Chapter 2. Unexpected Accident

I walk on the street, remembering the sweet days with Baldric. Baldric Herrington is the perfect boyfriend I can imagine, at least he used to be.

Baldric Herrington is the only son of the Herrington family, one of the large and noble families that owns many media companies.

Not only does he have a great family background, but he also has an extremely attractive appearance. Baldric is tall and bright, though he has a rather bad guy vibe.

However, all of the above reasons do not make me love Baldric. What really made me determined to be with him for over 2 years was the way he treated me. He is attentive, gentle, and often takes care of me. It was his meticulousness and sweetness that made me fall in love with him. He was my first love, and I thought he would be the last.

However, when I fell in love, I gradually felt that something was not right.

Baldric gradually grew cold towards me. He no longer cares and asks me as often as before.

At first, I assumed it was because I was too bland and unattractive to make him interested in me anymore. I was blind in love and obstinately with him, forgiving this man’s carelessness and excessive arrogance.

In fact, I’ve known for a long time that Baldric Herrington wasn’t as nice and perfect as my first impression of him, the man being my first love anyway. I don’t want my first love to become a piece of trash.

My thoughts are chaotic, my footsteps are no longer under my control. I walked aimlessly, until a flash of light accompanied by the loud honking of a car horn startled me.

A car suddenly braked and stopped in front of me.

In utter panic, I slumped to the ground, eyes wide and looking at the car. I couldn’t even scream as the sound was caught in my throat.

Passersby all stopped and looked at me like crazy. They whispered about me and shook their heads.

At this point, I realized that I had unconsciously crossed the street without even looking. I almost lost my life if the other car didn’t stop in time. Even so, I still have a sprained ankle.

The driver was an elderly man, he got out of the car and helped me up.

“Little girl, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No… no, I’m fine. I’m really sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

I frantically brushed the dirt off my clothes. My current appearance is sloppy, I guess. In a moment of inadvertently looking through the window of a car, I saw a man sitting inside. He was wearing a vest, his figure seemed to be quite large and muscular. I couldn’t see his face clearly, but I could feel his eyes flicker on me.

A cold and scary look.

I shivered involuntarily, the only thought in my mind was to stay away from that man.

I hurriedly grabbed my bag, said goodbye to the driver’s uncle and left immediately. I hobbled step by step, my posture looked funny, but I didn’t mind.

The car then also left, at this point, I had the courage to turn my head to look at that car.

“Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition?” I mumbled.

It was an expensive car, and its owner must have been a man of great nobility and wealth. I consider myself lucky that the man in the suit in the luxury car didn’t get mad at me.

It was a really bad day, and my mood was worse because of that.

My ankles hurt and aches made it difficult for me to walk. I took a taxi and went to the nearest hospital.

For a ballet dancer, the maintenance and care of the feet, especially the ankle and instep bones, is the most important thing. If any minor trauma occurs and leaves a legacy, a ballet dancer can lose their career forever. And I don’t want that to happen at all.

After carefully dressing, I received a phone call from someone I didn’t expect.

“Hello?”

“Esther, return to Joan’s mansion immediately.” The man’s angry commanding voice resounded.

“What is going on?”

“Joan’s great-grandfather is dead.”

***

Thirty minutes later…

It’s been almost ten years since I last visited Joan’s mansion. At that time, I still clearly remember the feeling of excitement and fun when coming here. I gave Joan’s mansion a name: Fairytale Castle.

Currently, that feeling no longer lingers in me at all, even though Joan’s mansion is still as magnificent and luxurious as before.

A maid helped me change my shoes and led me into my great-grandfather Joan’s bedroom. I glanced at the shiny shoes lined up, then back at my old sneakers lined up aside. Of course, the gap between the rich and the poor is so obvious, no matter how many times I wash my old shoes, it can’t be compared with branded leather shoes.

Leaving aside my wandering thoughts, I quickly entered my great-grandfather Joan’s room.

Most of the key members of the Joan family were present here. My father, who had just called me, was sitting beside the bed. My father’s second wife, Ernesta, was staring at me. From her unfriendly look, I knew she must be upset about something, which most likely concerns me.

My father’s sister, Aunt Juliet Joan, stood beside her husband, Sir Michael. The couple seemed quiet, Aunt Juliet’s eyes were red and her face was sad and mournful. She didn’t look at me, maybe she didn’t pay much attention to my appearance.

The children and grandchildren of the Joan family were all sitting in the living room, except for me, because my father, Mr. Curtis himself, had called me in.

Great-grandfather Joan was in bed, the ventilator was still on, but the heart rate monitor had stopped. Joan’s great-grandfather has passed away at the age of 112, which is sad news but not too surprising.

Great-grandfather Joan was a brilliant man, but he didn’t really have a happy life. He built a powerful and prosperous financial group, he made other families of the upper class respect him. His health was also very good, as evidenced by the fact that he lived a life free of disease and illness.

Unfortunately, he had to watch his only son, also my grandfather, Sir Hubert, die.

Seeing my great-grandfather Joan rest in peace, I couldn’t help but burst into tears. I wiped my tears and approached the bed, but Mrs. Ernesta would not allow me to do so.

“What an insolent and uneducated daughter! Who allowed you to go near great-grandfather Joan without the permission of the elders?” Mrs. Ernesta said in a smug voice. Her fierce attitude did not match the graceful figure in her expensive chiffon dress.

I lowered my head, mumbled my apologies, and stepped back.