That night, Crystal locked her room and witnessed the rain pouring down the windows. Her room was still the same, a little dusty but it didn't matter to her, she wasn't to spend the night there.
She looked around and removed the linen from her bed. She spread her untidy clothes and slipped into a different clean attire.
Daniel, I know you love me, I love you too. But I have to do this. For me, for Dad, and for the satisfaction of everyone. If I don't do this now, I will be married off to a man, after our conversation, I am not sure I love. What happened tonight had struck some chords in me. Saying, I still love Mom would be a lie, would I still protect her? At all costs.
I expect you to do the same. Last time, when I went, I didn't want anyone to find me, but this time I would give you the liberty to find me, and when you do, don't tell anyone.
Love,
Crystal
#
It was two in the morning. Max noticed the lights of every room were dim, he went out downstairs to a room brightly lit.
"There you are, so perfectly happy. You should be an established actress and not some mid-sixties mom. Honestly, you pulled that out effortlessly." Max told Rebecca, who laughed lightly in response.
"But seriously what was that about?"
" Your father detailed to me the plan, about how to execute it was up to me. So I did, the earliest way possible to get rid of her. " Rebecca explained to him the drill.
"Yes Mom, but we would have to stay together for long, she had to say the love word, and you know I mean…"
"Ohh Sweetie, where is that coming from?" Rebecca asked, puzzled. Then pouted as if recalling something.
"It is about Chloe, isn't it?" Rebecca asked.
Max nodded. "Yes, she is giving me a hard time. She is already jealous to see us close and now this entire thing you told her about marriage shenanigans".
"Yes, yes yes that I did. But I understand, she must be pissed, tell her to wait, just the inheritance, just once." Rebecca laughed louder.
"It was always the plan Max, sweetie you know how things can be if she declines. I always thought your father was crazy for choosing her, I mean she is a headstrong donkey. Too stubborn and let's not forget that we are too fat to fit in an elite society like ours. It was that, until this morning he told me about the golden goose she is. That was the last conversation we had and then…" Max shushed Rebecca and walked towards the door and before he could open it, Crystal pushed it open.
"Crystal?" Max said, flabbergasted. The expression on their faces was blank. She looked up at him.
"Hi Max, I did expect to find you here." Crystal smiled her most brilliant smile. "Or should I call you dear husband? Come here, I want to show you something." Crystal balled the paper in her hand and kept it in her pocket.
"What are you doing here?" Max asked, a little agitated.
"Oh, I came to fill my bottle, then to visit Mom, but in the meantime, I was looking at the picture of Dad and found you here. Please come." Crystal smiled.
Crystal held his hand, "Good night Mom. I am grateful, I can at least marry a son-in-law you enjoy being around. Please sleep well." With that, she walked him to the basement.
"This has been my hideout you know?" She told him.
Max tried to contemplate what was happening or if Crystal heard anything, but with her expression that didn't seem to be the case.
"Oh, so this is where you disappeared, every time you were angry and no one found you." Max smiled. Crystal nodded.
"I always wanted to be a writer, like Dany wanted to be a painter and Shasha wanted to be a designer. But we lived up to our parents' wishes and see where we are…" she scoffed. Then she looked up at the sad expression on Max's face.
"At least, I get to marry the man of my dreams, unlike my siblings." She smiled and Max reached out to hold her waist.
"You are happy, babe?" He asked, cupping her face close and tracing her jaw lines.
Crystal closed her eyes and stood on her heels to kiss Max. He returned the kiss with the same passion. Tears welled up in Crystal's eyes as she distanced herself. "I am sorry about what I said at the dining table," Crystal replied.
"Oh, no sweat about it, I know you're sad," Max replied, studying her face. He felt a little sad about what they'd become and then recalled all the sacrifices his parents had made and kissed Crystal's forehead.
"It's time you should sleep, or should I carry my princess?" Max asked.
"Oh, we should wait till we tie the knots. Once that is over, you can pick me up if you." Crystal grinned.
Max yawned slightly. " Let's head upstairs."
"You walk ahead, I'll be up in a minute," Crystal assured him. Once he turned around to depart Crystal smiled. She reached out to her pocket and placed the paper in a large container full of paints dried over time.
#
Caleb's Villa was some hundred meters away from Norino High. Soon after the rain slowed down, Crystal ran away for the second time from her house and booked a taxi to Norino High. It was early morning by the time she reached.
She was almost at the entrace when she looked at the villa for the first time. Written in bold at the entrance, "The Fitzgerald Residence." A guard was half drowsy sitting on the inside of the door, in the shed.
The rain has stopped and the weather was pleasant. She felt it was wrong to wake up a sleeping man, hence she sat at the entrance and waited for the man to wake up.
"What are you doing here?" a thick voice of a man called out from behind.
Caleb looked at Crystal sitting at the entrance, not entering in, she was shivering and her hair looked mild wet.
"Caleb, Oh Hi." Crystal sucked in air through her teeth, trying to speak.
"Were you planning on eloping already?" Caleb asked.
Crystal yawned and looked up with a blank face, "Come on I just eloped a second marriage for -" Before she could complete, she wobbled.
Caleb held her, not letting her fall, looking at his peaceful, pale face. He looked at the entrance biometric and the self mechanics of the door worked. He picked her up and entered.
He walked along the garden on his way to the Villa. His parents were drinking their morning tea in the garden when her mother dropped her cup. Lucas looked at his wife, "Are you okay, Cassandra?" He asked, concerned, "You are shaky these days, we should get you tested.".
"I am, I am, but turn around and you'd be the one shaking like a snowman under the Sun."
"Come ooooon…" Lucas squinted at Caleb walking with a woman in his hands.
The Garden noticed the fallen cups and came running with the water sprinkler in his hand.
"Sir I hope you are aaaaul-" The Gardener dropped his sprinkler and splashed water at Cassandra.
"Oh, come Jacob you don't have to complete the theatrics," Cassandra remarked and they laughed sadly.
"Yes ma'am I think, it might as well be a robot covered in human flesh," Jacob smirked.
"We hope not," Lucas remarked. "With Edward and Shasha gone, I was almost worried, our family would never be happy again."
"Well, that wouldn't be the case, clearly." Lucas said and turned around. He continued to walk, hugging the waist of his wife, dotingly.
"Or it can be," Caleb replied from behind, "Listen you both, she is Crystal… Shasha's sister-"
"No wonder, she looked familiar, right honey?" Cassandra tried covering up for their gossip.
"What you saw, wasn't anything you cooked in your brains so far. Next time you talk about two people, at least be discreet. She is just a help I need to find Edward's culprit and so be it, stay away from her."
"Aye, Aye Captain" Lucas replied to which Caleb snorted, and left stomping his foot on the wet ground and irked.
"Well at least she is not a robot, that's a good start." they laughed.