“All right.”
Suddenly, Calista felt a hint of sweetness rising from the depths of her heart. In terms of a mother, Wanda fulfilled all her yearnings and expectations. She was her solace in this life and the previous one.
After Calista left, Kallum returned but they missed each other. Given the vastness of Fairchild Manor, it was quite normal for such a miss to occur.
“How’s it going?” he asked Wanda.
Wanda responded, “I was just about to inquire myself. Your timing is perfect. Let’s go together and find out if Callie’s situation is serious or not…”
At that moment, Wilbur was deep in thought. Upon seeing Kallum enter, he rose to his feet, offering a courteous smile. “Mr. Kallum. Mrs. Fairchild.”
“There’s no need to be so formal, Mr. Sutton. You were chatting with Callie for quite a while. What do you think…” she asked straightforwardly as soon as she opened the door.
Upon hearing the name “Callie,” Wilbur paused briefly before he slowly responded, “Actually, there’s no need for you all to worry so much. From my observations of Ms. Stafford, although she has some psychological issues, they’re not severe.”
“Then what exactly is her problem?”
Kallum took a seat where Calista had previously sat. His close–fitting deep purple shirt accentuated his well–defined physique. Whether he was standing or sitting, he exuded an intimidating presence. At least, that was how Wilbur perceived him. Kallum seemed to be the kind of person who had a clear distinction between love and hate and was domineering and arrogant. People like that were usually not easy to approach. Wilbur couldn’t understand how he could have developed such deep feelings for Calista.
Without uttering a word, Wilbur simply played back the recorded conversation he had previously had with Calista
The reason he acted in such a way was because he wanted the Fairchilds to truly understand the kind.of life Calista had lived before.
After the recording finished playing, Wanda was already sobbing uncontrollably. The content wasn’t anything shocking, merely the process of a child telling their first lie. However, when Calista relayed it in such a calm and meticulous manner, anyone who heard it would feel their heart ache immensely.
“Before, I merely thought Yelena wasn’t a good person, but I didn’t expect her to be so cruel toward a child! Callie was still so young back then. Did she really need to humiliate a child like that over just thirty- five?”
She had reached an age when she started to appreciate beauty and desire to look attractive. Having been suppressed for so long, she naturally yearned to dress up just once. She didn’t even plan to buy that dress, merely to rent it, yet even such a simple wish went unfulfilled.
In some impoverished households, this might have been acceptable, but not in her family. They were well–off. Her sister being brutally slapped in the face with money, a deep humiliation! And it happened in front of her friend.
No wonder Callie had no friends when she was young. The careless remark from her friend before she left might have left her feeling guilty about the concept of friendship for the rest of her life.
What’s even worse, under the oppressive rule of Yelena, Callie could have potentially succumbed to a submissive nature, becoming more and more timid. She would have been terrified of Yelena to such an extent that even as she grew up, she world never dare to harbor any thoughts of rebellion. That is the true tragedy.
A glint of intense hostility flashed in Kallum’s eyes. Since Yelena had been hiding in the Langley residence, avoiding people for quite some time, he had let her be, choosing not to engage in petty disputes with a woman.
However, after he had listened to Calista’s past experiences, all his notions of not holding grudges against women flew out the window. He was determined to make this woman pay the price.
The thought of all the indignities Callie had suffered from her childhood till now filled Kallum with rage. He wished he could go back in time, knock that woman off her feet, and protect Callic. How could anyone treat the woman he cherished so poorly?
Callie must have suffered greatly at the hands of Yelena in her previous life. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have transformed so drastically upon her reincarnation. She had evolved from a sensible and patient character to the person she was now.
Upon witnessing their reactions, Wilbur immediately understood Calista’s position within the Fairchild family. For some inexplicable reason, he felt a great deal of relief.
“Mr. Kallum, Mrs. Fairchild, we can get a lot of information from Ms. Stafford’s words. Firstly, she feels guilty about lying and swindling money. Secondly, she feels remorse for involving her classmate. Thirdly, she has a clear understanding of her own predicament. To put it simply, she has a strong sense of right and wrong. Generally, people who maintain this kind of moral compass aren’t likely to have severe psychological disorders.”
Wilbur’s words brought considerable comfort to Wanda, but she posed another question. “But Callie is so different now. How would you explain her current state?”
Wilbur put away his voice recorder and replied calmly, “She seems to be exhibiting a hyper–rational personality. Often, such personalities are largely shaped by family influences, or it could possibly be due to some form of trauma experienced during childhood, causing her to become hyper–rational when it comes to emotions.
For instance, if someone were to share with her the pains of their love life, it wouldn’t stir any emotions within her no matter how much she listened. It’s difficult for her to empathize with others when it comes to matters of the heart. Moreover, her views on familial love, romantic love, and friendship are all incredibly subdued.
She can’t comprehend why relatives need to frequently visit each other. During holidays, she might prefer being alone. As for love, she loves without reservation when she’s in love. But when it comes to breakups, she can detach herself completely in a very short time. The same. goes for friendships. She won’t feel sad because of someone’s coming and going, believing that such separations are inevitable.”
“If she can recognize her own situation and not isolate herself, then her life will still be relatively normal.— However, if she can’t make an effort to integrate into society, life will be quite tough for her. But Ms. Stafford is clearly a clever woman. It will undoubtedly be a simple matter for her if she truly wishes to form a connection with someone.”
“So… based on what you’re saying, Callie’s mental issues aren’t severe? But Kallum mentioned that Callie has even shown suicidal tendencies these past few days!”
“We’ll have to ask Mr. Kallum about that,” Wilbur said. “Generally speaking, it’s extremely difficult to emotionally distress someone who is hyper–rational because they often lack empathy. Yet, the idea that Ms. Stafford was provoked to the point of contemplating suicide by some matter suggests only one possibility—that this matter is related to her. Moreover, the fact that it could elicit such a strong reaction from her, who has already become numb, indicates that this matter is definitely beyond what an ordinary person can endure. The blow it dealt is devastating. If you know anything. Mr. Kallum, it’s best if you tell me. It will be of great assistance in devising a treatment plan. Of course, I’m also very curious as to what could instigate such a suicidal desire in a hyper–rational person. It must be something truly terrifying.”
Kallum, of course, couldn’t possibly reveal the truth. He merely stated, “Your duty is to help me soothe her emotions…
He paused for a moment and furrowed his brows. “Currently, due to a certain incident, she has some misunderstandings about me. I hope when you communicate with her, you can help her unravel her if you’re feelings toward me. After all, she and I are engaged. Can you manage that? As for her secrets, capable, you can ask her yourself.”
“Helping her is my sole purpose for being here. Mr. Kallum, you can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to support her emotionally.”
Seeing that Kallum didn’t want to talk, Wilbur didn’t press him further. However, his curiosity about Calista had peaked. The fact that Calista could stay composed and hyper–rational in the face of situations unbearable for most people indicated that she had a much tougher life and was far stronger than he had initially imagined.
Given the circumstances, it seemed fitting to consider her situation as a new subject for study. After all, even though she was not one for pretenses, she was indeed an intriguing individual.
Meanwhile, Kallum was rather anxious. If Calista didn’t have any significant emotional issues and was instead very rational, fully aware of gains and losses, wouldn’t this prove that her decision regarding him wasn’t made impulsively? Then, what should he do to win her heart back?
He couldn’t come up with a solution no matter how hard he tried. By nightfall, as expected, Calista had indeed moved to another room to sleep.
Compared to yesterday, she was much calmer today. Just like before, she was always very clear about what she wanted to do, and it was unchangeable.
Given Kallum’s pride, he simply couldn’t bring himself to beg her to stay. Hence, he had no choice but to watch her move out.
On the first night without Calista, Kallum found it incredibly hard to bear. He was desperate for a solution, while on the other hand Calista started having nightmares.
It turned out that a year was indeed long enough to form such a habit.
Regardless, she had always stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, around three or four, before she could sleep. As soon as she fell asleep, nightmares began to plague her.
In her dream it was bitterly cold and the housekeeper had once again refused to help her with the laundry. This put her, a girl not yet twelve, in a difficult position. Prior to this, her grandmother had always done her laundry. Strictly speaking, apart from helping her grandmother tidy up and sweep the floor, she had never done any household chores before.
Back then, when she was new and unfamiliar with her surroundings, she was quite afraid of Yelena’s somewhat stem face. Despite her fear, she approached Yelena to complain. In her presence, Yelena summoned the housekeeper and questioned, “Why didn’t you wash Calista’s clothes?”
The housekeeper dramatically exclaimed, “Mrs, Stafford, the heater in the bathroom is broken. I’m getting on in years. Doing laundry in these conditions would be the death of me. Besides, there’s no hot water left, and it’s minus five degrees out there!”
After her performance, she sneered, “Didn’t Ms. Calista come from the mountains? Given the harsh conditions there, she should be quite adept at doing chores in this kind of weather. Why is it that even a few pieces of clothing need to be washed by others? Or is it that she’s become delicate since coming home? Mrs. Stafford, this isn’t a good habit. You shouldn’t encourage it.”
Yelena’s lips curled up into a malicious smirk. She looked down at Calista, who was holding her dirty clothes. “Rosalyn, you have a point. You’ve been with us for so long. We can’t let you do all the work. Besides, a twelve–year–old child should learn to be independent. We don’t believe in spoiling children in our household.
So, Rosalyn, why don’t you supervise Calista as she washes the clothes? We wouldn’t want her to develop a lazy habit at such a young age. And remember, the heater in the bathroom is broken. There’s no hot water, and I suspect the power might be out too. Looks like the washing machine won’t even work.”
“Ah, yes, yes, I know,” the chubby Rosalyn responded, breaking into a smile so wide that her eyes nearly disappeared. However, when she faced Calista, a fierce glint flashed within her narrowed eyes.
“Ms. Calista, please understand. Mr. Stafford doesn’t come home often, and as the eldest daughter of the house, it’s best if you behave and learn to stand on your own two feet!”
At that time, her grandmother had just died, and Calista had never seen the look on Yelena’s face before. Her malice was so glaringly obvious that it made Calista clutch her clothes tightly while trembling.
In a state of confusion, she was hauled into the bathroom. Faced with a basin of cold water, she recoiled, refusing to move. Her hands were already frostbitten and swollen significantly. She had just applied some medicine. If she dipped her hands in cold water again, she would end up losing her fingers.
However, in the end, the housekeeper forced her hand into the water.
“Wash them! If you don’t wash your dirty clothes properly, you’re not leaving the bathroom today!”
open. The After she spat out her harsh words, she turned off the heater and flung the windows wide temperature plummeted to minus five degrees. Meanwhile, she stood behind the door, watching her through the window. They were separated by a mere door, yet one was as warm as spring while the other was trapped in the biting cold of winter.
“She really thinks she’s here to live the high life and doesn’t even bother to check her own worth. She even expects me to wash her clothes. How ridiculous!”
From behind the door, the faintly discernible voice of Rosalyn echoed. “You’re nothing but an unwanted illegitimate child, yet you dare to act like a prominent young lady? Under Mrs. Stafford’s rule, your life and death are in her hands! You better behave yourself!‘
Calista was crouched in front of the massive water basin, her hand already withdrawn, but still a bright, frostbitten red. She felt scared, yet also a sense of indignation and unwillingness.
Her hands trembled incessantly as if touching water was akin to surrendering to fate.
Her tears fell one by one into the water brimming with bubbles. She finally understood her place in this family. Without the presence of the two kind elders, she could only rely on herself.
With these thoughts in mind, Calista took a deep breath and abruptly plunged her hands into the water, beginning to wash the clothes.
Once she understood, she was perfectly aware that disobedience would lead directly to her being cold and hungry. If Benedict didn’t return home that night, she might suffer terribly with no one to turn to for justice. She had to wait for Benedict’s return and report their wrongdoing.
Filled with humiliation, she vigorously scrubbed the clothes. The housekeepers watched from behind, surprised that she didn’t resist and just got on with the task. They snickered, calling her spineless and saying she was born without any luck for wealth and prosperity. They even went as far as to mock her for being content with her lowly status.
And so, she scrubbed with all her might, gritting her teeth to hold back the tears. In a moment of carelessness, the fingernail of her right hand grazed a frostbitten spot on her left thumb, causing thick blood to seep out. The blood mingled with the soapy water, and even though it should have hurt, she felt nothing. Her fingers had already succumbed to numbness from the cold.
Unable to hold back any longer, she burst into tears. Yet even amid her sobbing, she continued to do the laundry. She wanted to finishy quickly and return to her room. She never knew before how much she could darned doing laundry.
She returned to her room in silence and treated her own wounds. Her hands trembled as she put on gloves. Her body was chilled to the bone. Clutching her blanket, she wept until she gradually fell asleep.
In the evening. Benedict returned home. Upon seeing her own hands, battered and bruised, Calista immediately rose to her feet. She was determined to lodge a complaint, to show Benedict what Yelena had done to her hands. But as she was on the staircase, she heard her stepmother speak.
“What should I do, Benedict… I think Callie really dislikes me, and she hates this home. She doesn’t even want the housekeepers to touch her clothes, insisting on washing them herself. Now her hands are injured. I tried to give her medicine, but she threw it away. Her hands must be terribly hurt. I just don’t know what she’s trying to do…”
Benedict was taken aback, “What? She hurt her hands? Don’t feel guilty. Mom and Dad are gone and Callie has become much more reserved. Take good care of her. With time, she will understand your intentions.”
Suddenly, she realized. that even if she went and complained, Yelena could easily claim that she had intentionally injured her fingers to frame her, simply out of dislike for her.
On the staircase, Calista looked at her fingers bleeding even through her gloves,
Yelena had been living with Benedict for over a decade, whereas Calista had only been here a few days. It was pretty clear who Benedict would believe.
However, she didn’t hold any resentment toward Benedict. According to her grandmother’s teachings, Benedict was a man of limited talent, but he worked tirelessly for his family. All she could do was silently endure, for speaking out would only result in Benedict’s disappointment due to her lies.
Later, when she returned to her room and peeled off her gloves, a piece of skin came off with them. Did it hurt? Truly, it didn’t. Her fingers felt as if they had lost all sensation. The flesh was mangled and it looked terrifying.
And so, when she later noticed her right hand beginning to fester, particularly at the joints of her thumb and index finger, to the point where the bone was visible, she was terrified into tears again. She applied medicine and cried, and spent her nights trembling, cradling her hands as she slept. Her medical skills were crucial; she couldn’t afford to lose the use of her hands.
Perhaps it was due to the strong recuperative abilities of children that she had grown up now, and the place on her fingers, which was once so severely injured that the bone was visible, bore no scar at all. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
Did it really never happen? The scar wasn’t on the hand, but deep within the heart. A mere glimpse revealed a raw, festering wound, seemingly incapable of ever healing.
“Callie! Callie!”
When Calista was awoken, the dense darkness before her eyes gradually dissipated. It felt as though she had been abruptly pulled from a quagmire. The lingering fear from her dream was still etched in her heart.