Chapter 166 Raymond Couldn't Believe Margaret Couldn't See It
Raymond strolled down the street, lost in thought. The street was packed with people, couples everywhere, holding hands and leaning on each other. He and Margaret used to be like that. But now she was gone.
Out of nowhere, snowflakes started falling, landing on his head and shoulders. He reached out, and the snow melted in his warm palm, turning into cold water. Margaret used to say she loved snow because it was the purest thing, capable of washing away all the dirt.
The electronic billboard on the high-rise across the street kept flashing news about Marlon's death. With all that coverage, Raymond couldn't believe Margaret wouldn't see it!
The only explanation was that she knew but didn't care anymore. As long as she could escape his control, his torment, nothing else mattered.
Thinking about it made Raymond feel suffocated. Why? She had promised to love him no matter what. How could she change her heart so easily? Was she really with Daniel? Raymond couldn't accept it!
His face grew colder as he pulled out his phone and dialed Alvin's number. "Notify the media to release a reward notice. Anyone who can provide information about Margaret will get one hundred million dollars!"
Alvin wasn't surprised. He knew Raymond had always cared about Margaret; he just didn't want to admit it. Now that she was gone, he had to face his feelings. Maybe this was good for Raymond; maybe he'd learn to cherish her.
The cold wind cut across his face like a knife. Raymond went back to his apartment. He used to hate coming home because he didn't know how to face Margaret. He loved and hated her, often speaking coldly. She'd give him the cold shoulder right back. So he'd bury himself in work to escape.
But since Margaret disappeared, everything changed. He came home every night. Work seemed less important, and he didn't spend as much time on it. Every time he came home, he hoped Margaret might be there. Maybe the lights would be on. But every time, he was disappointed. This time, he didn't expect anything either. But when he entered the apartment, he didn't even change his shoes and went straight up the spiral staircase.
He saw that all the lights on the second floor were on! Had Margaret come back? Was she really back? Raymond's heart, which had been lifeless, filled with anger at her long absence. Why come back now? Why turn off her phone and cut him off? Did she know these past few days felt like years to him?
Raymond couldn't eat or sleep well. He dreamed of her every night. He quickened his pace and entered the living room. The kitchen light was on too.
He walked to the door and heard sounds from the kitchen. Was she making dinner for him? Margaret had always been good at pleasing people. Maybe she saw the news about Marlon and came back. She was making dinner to apologize, afraid of being punished.
Raymond sneered; he didn't plan to forgive her easily. But when he entered the kitchen, the woman in the apron turned around and smiled warmly at him. "Mr. Howard, you're back?"
The light in Raymond's eyes suddenly faded and disappeared. It wasn't Margaret. She hadn't come back!
Mary noticed the disappointment in his eyes and gave an awkward smile. "Mr. Howard, hasn't Mrs. Howard returned yet?"
He didn't want to answer that question. Lately, too many people had asked him that, and he had asked too many people the same. "Why are you here?" Raymond frowned.
Mary replied with a faint smile, "I came to clean, water Mrs. Howard's plants, and feed the parrot." Raymond turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Seeing Raymond so desolate moved Mary. She asked with concern, "Mr. Howard, have you had dinner? Would you like me to make you something?"
"No need. Finish up and go home." Raymond's cold voice drifted over, carrying a sense of profound loneliness. He glanced at the plants in the corner, still looking lifeless. No surprise, they were almost dead.
He opened the balcony window. The cold wind blew into the parrot's cage. The parrot was preening its feathers and looked up when it heard footsteps. Seeing Raymond, its eyes lit up. It thought Raymond was there to feed it.
The parrot suddenly mimicked a cat's meow. It sounded just like a kitten, soft and tender. Raymond walked up to it and watched for a while as snowflakes fell on the parrot's black feathers. They melted instantly. He took the cage inside and hung it on the clothesline.
Mary found the parrot's food and handed it to Raymond, then took off her apron and left. Raymond watched expressionlessly as the parrot ate the food in big gulps, looking carefree, making him envious.
"Your owner is really heartless, leaving behind the plants and you. She went off to enjoy herself," Raymond said in a deep voice.
The parrot seemed to understand and paused, lifting its head to look at Raymond for a long time. After a while, it suddenly mimicked Margaret's voice sorrowfully and said, "Raymond, if I really died, would you be sad? If I completely disappeared from this world and you couldn't find me, what would you do?"
Raymond was momentarily lost in thought. So she had planned to leave all along! And she had shared her plan with the parrot? No, she had asked him these questions before, but he had always dismissed them, not believing she would really leave.
"Eat your food," Raymond said discontentedly. The parrot buried its head in the food again.
Just then, his phone suddenly rang. The screen flashed with Alvin's name. Raymond quickly picked it up and answered, getting up from the sofa.
"Mr. Howard, there's news about Mrs. Howard!" Alvin was particularly excited.
Raymond's face lit up with joy, but he tried to stay calm before saying, "Wait a moment, I'll talk to you in the study." He didn't want to take the call in front of the parrot; it learned to mimic too quickly.
In the study, Raymond closed the door and asked urgently, "Did you find Margaret's whereabouts?"
"Sure, money can do a lot in this world. The hundred-million-dollar reward was too tempting. A netizen spotted her. The house Mrs. Howard is renting belongs to the netizen who gave us the tip. I have told the netizen not to alert her, so she doesn't know we're coming," Alvin explained.
Raymond narrowed his eyes and asked the question on his mind, "Is she alone or with Daniel?"
If Margaret was really with Daniel, he wouldn't forgive her so easily!
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