Chapter 253 Fear
In the box, there was a neatly folded set of couple's pajamas, two torn marriage certificates taped back together, and the wedding rings Reed had snapped pics of, along with another ring Nathaniel had given her later. There were also two sets of baby clothes she had bought while shopping and stashed in the wardrobe.
Aurelia had picked out those pajamas with care when they first got hitched. She was super happy with everything from the style to the fabric, but Nathaniel just wouldn't wear them.
Aurelia was pretty stubborn back then and didn't care if he liked them or not. She often wore those pajamas herself and couldn't bring herself to toss them even when they got old.
Now, the two pajamas, one new and one old, had their sleeves tied together tightly, like they were scared of being separated.
Countless memories flashed through her mind as Aurelia fought to control her emotions, feeling as if a heavy stone weighed upon her chest.
When she got back to Emerald Lake Villa, it was breakfast time.
Jacoba was scarfing down his food and already tinkering with the robot he had put together himself. Dorothy was upstairs picking out a little dress; she was about to head to kindergarten soon.
Seeing her return, the two kids ran over from different directions for a hug.
Jacoba asked, "Mommy, did you bring Grandma back? Where is she?"
Aurelia replied, "Grandma is watching us in a better place, and she'll always be with us."
Dorothy clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Really? We have a grandma too!"
Aurelia hugged the two kids. "Tell me what you two have been up to lately. Any trouble?"
The two kids exchanged a quick glance, Dorothy lowered her head, and Jacoba grinned and said, "Mommy, no, we were super well-behaved in kindergarten. We look forward to you coming back every day."
Aurelia was mainly worried about Jacoba, as he had too many ideas and was unusually bold. She looked up at Dahlia, seeking confirmation of Jacoba's words.
Dahlia was packing the kids' backpacks, then she paused and said, "The kids have been very good. Jacoba hasn't gone out except for kindergarten, and he spends his free time at home tinkering with robots. Dorothy went out once with Leon to see a jewelry exhibition and came back at noon."
Aurelia trusted Dahlia's words. She nodded in relief. It was time for the kids to head to kindergarten, and the driver was already waiting outside. Dahlia carried a small backpack in each hand and said, "Let's go, Jacoba, Dorothy. We'll see Mommy after school."
The two kids reluctantly followed her out the door.
Aurelia slept until noon, and when she opened her work phone, she had a ton of new messages on Facebook.
She hadn't been to the company for a few days, and a lot of work had piled up. She put on some makeup to cover her dark circles and drove to the office.
This month, there was a jewelry design competition called the Cynthia Competition, organized by Dawnon, inviting submissions from designers worldwide. The judges were several authoritative veteran designers selected globally.
This competition is held every three years, and once, under the alias Lolly, Aurelia won a gold medal. The award ceremony coincided with her wedding day to Nathaniel, so she couldn't attend, which she still regretted.
Now, she no longer had to hide from Nathaniel or fear him discovering her presence, so she didn't need to conceal her brilliance. She decided to participate again and win an award, which would greatly help her new business venture.
Aurelia was gearing up to use this competition to launch her new brand, Karma.
She already had some killer ideas for the piece she wanted to submit.
After not picking up a paintbrush for a few days, inspiration suddenly hit her like a freight train. In the quiet office, the only sound was the soft scratching of her pencil on paper. She lost track of time and kept drawing until the end of the workday.
Aurora knocked on the door and brought in dinner.
"Anne, it's time to eat. Wanna take a break?"
Aurelia had sketched out a rough draft on the paper, but it still needed a lot of work. However, she had already captured the inspiration she had just thought of.
She stretched and felt a bit thirsty, realizing she hadn't had a sip of water all afternoon.
"Aurora, could you get me a glass of water first?"
Aurora pushed the hot milk she had bought in front of her and took away the water cup on the desk.
"Quench your thirst with this first. I'll get the water right now."
Aurelia stretched her back and smelled the aroma of food. Aurora had bought beef rice from the shop across the street, which she often ate.
She was starving. Just as she was taking a spoon out of the drawer, Aurora returned with some water.
"Anne, Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Heilbronn haven't come by these past few days."
Aurora looked a bit disappointed, like she had been hoping for these two guys to come by with flowers.
Aurelia paused with her spoon, her eyes unconsciously scanning the floor, remembering the room filled with flowers a few days ago. She couldn't help but feel a bit sarcastic. She knew Nathaniel wasn't the type to send flowers; his enthusiasm typically lasted no more than three days.
Sure enough, he was still the high-and-mighty CEO who waited for women to make the first move.
Aurelia ignored Aurora and continued eating with her spoon.
The number of people in the office area gradually decreased as everyone clocked out and left.
Aurelia wanted to keep drawing a bit longer while her thoughts were still clear. She sent Aurora away and continued working until nightfall, only stopping when she received a call from Dorothy urging her to come home. She packed up her design drafts, locked the door, and headed downstairs.
Her car was parked in the lot downstairs. For some reason, the lights in the parking lot were out today, or maybe it was just late. The usually crowded parking lot was almost empty, and she could even hear the echo of her footsteps.
It had rained a bit during the day, and now the atmosphere felt eerily gloomy.
Aurelia looked up and saw that the last light in the building had gone out, making her feel a bit scared.
She turned on her phone's flashlight and saw that her car was not far ahead. Quickening her pace, she pressed the unlock button as she approached, feeling a bit relieved when the car lights flashed.
Aurelia opened the car door and was about to get in when something tightly gripped her ankle.
Her heart tightened, and she was too scared to make a sound. Her first thought was that it was a ghost, as she hadn't seen anyone on her way over.
The sensation of her ankle being seized caused Aurelia's hair to stand on end in fear.
She took a deep breath and, mustering all her courage, lifted her foot, feeling the grip on her ankle tighten painfully.
Her breathing became erratic from fear, and her survival instinct kicked in, making her lift her other foot to kick at whatever was holding her.
She didn't dare look down, using her another foot to kick forcefully at the spot, trying to break free from the grip.
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