Chapter 323 The Willful Little Princess
As soon as he finished talking, a cold breeze swept through the cemetery. The wind itself wasn't anything special, but in a place like this, it felt extra creepy.
Ashley shivered a bit from the chill.
She didn't really believe in ghosts, but sitting in a cemetery surrounded by countless lonely souls was a whole different vibe.
So she missed what Damian said. When the wind died down and she snapped back to reality, she asked, "What did you say?"
Damian didn't bother repeating himself and just swirled the beer in his hand. "Ever had a drink with Faye?"
What did they do together where he wasn't around?
In his mind, women just shopped, ate, gossiped, and grabbed drinks when they were down. Whether they drank or not showed how close they were.
Ashley nodded, "Yeah, a few years ago in winter, right before New Year's. I was swamped with my master's thesis, practically living in the library. One evening, Faye called me, saying she was waiting at the school gate."
Damian chuckled, "Drinking at such a young age, huh? Seems like she did a lot behind my back."
If Faye were here, he'd definitely poke her head and ask where she got the nerve to drink so young.
Because she was gone, all her past actions seemed forgivable, even the small ones. They now had this nostalgic glow, making her seem so full of life.
Ashley got where Damian was coming from; she felt the same. "That day, she had clearly been crying. Her eyes were red, and she was bundled up in that thick scarf. Remember the long white down jacket she loved? The one that reached her ankles and had a big hood with those cute little ears?"
Damian quickly pictured it. That was Faye's go-to outfit. "Yeah, I remember. I had that coat custom-made for her in Eurostan."
Back then, he was on a tight business trip in Eurostan, and Christian, who was traveling abroad, brought it back for her.
"She pulled the hood over her head, showing only her puffy eyes, sniffing and asking if I could go to a bar with her. For safety, I took her to a private room at Blue Star. Faye ordered over a dozen bottles of different drinks, including the champagne you left at the club. She boldly said she wanted to drink until she couldn't anymore," Ashley said.
Damian wasn't focused on the drinks anymore. "Why was she drinking? Why was she crying so much?"
In the past, Faye would always tell him when she was upset, even over a hangnail. She'd dramatically stay in his room, saying, "Damian, look, I'm hurt. Damian."
Sometimes, he'd get annoyed and tell her to chill, but Faye never seemed to learn and would still come to him for every little thing.
Why didn't she tell him when she was crying so hard?
Ashley had promised Faye never to tell Damian, but now that time had passed, and things had changed, there was no need to hide those teenage secrets. "She said the person she liked didn't like her back and had someone else."
"What?" Damian was genuinely shocked.
His sister got rejected? What kind of blind idiot would do that?
Seeing his reaction, Ashley felt a pang of envy for Faye. Whoever ended up marrying her would never dare to mess with her. "She never said who it was, but it sounded like they had known each other for a while. Given their age and school stuff, she hadn't made a move yet, just waiting for the right moment to confess."
Damian cracked open another beer and took a big gulp. "Maybe it was some guy from her class."
Sometimes, a girl's thoughts weren't something she could easily share with her brother.
He remembered when Faye was in high school. One day, she came home looking like she was about to cry, stammering without saying a word.
No matter how much he asked, Faye just looked like she was on the verge of tears and locked herself in her room for half a day.
It wasn't until their mom came home that she finally broke down.
He later found out that Faye had gotten her first period.
And the drinking episode was because of a failed crush.
As a brother, there were some moments in her life he just couldn't be a part of, and that was a bummer.
Ashley clinked her beer can against his and took a big swig. "Faye said she had only ever liked that one person and thought everything would go smoothly. She never expected another girl to join their small circle and take her place. She couldn't throw tantrums or just declare herself his girlfriend anymore."
That day, Faye drank a lot, and no one could stop her. In the end, she drunkenly hugged Ashley, sobbing, "Ashley, if I had known growing up would be so hard, I wouldn't have grown up. I would have stayed a kid, throwing tantrums and sticking to the person I liked. I don't care; I want to be a spoiled little princess! I'm so sad, Ashley..."
Damian's Adam's apple bobbed, his long eyelashes hiding the deep emotions in his eyes. "Faye never showed her emotions easily unless she really trusted someone. She really liked you."
Ashley smiled bitterly. "Now, when I hang out with Evelina, I often think I see a bit of Faye in her, but compared to Faye, she lacks a bit of spirit."
Damian hit the nail on the head. "Evelina's personality today is all about pleasing Grandpa."
"Hmm?" With that, Ashley had a strange thought. Did Evelina want to fill the void left by Faye? So, she slowly started to resemble Faye.
Damian said, "After Faye left, Grandpa's health went downhill, and his mental state was poor. He always said he dreamed of Faye, dreaming of her reaching out for help in a deep valley. Evelina started imitating Faye to make him happy."
So that was it.
Ashley looked up and finished her beer, with the tears at the corners of her eyes gradually drying in the wind. "Evelina is very considerate."
The night deepened, painting a thick ink wash overhead. The moonlight tilted, and the surrounding scenery became indistinct in the faint moonlight.
Rows of white tombstones were neatly arranged, some with fresh flowers in front and others with long-wilted bouquets.
Even the summer night wind blowing here carried the chill of lost souls, making the air feel cold.
Ashley looked ahead and glimpsed a shadow, her heart almost stopping. "Can you see something over there? By the tree, is there a shadow?"
Damian glanced over. Besides the swaying willow branches, there was nothing else, probably just her imagination. "Are you scared?"
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