticing that Luna seemed lost in thought.

At that moment, Melanie realized something was amiss. In this household, I’m the only princess cherished and held in high regard! Aurelia is nothing more than the mud trampled under my feet. When Luna came to her senses, she looked at Melanie with a heartache. “If only she were as obedient as you. If she wants to leave, let her do it. You don’t have to worry about her.”

“Aurelia grew up in the countryside and was raised by an adoptive mother who only had a middle school education. It’s only natural that there are some things she doesn’t understand. Mom, we should talk them into her gradually, and she’ll understand!

In the future, she’ll be able to show you and Dad the same respect and love as I do,” said Melanie in her gentle and clever manner. Every time Luna heard about Aurelia’s growing experiences, she would feel a wave of irritation. “She is a university student after all. She should have known better by now. In the end, she’s just short-sighted and ungrateful! Let’s go downstairs and get something to eat first. We don’t need to worry about her.” Meanwhile, the streets were bustling with traffic, a ceaseless stream of people flowing like a river. Aurelia sat in the taxi, her eyes greedily devouring the scenes swiftly passing by before her.

Everything feels so surreal. I truly came back to life. “Young lady, your phone has been ringing constantly.” The driver glanced at Aurelia through the rearview mirror. This young lady is quite beautiful, appearing to be around twenty years old. However, her eyes hold a deep sense of desolation. I wonder if something has happened to her... After getting in the car, her phone kept ringing intermittently. “Thank you, Sir. It’s just a nuisance call.” Aurelia lowered her gaze to her phone. Curtis was still calling her.

The phone was bombarded with a flurry of calls and WhatsApp messages. She could envision his flustered and exasperated expression, an image that overlapped with the grotesque entanglement he shared with Melanie. Her hand clutching the phone involuntarily tightened, silencing the ringtone. Just then, another call came in. Her long, dense eyelashes quivered slightly when she saw that it was a call from Matthew.