Estre nced at him, the difort of her monthly visitor painting her mood in shades of grey. “Aunt
Flo’s in town, not exactly feeling chipper.”
Jason couldn’t help but chuckle. “Hang in there, and it’ll pass in a few days. I’ll make it up to you, with
interest.”
His nonchnt demeanor hung in the air as Estre simply watched him, words
unspoken. Their eyes locked for a moment before Estre, half-squinting, probed, “Jason, is there
something you’re keeping from me?”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, he stared at her for a long while before standing up to unfasten his tie
and hang his jacket on the coat rack, asking, “What exactly are you referring to?”
Secrets and undisclosed truths were woven into the fabric of their rtionship.
At his response, Estre fell silent. What more could she pry from him if he’d alreadyid his cards on
the table? It was better to dig up the dirt herself.
Jason turned to find Estre turned away, silent. “Not hungry?” he asked.
With the back of her head to him, she replied, “No appetite.”
Truth be told, it was her spirits that were low. She thought she might’ve been pregnant, but a test
dashed that hope, leaving her feeling as though she’d slept through the past days for naught.
Seeing her weighed down with thoughts, Jason didn’t tease her further. He changed clothes and
retreated to the adjacent study.
As they prepared for bed, Estre’s mood had not lifted. She was lukewarm in his embrace, a far cry
from her usual fervor.
Days passed in this manner until Estre’s cycle ended, and Jason’s touch reignited a spark within her.
She even indulged him in trying something new. A couple of hourster, theyy in bed, spent.
Jason offered to fetch water to clean her up, but Estre bolted upright. “I feel sticky all over. I need a
shower.”
As she rose, Jason followed suit, but before he could speak, Estre cut him off. “Don’t even think
about joining me. Don’t push your luck.” With that, she dashed to the bathroom and locked the door
behind her,
In the bathroom, Estre secured a sample in a box before stepping under the soothing cascade of the
shower.
After her shower, she returned to bed, where Jason pulled her close. This time, she didn’t
09:15
resist and soon drifted to sleep in his arms.
The next morning, after Jason dropped her at thew firm, Estre took a brief leave to visit the
hospital. The matter that kept her up at night needed resolving. She sought to clear the fog that
clouded her mind.
Later that afternoon, after apanying Logan to meet a client, she returned to the office. A colleague
called out, “Ms. Estre, there’s a client in the lounge insisting on seeing you.”
“I’ll check it out,” she replied, striding in her sleek gray suit and heels.
Carrying two cups of coffee, Estre pushed the door open to find a familiar face rising from the couch.
“Estre,” the woman greeted.
Estre’s steps halted as she heard her name. She turned to face the voice, finding it vaguely familiar
yet unable to ce its origins.
Upon noticing the confusion on Estre’s face, the girl rified. “Estre, I’m Zoey. We’ went to high
school together, remember?.”
“Zoey,” Estre suddenly connected the dots. “I knew there was something familiar about you. I just
didn’t recognize you right away. It’s been years since west met.” With a friendly chuckle, she came
closer, extending a cup of coffee towards the young woman. Zoey had always been bookish, a
bespectacled girl with unassuming single eyelids, leaving a fond impression on Estre.
Zoey took the coffee from Estre, smiled, and exined, “I had LASIK eye surgery, hence the change
in appearance.”
Estre settled down on a nearby couch, casually inquiring, “Are you here for legal consultation, or do
you need to initiate awsuit?”
Cradling her coffee with both hands, Zoey fixed a solemn gaze on Estre. “I have a ca that I want you
to represent me on.”
With a nod, Estre flicked on her digital voice recorder and opened her notebook. “Go on, she urged.
“Lexi, my older sister, married Nick two years ago. She’s a middle school English teacher and he’s a
P.E. teacher at the same school. Despite being married for over two years, they’ve not had any
children.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.
“Our families are quite average – my parents are ountants for somepany, and my brother-in-
law’s father has a regr job, while his mother is a homemaker.
“A fortnight ago, Lexi fell from her third-storey balcony. She was lucky;nded in a flower bed of the
greenery below, saving her life. Still, she’s been in aa since.
“My mother and I noticed these bruises on her while we were at the hospital. Lexi has always been one
to suffer in silence, which leads us to suspect that she might’ve suffered
09.15
domestic abuse.
“But Lexi’s inws insist they’ve neverid hands on her, attributing her bruises to the fall. Yet, those
welts were clearly old, not recent.
“They im that Lexi jumped following an argument. But Lexi would not just take her own life. It’s just
not her.
“They have connections,” Zoey continued, fighting back her tears. “The localmunitymittee and
the police station have inspected the situation. Lexi never told anyone in our family about the alleged
abuse, nor did the neighbors notice any such instances. They say we’re being overly sensitive and
everyone’s just looking the other way.”
Tears welled up in Zoey’s eyes as shepleted recounting the events. Gulping down her emotions,
she managed to croak out a fervent plea, “Estre, we n to sue my brother-inw. We believe he
abused Lexi, leading to her subsequent fall.”
“Estre, I’m certain Lexi wouldn’t take her life. If not for her sake, she would’ve considered our
parents. She wouldn’t force them to bury their own child.”
Zoey lost her battle with her tears as she finished her plea. Her recounting of Lexi’s abuse and her
current condition could barely stem the flow of emotion overwhelming her.