Chapter 337: Chapter 336 Medicine
After Edward Stephens returned to the Stephens family, he became increasingly busy.
He had originally been considered out, but unexpectedly, after a trip to Banyan City, not only was his illness cured, but he also directly entered the management of the Stephens family upon his return.
Once, when Edward Stephens took her out to eat, they ran into Edward’s cousin, who sarcastically mocked them.
That man didn’t resemble Edward at all, though he wasn’t ugly, he was quite greasy, with a raspy voice, and while he toasted Edward with several glasses of red wine and praised her beauty, he was simultaneously making sneering comments that gave Daisy Ginger goosebumps.
Later, she learned that Edward returned and directly took over the man’s position.
Moreover, he performed even better than the man did originally, provoking jealousy.
Daisy Ginger was aware that Edward Stephens was a very talented individual, exceptionally intelligent, effortlessly adept at anything he set his mind to, and there was nothing he couldn’t learn as long as he tried seriously.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Robert Stephens was unwilling to easily let his younger brother off the hook.
Despite the storms within the Stephens family, Edward Stephens kept her shielded, and the cousin who had given her the cold shoulder had never appeared in front of her again after that day.
Even Robert Stephens seemed to have reached some agreement with Edward, no longer troubling her.
He protected her well, just as he had promised when he first brought her over—
He would give her the best life.
Yet Daisy Ginger felt that she was being kept like a pampered canary.
He gave her everything but freedom.
For ordinary women, it might be easy to become immersed in his meticulous care and lead a life of constant abundance, never missing their homeland.
After all, since arriving in Chicago, whether at the company or in life, Daisy Ginger no longer had to worry about anything.
At the company, there were people helping her who performed better than she did; in life, there were people managing for her, so she didn’t have to do a thing.
More like a freeloader than a freeloader.
If Daisy Ginger had Lady Stephens’ temperament, she might have lived exceedingly happily among the Stephens family.
*
That morning, Daisy Ginger mentioned to Edward Stephens that she was going to work at the branch office, then drove out in her little BMW.
Edward hadn’t left the house yet, watched as her white BMW disappeared from his sight, then calmly looked away and asked Charlotte Smith, "Did you prepare what I asked you to?"
Charlotte, with her head lowered, softly replied, "Yes."
Edward casually adjusted his cuff and said in a calm tone, "Go replace it. Be careful not to let her find out."
When he said this, his tone was notably more indifferent than usual, lacking the intimacy he had when speaking with Daisy Ginger.
Charlotte tightened her grip on the medicine bottle, nodded, and only after watching the man’s figure slowly disappear did she exhale and glance at the white plastic bottle in her hand.
She didn’t understand why Edward wanted her to do such a thing.
Was it in hopes that when Daisy one day discovered the truth, she wouldn’t resent him?
His feelings for that woman...
Charlotte’s eyes turned slightly somber, she pressed her lips together lightly, and slowly went upstairs.
*
Daisy Ginger went near the cemetery, bought a bunch of white chrysanthemums, and, as if familiar with the terrain, found that nameless tombstone.
She had secretly come here behind Edward Stephens’ back about ten times.
The cemetery was far from the company, requiring more than three hours of driving, going back and forth would take over seven hours.
Every time she went out in the morning and returned in the evening, pretending she was going to work, but in reality, she came to see him.
To her, the only good thing about being in Chicago was probably being closer to him.
If she wanted, she could visit him every day.
Daisy placed the flowers down, sat hugging her knees in front of that white tombstone.
Here, mostly nameless stones, many without names, photos, or birthdates.
It was a place for letting the homeless who had passed away rest in peace.
She didn’t understand why her young boy was buried in such a simple place, even without his name inscribed.
It’s already been eight years.
If he were still alive, how wonderful that would be.
Her life was still very long, long enough that she could forget him over time.
The photos he left behind were taken away by Edward Stephens. Sooner or later, she would forget this boy who died for her in the depths of her memory.
Someone who grew up with her, yet couldn’t accompany her to old age.
"Didn’t expect even you to deceive me." She looked down at the tombstone with a helpless bitter smile, "I waited for you eight years... If he hadn’t fallen ill, would you have made me wait a lifetime for you?"
"...Or do you think that as long as I keep waiting, eventually I will forget you?"
"Sometimes, I really think you are more cruel than I imagined."
"If only you were still alive..."
She murmured softly against the tombstone,
Speaking thoughts that were pure fantasy.
"Even if now you don’t like me anymore, I still hope you are alive and well."
"...Don’t just casually leave me like this."
It turned out, inside, she still couldn’t accept this reality.
Wishing that the boy she had waited for eight years could come back again.
Even though everything has changed, and she could no longer be with him.
Now she no longer had the qualifications to stand beside him.
*
In the evening, Daisy Ginger took a nap in the lounge next to the office.
Soon after, Edward Stephens came to pick her up.
The branch office was filled with a group of Chinese Americans, and although Daisy Ginger was the director, she was not actually familiar with these people, and didn’t really need to show up either.
So the thing Daisy did most in the office was sleep.
Sleeping until Edward finished his work and came to pick her up for dinner.
After living like this for a long time, Daisy Ginger felt someday she would really regress into a freeloader.
Yet Edward looked quite pleased with raising her in such a way.
Indeed, like father, like son, she reasonably suspected Lady Stephens was spoiled like that too.
"Where do you plan to go today?"
Once in the car, the man turned on the navigation. Chicago was a large city, and by dusk, it was buzzing with people, something Daisy found hard to see in Banyan City.
She pulled out a pack of candy from her bag, unwrapped it, and chewed it with an indifferent attitude: "Whatever."
Edward glanced at the candy in her hand and smiled: "Is it good?"
Daisy had quit smoking recently, gotten hooked on eating candies, and would pop a few whenever she got free, much like she used to with smoking.
The candies in her bag were all put there by Edward at some unknown time, and they tasted really nice, though she didn’t know where he got them from.
She searched online and couldn’t find this brand.