Chapter 43 He Treats Fiona Badly!
Darwin's right-hand man noticed his boss's sour face and nervously called out, "Mr. Solomon."
"Beat it," Darwin said, waving him off, looking dead tired.
The guy hesitated but then skedaddled.
Darwin didn't catch a wink of sleep that night.
Before the crack of dawn, he drove to the cemetery.
He barely knew squat about Fiona's grandma.
They'd never really met.
Clueless about what to bring, he grabbed a bunch of white chrysanthemums.
"Sir, you here to pay respects to Aishah Woods?" The caretaker hustled over, looking kinda shocked to see Darwin. First time seeing him, apparently.
"Yeah," Darwin nodded. "First time here. Can you show me the way?"
"Sure thing!" The caretaker seemed pretty stoked.
Usually, it was just Fiona visiting the Woods family graves.
"Are you a student of Mr. or Mrs. Woods?" the caretaker asked as they walked.
"No," Darwin paused. "I'm a friend of Fiona's."
The caretaker turned back, eyes wide, giving Darwin the once-over.
What kind of friend showed up solo to pay respects to their friends' grandmother?
The caretaker mulled it over.
"Are you her boyfriend?" The caretaker's tone got serious. "Where were you when she was burying her grandma? Why didn't you show up?"
Darwin's face was stern, his tone full of reproach.
When had he ever been chewed out like this?
Even his grandpa never laid into him like this.
But he didn't get mad.
Darwin replied, "I had stuff to handle."
"What could be more important than life and death?" The caretaker got even more riled up. "You're Fiona's boyfriend, don't you know her story? You let her bury her grandma all by herself?"
He went on, eyes getting misty. "She was so heartbroken. It was pouring rain, and she knelt there all day. When she got up, she could barely walk. It was heartbreaking!"
Darwin felt a sharp pain in his chest. "She knelt all day, and no one helped her up?"
"She wouldn't listen!" The caretaker wiped his eyes. "I've seen her bury her mom, her grandpa, and now her grandma. She's been through hell."
Darwin felt a metallic taste in his mouth.
He couldn't shake the image of her frail figure, kneeling there, shattered and alone.
Even though the caretaker was pissed at Darwin, he still led him to the Woods family graves.
Darwin placed the flowers in front of the tombstone.
He bowed.
He didn't know what to say to Fiona's grandma.
If she knew what he had done to Fiona, she'd probably want to strangle him.
He'd taken her for granted, soaking up all her kindness without a second thought.
In the end, Darwin softly said, "I'm sorry."
He also promised to take good care of Fiona from now on, and he wouldn't let her carry the burden alone anymore.
After the memorial, the caretaker led Darwin down another path. "Our rule here is that you don't walk back the same way you came."
Darwin followed in silence.
He walked a few steps up.
Then, he suddenly stopped.
Not far away was a small shop. It was the same convenience store that appeared in Fiona's photo.
"That convenience store," the caretaker said, noticing Darwin had stopped. "When Fiona buried her mother, she was just a kid and she cried a lot. Her grandpa bought her an ice cream there to calm her down."
The caretaker let out a sigh. "Later, when she came to bury her grandpa, she was older and got it more. She bought an ice cream for her grandma to stop her from crying."
Darwin strolled over and bought two ice creams.
He handed one to the caretaker.
Darwin unwrapped his.
The cold hit him.
He took a bite. It was sweet, but it left a bitter taste in his throat.
"Did you and Fiona have a fight?" the caretaker asked. "Last time she came back all of a sudden, I thought something was up. Did you mess with her?"
"She came back? When?" Darwin asked, sounding desperate.
"Two weeks ago, can't remember the exact day." The caretaker was pretty ticked off with Darwin.
He thought Darwin, despite his good looks, didn't seem to give a damn about Fiona.
Next time Fiona came, he’d have to tell her this guy wasn’t worth it.
Darwin thought, 'Henry did say Fiona took leave to go home for something two weeks ago.'
"Alright, just follow this path down!" The caretaker, done with Darwin, said.
"Sir!" Darwin called out to the caretaker who was about to leave.
"Anything else?" the caretaker asked.
"Here's my card. If Fiona comes to visit, please contact me. I’ll make it worth your while."
The caretaker's eyes twinkled.
Had Fiona dumped him?
That would be awesome.
"Sure!" The caretaker took the card without even glancing at it and stuffed it into his pocket.
As soon as he was out of sight, he tossed it into the trash.
"Sell out Fiona? Not a chance!" the caretaker snorted.
Just as he got back to his post, a young guy who looked pretty honest ran over.
"Can I help you?" the caretaker asked.
"I wanted to ask if Carla Woods is buried here?" the guy said, pulling out a pack of smokes and offering one to the caretaker.
The caretaker looked at the guy and remembered what Fiona's grandpa had told him before he passed. "If anyone ever asks if my daughter is buried here, please don't tell them."
"I'll check for you." The caretaker pretended to head back to his office.
He fiddled with the computer aimlessly and found it odd.
What was up with today that so many people were asking about the Woods family?
He’d have to call Fiona and let her know.
"No such person here. Try somewhere else," The caretaker shouted out.
The young guy seemed bummed but politely thanked him and left.
Leaving the cemetery, he got into his car and made a phone call. "Sorry, I haven't found her yet. Don't worry, there are other leads."
He reassured the person on the other line while starting the car and driving away slowly.
The rest of the day, Darwin hit up all the spots Fiona might go.
In the old town where Fiona grew up, there was a two-story house with a small yard, and its gate locked.
The plants on the second-floor balcony were dead.
It was clear no one had lived there for a long time.
Darwin saw the cobblestone streets and the wooden stools from Fiona's photos.
He hoped like crazy that by following these clues, he’d look up and see the Fiona he missed so much.
By the end of the day, Darwin was wiped out.
He got back to the hotel and started calling Fiona again.
The phone was still unreachable.
The hotel was too quiet, making him feel on edge.
So he turned on the TV.
Coincidentally, the TV was broadcasting his engagement to Hathaway.
On the screen, she was holding his arm, the two of them standing in front of the media, the host saying they were a perfect match.
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