Chapter 5 Her Home From Now Onward

“Mom, he’s a nice guy and also the one who sent someone to get you out of there.” Celeste kept the marriage certificate away. “Don’t worry about me for now and just focus on taking care of Tyler. I’m already an adult.” “Celeste…” Rochelle felt a well of complicated emotions in her heart as she held Celeste’s hand. Soon, tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out, “I’m sorry. You’re suffering because of us.” “We’ve had good times together, so don’t blame yourself for the bad times now. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you during your retirement. As long as I have food on my table, then you and Tyler will have food, too!” the kind-hearted girl promised. Although Rochelle felt comforted, she also felt a twinge of tightness in her chest, and she hugged her adopted daughter tightly. A few minutes later, Celeste comforted her and popped open a huge suitcase to start packing her stuff. “Are you sure you’re moving in with this Mr. Meister?” “Yeah,” Her movements were swift and her tone casual. “We have to live together after getting married, right? He’s really nice to me and his grandfather adores me, too.” “Celeste!” Worry washed over the middle-aged woman’s face. “Is that man really reliable? How is his situation? Does he have any bad habits? You’ll have to make sure to put yourself first instead of jumping headfirst without looking!” “I think I can leave the rest of my life in his hands just based on the fact that he has saved us from a dreadful fate today.” Then, she unceremoniously tossed all her clothes into the luggage, squished them together, and forcefully pulled the zipper close, making up her mind to depend on Julian. She kept her tone relaxed and jovial so that Rochelle wouldn’t worry and even put on a blissful smile. In turn, Rochelle reckoned that Celeste would be better off with this man than staying in her family. “Mom, don’t let Philip get to you, and take good care of Tyler. I’ve paid the rent for a year and will transfer the living expenses to you on time every month.” “Celeste, promise me that you’ll be happy.” This was Rochelle’s only wish now. “Okay, Mom. I’m going now!” Celeste dragged the luggage and was just about to leave when one of the wheels fell off with a clang. Rochelle hurriedly suggested, “Why don’t you use another piece of luggage? This one is clearly broken.” “It’s okay, I can carry it. Save the good luggage for yourself, okay?” Celeste feared that she was running out of time, so she picked up the luggage and headed out. Before she finally flounced out, she spun her head around and reminded her mother, “Take care of yourselves! I’m leaving now!” Rochelle supported herself against the door frame wearily and could only watch as Celeste left. As she stared at her adoptive daughter’s silhouette, she felt a sting on her nose when she recalled Celeste’s promise earlier that she would care for her now that she was retired, which filled her with immense guilt. She had found Celeste who was separated from her parents years ago. When she saw the helpless little girl in her arms, she took the child as her own. They lived a peaceful life for a time in the kindergarten. It was during those six months that she blindly got married to Philip before actually knowing what kind of person he really was. As a result, Celeste ended up suffering for her foolish decision. Meanwhile, Celeste was doing no better as she stared blankly at the scenery outside the window that was occasionally interrupted by passing cars. Throughout the journey, she held onto the key and access card Julian gave her, feeling a little lost about her future. This man had a cold temperament, which was only heightened by his elegance and clear indifference in his every action. Even if she regarded him as nothing more than a regular companion, she had a feeling that she was playing with fire, and she had to always be on her toes. Otherwise, the consequences of offending him would be far too dire for her to shoulder. As the cab wasn’t allowed to drive into the high-end neighborhood, it stopped in front of the gated entrance and Celeste had to hop off carrying her broken luggage instead of pulling it on its wheels. Her simplicity and messy appearance were a direct contrast to the classy environment here, but she was unbothered as she took care to look at the bright side of things. It took her a lot of effort to carry the luggage into the lift and she was out of breath from exhaustion by the time she got there. Fortunately, she had always been independent and could be trusted to take care of herself. Shortly after, she stepped out of the lift and into the 28th floor. After a brief search and following the signs, she finally came to a stop in front of unit number 2801 and opened the door with a key. That’s it. This is the place, she confirmed, checking out the spacious duplex apartment. The upper and lower floors were probably about 3,200 square feet, and she estimated that this place was worth more than 700,000. The entire space was designed in shades of black, white, and gray, giving the place a minimalistic and stylish air. It was a popular design with young people nowadays, so she wasn’t all that surprised. Regardless, after an impromptu tour of her own, she felt that it was void of life—quiet and cold. In addition, she couldn’t replace any traces of him living here; there was no seasoning in the kitchen, and neither were there any cooking ingredients. When she checked the fridge, she was thoroughly unimpressed to replace that it was also empty. If it weren’t for the fact that the key had opened the door to this unit, she would probably be harboring some doubts as to whether she had walked into a showhouse. But since this is my home for the time being, it should look like a proper one. So, she firmly shut the fridge, picked up the key on the counter, and left the place.