novelJessicas Passing (Part One)
| ← Ch.1773 | Ch.1775 → |
Daisy's eyes reddened and tears welled up behind her tightly closed eyelids. Her anger at his actions overwhelmed her, for she had always trusted him and believed in his support of her. Feeling deeply wronged, everything now seemed out of control. She could not believe what he had done to her! With trembling hands she wiped at her nose in frustration.
She sobbed, trying desperately to find a way out of the anguish which had trapped her, for she hated to seem weak and vulnerable. As Daisy buried her face in her wavering hands, she considered that her pregnancy might be influencing her mood.
The moment she chose a career as a soldier, she knew that it would be hard for her to balance her work and private life. She foresaw that conflicts were inevitable, and that she would face some hard choices. As a woman, mother and soldier she had high expectations of herself. She hoped that things would work out as she always meticulously planned them in advance. Occasionally, when her plans did not work out, it choked her like a fish bone in the throat.
"Madame!" A soldierly voice abruptly sounded outside of the door, pulling Daisy back from her desolate thoughts.
She quickly blinked her eyes harshly, trying to rid herself of tears and emotions. She made sure that she had regained some composure and erased all traces of the drama that affected her from her face, before answering loudly, "Come in, please."
"Senior Colonel, there is someone requesting to see you at the perimeter gate of the base." The young solider reported as he stepped into the room and respectfully saluted her.
"Noted with thanks." She nodded to him, dismissing him with a slight smile. Daisy was confused as to who on earth would come to the army base to see her without an appointment, or calling first.
Arriving at the gate, she gasped in surprise at the sight of the visitor. It was none other than Coco! Daisy was utterly surprised to see her here, right outside the army base. 'What is she doing here?' Daisy thought to herself. She noticed her elegant dress and wondered at her increasing grace, for time had not left its mark on her at all.
"Mrs. Mu, my apologies for bothering you today. I didn't know how else I could reach you. Please excuse my abrupt visit." Coco gave her a courtly smile, completing the sophisticated look which she projected. Daisy was quite surprised at the graceful tone of her voice.
"How can I help you?" Daisy inclined her head slightly out of respect, but she really didn't know Coco very well. She didn't feel enthusiastic about being visited by Coco here at the base, this was her place of work.
"I am here on behalf of my cousin. For her sake, I would like to apologize to you for
Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.
To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.
"As long as I'm alive, I'm still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."
She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.
Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again. But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.
arably painful that eventually Jessica decided to end her own life.
"Why are you here, telling me all this?" Daisy shook her head vigorously as if trying to rid herself of the negativity of the sad tale. She didn't know Coco or Jessica that well, so why did Coco decide to share this horrible news with her? They were never close, she had never wanted to hear anything about Jessica. Certainly not something so grim!
"As I said, I came here today for the sake of my cousin. I want to apologize to you on her behalf. Here, she left a letter for you, please take it." Saying so, Coco pulled a small envelope from her bag and held it out to Daisy.
Daisy raised an eyebrow in surprise. She never expected to receive anything from the belated Jessica. The small envelope seemed heavy in her hands as she accepted it. What could be inside? Did Jessica repent to her before she closed her eyes for good?
After she bid Coco goodbye, Daisy took a walk along the forest path on the army base. She was not in a hurry to return to her office. Her thoughts were heavy and gloomy. As she stepped slowly along the path, Daisy's mood worsened with each stride. She clutched the envelope tightly, but suddenly lacked the courage to open it, or to read the letter inside.
Eventually she found a quiet bench in the forest, where she seated herself and drew in some calm with a few deep breaths. She stared at the envelope for a long time, before summoning up the fortitude to open it. She almost gasped as Jessica's letter appeared in her hand.
'Her handwriting was as elegant as she', Daisy thought as she started to read the letter. Soon she noticed that some of the words were fuzzy as if the ink had been wet and smudged. Daisy bitterly curled up her lips, Jessica must have been crying when she wrote this letter!
| ← Ch. 1773 | Ch. 1775 → |