Chapter 407: Never Thought Margaret Would Really Die
Raymond walked back to his apartment.
As he reached the entrance, Alvin was waiting by the car door. "Hey, Mr. Howard," he greeted, handing Raymond his phone. "You left this in the car."
"Did Sarah get there okay?" Raymond asked, taking the phone and biting down on the cigarette in his mouth.
Alvin nodded. "Yeah, she's with Hubert now. Mr. Raymond, you should head home to Mrs. Margaret. If she finds out you went to see Ms. Martinez tonight..."
Raymond didn't need him to finish. He knew Margaret would be jealous.
The rain was heavy, pounding on Raymond's black umbrella with a steady, loud rhythm.
Raymond finished his cigarette, went inside, put away the umbrella, changed into slippers, and headed upstairs.
He watched the rain through the window, seeing it wash over the towering trees, their dark green leaves swaying in the cold wind.
Changing into his dark green pajamas, Raymond walked toward the bedroom.
The door was closed.
He reached out, wanting to push it open and see if Margaret was asleep.
Or if she was still angry.
If she was asleep, it would be fine. If not, they'd just end up arguing again.
Better to stay calm.
He'd make it up to her tomorrow.
Raymond's hand hovered over the doorknob before he pulled it back, letting it fall to his side. He couldn't sleep.
He wasn't tired.
Sitting on the couch, legs crossed, he lit another cigarette.
He checked his phone and saw a missed call from Margaret.
He'd been getting out of the car at the time, and the phone had been left on the back seat. What had she wanted?
Raymond didn't want to wake her, so he didn't call back.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
He answered. "Mr. Howard?"
"Yeah."
The man on the other end introduced himself as the manager of a luxury store and got straight to the point. "I'm sorry, but we couldn't fix the watch you sent in."
That watch was a gift from Margaret when he started working at The Hughes Group.
It was expensive, bought with her allowance saved over six months.
He hadn't wanted to accept it at first, but she insisted. "Raymond, you're so busy with work, always coming and going. I want you to think of me whenever you check the time. Let this watch be my stand-in while you work."
Not wanting to owe her, and not wanting to embarrass her, she added, "Do well at The Hughes Group. Prove to those who doubt you and my choice that you're not just some ordinary guy. I expect you to become my dad's right-hand man and marry me, treating me well for life."
Margaret had forcefully put the watch on his wrist. "Wear it, and you're my man. And I warn you, never take it off. If you do, I'll never speak to you again."
It became a habit, a part of him.
He wore that watch for years, even after he took over The Hughes Group, even when he treated Margaret coldly, seeking revenge, even when he pushed her towards divorce.
Even when he cursed her to die.
He never took it off.
Until she was kidnapped by Evelyn, they were both pushed off a cliff, and she was diagnosed with cancer.
The watch suddenly broke.
When he visited David to seek treatment for Margaret, he took the watch to the luxury store, sparing no expense to have it repaired.
To Raymond, fixing the watch symbolized a chance to return to the past with Margaret.
The watch wasn't just a watch; it was a token of her love.
But it was all in vain.
Raymond felt down, unsure if it was because the watch couldn't be fixed or because of everything that had happened that day.
"Mr. Howard, we have new models in stock, with better value. How about I bring some over tomorrow for you to choose from?" The manager, knowing Raymond's status, was eager to make a sale.
Such expensive watches were beyond the reach of most people.
Only someone like Raymond could afford them.
Raymond's voice was cold. "No need."
He hung up. The rain was getting heavier.
He looked out the window. What he wanted wasn't a watch, but Margaret's sentiment.
The balcony door was being pecked by a soaked parrot.
Raymond got up and opened the door.
The parrot flapped its wings and landed on his hand, shaking off water droplets onto him.
Raymond found it familiar.
The parrot blinked and squawked, "Raymond, you jerk! Raymond, ungrateful! Raymond, are you dead yet?"
"Raymond, your wife doesn't want you!"
The parrot's serious tone made the insults sting.
Raymond laughed, realizing this was the pet parrot Margaret had bought. It had disappeared at some point.
Now it was back.
Raymond washed and dried the parrot, then put it in a cage. He remembered how much Margaret loved this bird. It could keep him company and cheer her up.
He filled the water and food.
The parrot quickly ate from the box.
"Raymond, your wife doesn't want you!" The parrot was excited, hopping around the cage.
Raymond squinted. "You're happy my wife doesn't want me?"
"Ungrateful! Serves you right! Raymond, are you dead yet?" The parrot's tone was just like Margaret's.
Margaret must have said a lot of bad things about him in front of the parrot. It had learned them all.
"Raymond, let me ask you a question!"
"If I die one day, will you be sad? Will you cry?" The parrot's eyes were wide, shouting.
Margaret had asked him this countless times when she was terminally ill. He had never shown her any sympathy or belief.
Raymond pressed his lips together. "Yes."
If Margaret died, he would go mad.
He wouldn't be able to live.
But he wouldn't let that happen.
The parrot stared at him, answering its own question. "No. Raymond's wish is for me to die soon!"
Raymond was stunned. Margaret had been so deeply hurt, yet he had only been verbally harsh. He never truly wanted her dead.
He had secretly helped her out of danger several times.
Raymond felt increasingly uneasy, sensing something was wrong.
A bolt of lightning struck the sky.
The parrot squawked in fear.
The rain poured down, hammering the old factory.
Margaret lay unconscious on the concrete floor, rain washing over her, her hair plastered to her disheveled face.
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