Chapter 51
Elizabeth stepped out of the bar into a downpour. The sky was heavy, lit up by flashes of lightning, and thunder rumbled in the distance.
She had this quirky love for rainy days, especially when she could just chill at home, binge-watch shows, and snack away. It made her feel all cozy and calm. But thunder? That was a whole different ballgame. Ever since she almost drowned, the sound of thunder freaked her out, like it was exploding right next to her ear.
Just as she was about to hop into her car, a sleek black Maybach rolled up nearby. The door swung open, and out stepped Alexander in a sharp suit, holding an umbrella as he rushed to get Esme.
Elizabeth's face darkened. Alexander, the big shot in Lisbun, had braved the storm in the dead of night to pick up Esme. He must really be into her.
Just then, Alexander looked up, and their eyes locked. The night was pitch-black, and the rain suddenly hammered down, drumming on the car roof.
Alexander frowned, puzzled by Elizabeth's presence. Elizabeth pressed her lips together, ready to get into her car.
A flash of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a deafening crash of thunder. Elizabeth's body shook, her heart racing, eyes wide with panic.
Alexander saw her trembling and instinctively stepped forward.
Esme let out a soft cry and snuggled into Alexander's arms, pretending to be scared. "Alexander," she whispered.
He looked down, pulling Esme closer. When he glanced up again, Elizabeth was already in her car. Esme followed his gaze and saw Elizabeth's car. She held Alexander's hand. "Alexander, let's go."
"Alright," he nodded, opening the car door for Esme. As he got in, he glanced once more at Elizabeth's car. Her headlights were on, but she wasn't leaving.
The rain poured harder, and as Alexander shut the door, it muffled the storm's noise. He was about to drive Esme home when he suddenly remembered a phone call from Elizabeth right after they got married.
"Hey, Alexander, looks like it's gonna pour tonight. You coming home?" she asked. He had plans that night and didn't come back. And yeah, it rained hard, like the heaviest downpour Lisbun had seen in years, causing a citywide blackout. Trees got uprooted everywhere. Around midnight, during the blackout, she called him, her voice shaking, "Alexander, it's thundering, and it's so dark. I'm scared." He thought Elizabeth was just faking it to get him home.
Seeing Elizabeth's car in the rearview mirror and remembering her shaky voice, Alexander's heart clenched. So, she really was scared of thunder.
Esme noticed Alexander zoning out and called, "Alexander?"
"Huh? What?" Alexander snapped back.
"What are you staring at?" Esme looked into his eyes. Did Elizabeth really have that much of a hold on him? Every time he saw her, he couldn't look away. He never used to care this much about Elizabeth! The thought made Esme hate Elizabeth even more. Once she got the ginseng, she'd make sure Elizabeth was humiliated at Lily's birthday party! She wanted to crush her!
"Nothing. Did you meet Glory M?" Alexander asked, sounding bored.
Esme bit her lip and said softly, "No."
She told Alexander how she waited for Glory M for over five hours, and Alexander just laughed.
"Are you sure Glory M isn't a fraud?" Alexander asked.
Esme pouted but stood her ground. "He's not."
"Come on, he's Glory M. He's got a personality! And it's pouring out there." Esme pouted again, making excuses for him.
Alexander stayed silent.
Esme was used to his quiet spells. He wasn't much of a talker anyway. She glanced out the window just as another loud crash of thunder split the sky. She gasped, "This is really scary."
Alexander looked up, lost in thought, as his car passed by Elizabeth's.
