Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Linda? What Happened to Her?
Translator: Inschain Editor: Inschain
“Linda? What happened to her?”
A fleeting suspicion crossed Jacks mind, thinking that perhaps Elizabeth was trving to sow discord. But he auicklv dismissed the idea.
“She’s thinking of running away from home. It’s not a good idea; Dad and Mom would be worried. You, as her brother, should talk to her about it.”
Elizabeth recalled the day of the ing-of-age ceremony when Linda had expressed her intention to move out after graduating from senior high school.
Regardless of whether Linda truly intended to, once she had voiced it, her family needed to be informed and take it seriously.
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“I am also your brother.” Jack was puzzled by what Elizabeth had just said. With an indifferent and elegant face, Elizabeth simply responded, “Oh.”
Suddenly feeling a pang of distress, Jack thought to himself, “There will be days ahead. I don’t believe she won’t call me anymore.”
“When did Linda say she wanted to run away?” Jack returned to the main point.
He couldn’t believe that Linda would harbor such thoughts.
“On the day of the ing-of-age ceremony, many people heard her, ” Elizabeth replied.
Jack’s expression showed astonishment, his voice carrying a hint of sternness, “Are you sure you’re not lying to me?”
Elizabeth, not fond of being doubted – and having felt this suspicion from Jack more than once — replied in an indifferent tone, “It seems you’ve never truly believed me.”
Her straightforwardness made situations awkward at times.
Jack fell silent, looking at Elizabeth.
She sat there, appearing languid and devoid of energy, yet her eyes were sincere, not hinting at any falsehood.
Suddenly, Jack remembered that he had intended to apologize to Elizabeth upon his return.
Why had their conversation turned confrontational instead?
He felt a heavy weight on his heart.
“Elizabeth.”
He moved closer.
Instinctively, Elizabeth retreated, her eyebrows knitting in clear disfort.
It was then that Jack realized their relationship had always been somewhat distant.
“I do trust you, but I can’t just take your word for everything.”
Elizabeth’s aloofness often left Jack at a loss as to how to relate to her.
Moreover, he had been unhappy with her behavior since her return, especially her obsession with video games and her lackadaisical attitude toward studying.
But Elizabeth’s response was indifferent.
“I’ve said what I needed to say. You can leave now.”
She turned to face her puter, leaving Jack standing alone.
Silently watching her back, Jack sensed she wasn’t in the mood for further conversation.
He took a deep breath and left the room.
Driving to his office, Jack’s thoughts raced, unable to find calm.
His attempt to apologize had only added another layer of misunderstanding.
Recalling what Elizabeth had said, he parked his car by the roadside and dialed Lily’s number.
As soon as she answered, Jack inquired, “Tell me, did Linda ever mention wanting to leave home?”
Caught off-guard by the question, Lily responded in surprise, “Jack, how did you know?”
Jack’s fingers tapped the steering wheel, his voice grave, “When did she start thinking about this?”
“I only found out on the day of her ing-of-age ceremony. She said she wanted to move out after high school. I don’t know what got into her.” “Jack, you can’t play favorites just because Elizabeth is back.”
While Lily was wary of Jack, she still felt the need to defend her best friend.
“Did she say those words in front of Elizabeth?”
Lily replied without much thought, “Yes. If Elizabeth didn’t dislike her, Linda wouldn’t have thought of moving.”
Jack’s tone grew even more serious, “How do you know Elizabeth dislikes Linda?”
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