CHAPTER 78: FIND HILLA’S PRESENCE EVERYWHERE IN THE ROOM

Hilla’s body rocked from side to side with the bus heading to the countryside.

The landscape rolled past. When looking out of the window, Hilla was a little absent-minded.

Halle glanced at the two little dogs in her arms and smiled, "Why did you take them out?"

Cookie and Candy had been a trifle too heavy. After holding them for a long time, Hilla felt that her arms had gone numb.

Looking down at the two sleeping dogs, Hilla pouted, "I took them to the Anderson’s, so I regard them as my sons. What if the Andersons didn’t take good care of them or what if they disliked them after I leave?"

Hilla’s voice was small and plaintive, but Halle had heard it. Halle then smiled and tried to hold Candy.

"Halle, be careful. Candy is very heavy. Let me hold him."

"I’m fine. I’m not so delicate now, and they are really cute. They must have had a good time in the Anderson’s."

Judging from the fur of Cookie and Candy, Halle could tell that the Andersons had taken good care of Hilla’s two dogs, let alone Hilla.

However, for the feelings between man and woman, only those closely involved knew this clearly. As long as Hilla was happy, Halle would not compel Hilla to do anything.

The mere mention of the word "Anderson" could break Hilla’s heart. If this continued, she would suspect that she was about to have a heart attack.

"No matter how happy Cookie and Candy were in the Anderson’s, the Anderson’s is not their home. They are my children, so they will be with me wherever I go."

Hilla said huffily, while Halle felt both distressed and amused.

"I knew you are angry. Cookie and Candy will have a rough time in the countryside with us, but it sounded like the Andersons have put Cookie, Candy, and you in an embarrassing position."

"No, only me, okay?"

Halle pursed her lips, "Don’t you regard them as your sons? So they share the bad with you."

Perhaps Halle and Hilla wouldn’t have to live so hard with the company of Cookie and Candy in the future!

Because Halle, Cookie, and Candy were accompanying her, Hilla was not too lonely and could relieve the boredom of the long trip.

Whenever Hilla thought of the Andersons and Bruce, she would feel a little sad.

When the bus arrived, Hilla hesitated, "Halle, I’m sorry. I wanted to spend the holidays with you in the Anderson’s, but I didn’t expect..."

Not only did she follow Halle home, but she also became an encumbrance to Halle.

Halle had to worry about her. What was more, Halle was having a baby. Therefore, Hilla felt more upset and thought that she had to perk up as soon as possible so that she could help Halle set up the factory!

"It’s fine. Besides, isn’t it better for us to spend the holidays together? Only us, just like before."

"Halle, let’s make some time to visit our parents!"

There used to be four people in the Holt’s, but it had changed now.

Halle nodded and smiled, "OK, let’s visit them after we clear away!"

The air in the countryside was even colder and damper, especially in winter. Although there was a heater in the house, it was much draftier compared to the warm Anderson’s.

Halle stoked up the fire in the stove expertly. Hilla sat on the bed that also gradually heated up, while Cookie and Candy curled up beside Hilla’s legs, occasionally making a soft sound.

"Halle, you are amazing because you can even stoke up the fire. I have only seen it on TV before."

Halle smiled as she dug out two freshly roasted sweet potatoes, threw them onto the plates, and then quickly climbed into bed.

Halle and Hilla stretched their legs into a quilt. Although the small farmhouse was not as gorgeous as the big house in which they lived when they were young, Hilla felt much better.

Especially when Hilla looked at the sweet potatoes and smelt their wonderful aroma, Hilla’s eyes lit up, "Roasted sweet potato! Halle, you are too amazing."

"When one is cornered, she can do anything."

Halle had never thought she, which could only write and draw before, would chop wood and stoke up the fire one day.

Halle used to be proud and noble because she was a socialite in the River City and the firstborn of the Holt’s. Therefore, her child was glittering and she was like a fairy that was so out of touch.

She always thought that she could continue being a fairy after she got married, but she never thought that the reality was so tough.

"Halle, have you suffered a lot?"

Halle was stunned. Noticing how distressed Hilla was, she felt sad.

Halle did feel miserable at first. When she gashed her fingers while chopping the

wood, she also felt aggrieved and then cried furtively.

And when she was dispirited, she was blasted at the bar. But after she sobered up, she still had to face up the decline of the Holt family and the fact that she had been kicked out by the Tysons.

"God is fair. We have been in a happy family for so long, and we have also been pampered since we were young. But we need to make ourselves better from now on."

"Make ourselves better? Halle, your words make sense."

Hilla laughed. And then she broke the sweet potato in two and gave Cookie and Candy half.

Hilla thought that she would become better in the future and she and Halle would work hard together to make the Holt family better.

"Halle, I won’t go back to the Anderson’s but set up a factory here with you."

Unlike the city which was ablaze with lights, one could be at peace with herself in the countryside.

When looking out of the window at the dark sky on this quiet night, Hilla suddenly felt it was very beautiful and it was good to continue living here.

"It’s good for you to stay here with me. Tomorrow is the last market day before Christmas. Let’s go there together. And you can buy whatever you want."

"Really? OK, I’ll go with you tomorrow."

Hilla lay on the hard bed, leaned against Halle’s shoulder, and suddenly said, "Halle, can I return to the Anderson’s?"

After only one night, Hilla started to miss Bruce!

...

In the quiet night, the night wind in the countryside seemed to be particularly cold, but Hilla had an unprecedented sense of serenity.

Hilla began to understand why Halle decided to set up a factory here.

It was quite picturesque, so it was the best place to make clothes.

The sky was dark without stars, and the surrounding area was illuminated by the lights of the farmyards.

Through the window, Hilla could see that the pond not far away was covered with a sheet of sparkling ice.

She had never stayed in this place, so everything was really foreign to her.

She had to fetch water in a bucket from the well in the courtyard and then put the bucket in the house. And she had to pick vegetables in the field. If she wanted to eat something delicious, she would have to wait for the market day. There was the fair once a week, which was different from that in the city because there were no malls or exquisite and expensive merchandise.

She did not reject this place at all perhaps because Halle was here or because she had nowhere to go!

In the East Courtyard of the Anderson’s.

Orlenna was anxiously walking around in the living room. When she heard the sound of a car, she rushed out.

The moment Bruce entered, she was stunned, "Bruce, do your legs..."

Orlenna didn’t know when Bruce’s legs recovered and when he could walk, so she was floored when she saw him.

Bruce ignored her question and said in a deep voice, "Where’s Hilla?"

Orlenna recovered from the shock, hurriedly took out the letter she found in the room, and said anxiously, "Hilla left with Halle. It’s all my fault. My attitude must have devastated her. She is not pregnant now, but she will be in the future. I should not have been angry."

Orlenna was so anxious that she didn’t know what to do.

Bruce took the piece of paper, glanced over the letter, turned around, and then went upstairs. Noticing this, Orlenna followed him.

The room was bare and empty. No one else had touched the furnishings here, so the room was neat and clean. However, Bruce was disappointed in an instant.

"Hilla said that she is going to stay in the countryside with Halle for a few days. And she told us not to look for her or worry about her, but she didn’t say when she will come back. It’s almost Christmas, and we have agreed to pick up Halle to celebrate

the holidays at home together."

This year was supposed to be the happiest year ever for Orlenna because Bruce woke up, got better, and even married Hilla. Although they didn’t keep the "baby", the whole family could get together.

Orlenna was content and happy, but she didn’t expect that they wouldn’t have a family reunion.

When one got older, they would be more particular about these festivals. Therefore, if one couldn’t have a family reunion at the this time of a year, they would feel it was hard for them to gather together on the whole of that year.

"Hilla left without taking anything, including the cards and keys that you gave to her. She also took out this box, but it should have been untouched."

Orlenna found that Hilla didn’t take those clothes the Andersons had bought for her other than the clothes that Hilla had brought over here.

Orlenna felt flustered because she was afraid that this signaled that Hilla might not be back again.

Orlenna thought that she must have devastated Hilla this time.

The fact that the furnishings were kept intact was the most awful because the only change in the room was the person. She had left without leaving her marks as if she had never been here before.

Hilla had been in the Anderson’s for too long. Something seemed to have changed, but something seemed to haven’t changed.

"Bruce, it is my fault. I will go to pick up Hilla tomorrow and apologize to her."

Orlenna couldn’t let Bruce live alone just because of her "grandson". Orlenna felt more anxious and regretted her behaviors at that time.

She was so focused on blaming Hilla for not keeping her "grandson" that she had forgotten that Hilla was also very innocent. Having a child was a matter of two people. If Hilla wasn’t pregnant, she could only blame Bruce for having let her down.

"Leave it to me. I’ll sort it out."

Bruce’s gaze fell on the wooden box on the bed, which contained the jewelry that Tyree had passed down to Hilla. Hilla had never taken the box out before. What was more, she carefully placed it in the innermost part of the cabinet because she was afraid that she would break or lose it.

Hilla had always cherished it, so she didn’t usually take it out.

But it was placed on the most eye-catching place as if she wanted to break up with him.

Orlenna wanted to say something more when Margaret came in and directly pulled her out.

"Mom, what are you doing here? Can’t you see Bruce needs to be alone?"

"Why? Did he have an affair? Did Hilla leave because of this?"

Orlenna suddenly became serious, and she almost rushed back to scold Bruce who she had doted on since childhood, "The Andersons have never done anything injurious to morals other than Lucas, and your father has always been faithful to me. How could Bruce... Who is that woman?"

Orlenna wanted to visit this woman’s parents. What was more, she would never allow Bruce to marry such a woman.

Margaret could only comfort Orlenna to quickly return to the room and said, "Come with me first, and then I’ll tell you who the woman is."

In the room!

Other than the absence of Hilla, Bruce could find Hilla’s presence everywhere in the room.

There were her clothes in the closet and her dressing table. The color of the curtain was her favorite one, and the sheets and quilt were no longer monotonous black or white.

Even the pillow and the bed that Hilla had slept on and the words that she had whispered to him seemed to echo.

It turned out that Bruce had a deeper memory for Hilla before he could notice.

Bruce didn’t have a key to the box at first, but he secretly made a key and opened it once because he wanted to give Hilla a proposal ceremony.

When the box was opened, it was stacked with items. At the very bottom was the expensive jewelry that Tyree had given to her, and at the top was a folder.

Bruce had never seen the folder before, so he frowned and reached out to open it.

There were two agreements inside. In addition to the one signed by Hilla and Orlenna, the other was a divorce agreement in which Hilla had signed her signature on the last page.