Chapter 4

Samuel Girard carried Elise Walkerman quickly into the infirmary. The doctor immediately began treating her wounds. Seeing the deep cuts on Elise Walkerman’s feet, Samuel Girard was filled with guilt and anger. He swore to himself that he would find out who was responsible and make them pay for their actions.

“Cousin, please don’t be angry.” Elenice Walker looked at his gloomy expression and spoke gently to comfort him. “Perhaps someone just put the items in the wrong place by mistake, not on purpose.”

Samuel Girard shook his head firmly. “That’s impossible. It’s clearly someone’s deliberate act. And I have a pretty good idea who it is.” The first person who came to mind was Julian Hamp. Besides her, no one else would care so much about his relationship with Elise Walker, nor would anyone do such a thing.

Alices Walker’s eyes flickered with satisfaction, but she pretended to be innocent. “Cousin, stop overthinking it. Maybe it wasn’t Julian Hamp after all. She doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would do something like that.”

“Who else could it be but her?” Samuel Girard frowned, his tone tinged with impatience. “She’s always thought there’s something between us. She keeps pestering me. Seeing us perform in the play together must have made her jealous, that’s why she did such a thing.”

Elenore Walker said nothing more. She simply lowered her head, a barely noticeable smile playing on her lips. This was exactly what she wanted: to make Samuel Girard misunderstand Julian Hamp, to deepen the conflict between them. Only then would she have the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

On the other side, Julian Hamp rushed out from behind the scenes and wandered aimlessly across the campus. It had started to snow again. Fine snowflakes fell on her hair and shoulders, cold and piercing, just like her heart at that moment. She had no idea how long she had walked until she reached the school gate, where she finally stopped.

Ezra Brandon rushed after her, came to her side, and seeing her pale face and red eyes, he said with a hint of apology, “Julian, I’m sorry. This time, I failed to do my job properly and caused you pain.”

“Don’t say ‘I’m sorry’ to me! I don’t want to hear it!” Julian Hamp pushed him away violently, his voice filled with hysterical anger. “It’s all your fault! It’s because of your stupid ideas that Samuel Girard now hates me even more. He’s siding with Elise Walkerman instead! I was blind to believe you at all!”

Ezra Brandon stepped back at her push, but there wasn’t a trace of anger on his face. Instead, his tone became even gentler: “Julian, I know you’re angry, and I feel guilty too. But don’t worry. If we fail this time, there will be another chance. I’ll definitely help you. I’ll make sure Samuel Girard sees Elise Walkerman for what she really is, and I’ll get him to come back to you.”

“I don’t want any more of this. I don’t want anything at all!” Julian Hamp shook his head, tears streaming down his face again. “Samuel Gillard has forgotten about me. He hates me now. What’s the point of trying anymore?”

With that, she turned and ran, disappearing into the blizzard. Ezra Brandon watched her retreating figure, a sinister glint in his eyes. He muttered coldly to himself, “Samuel Girard, wait until I get to you. I’ll make you pay for everything. I’ll take away everything you have.”

In the days that followed, Julianne Hamp didn’t go to school anymore, nor did she try to contact Samuel Girard. She locked herself in her room, refusing to eat or drink. All day long, she cried, holding her pillow tightly. In her mind, she kept reliving the moments from her childhood with Samuel Girard, as well as his recent coldness and disgust toward her.

Mom Mei watched her daughter’s increasingly haggard appearance with great concern, but didn’t know how to comfort her. One day, Mom Du brought fruit to Julian Hamp’s house.

“Julian, why haven’t you come to my house to play in so many days?” Mom Du entered the room and looked at Julian Hamp, who was lying on the bed. She wore a gentle smile on her face. “Are you sick? Why do you look so pale?”

Upon hearing Auntie Du’s voice, Julian Hamp burst into tears. She sat up and threw herself into Auntie Du’s arms, sobbing, “Auntie Du, Samuel doesn’t want me anymore. He hates me. He’s protecting other girls. He’s forgotten our promise.”

Mom Du gently patted her back and comforted her with a soft voice, “Silly child, stop thinking nonsense. How could Longlong not want you? He’s just been very busy lately—handling student council matters and rehearsing for the play. Maybe he forgot about you. Come on, let’s go home with Auntie. Longlong is also at home. You two can talk properly.”

Julian Hamp shook his head, his voice filled with despair. “I won’t go. I don’t dare to go. Samuel will hate me.”

“No, Auntie promises, Longlong won’t dislike you at all.” Mom Du took her hand and said gently, “You’ve grown up together since you were little, and you have such a good relationship. How could things get so bad over such a trivial matter? Come on, go back with Auntie and talk things out. Everything will be fine once we explain things properly.”

At Mom Du’s persuasion, Julian Hamp finally nodded his head and went with her to the Du family’s house.

Entering the Du family’s house, Mother Du shouted up to the second floor, “Longlong, see who’s come visiting?”

“Mom, how many times have I told you not to call me ‘Longlong’ anymore?” Samuel Girard’s voice came from the second floor, tinged with impatience. As soon as he finished speaking, he walked down the stairs. When he saw Julian Hamp standing in the living room, he paused for a moment. A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes, and his tone softened slightly. “Julian, what are you doing here?”

Julian Hamp looked at him, his lips moving, but he didn’t know what to say. Thousands of words got stuck in his throat, and in the end, they turned into tears.

Mom Du watched the awkward situation between the two of them and said with a smile, “Alright, you two go talk properly. I’ll go buy groceries. We’ll eat at home for lunch.” With that, she turned around and left the house, leaving Samuel Girard and Julian Hamp alone in the living room.

The living room was quiet, with an awkward atmosphere. Samuel Girard looked at Julian Hanpom’s red-eyed sockets, feeling full of guilt. He stepped forward and said softly, “Julian, I’m sorry. I was wrong a few days ago. I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you, or treated you so coldly.”

Upon hearing his apology, Julian Hamp’s tears flowed even more abundantly. She looked up at him, sobbing, and said, “Do you truly realize your mistake? Have you really not forgotten our promise? Do you really not hate me?”

Samuel Girard nodded. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Elise Walkerman’s voice from the second floor: “Cousin, where are you? I’m thirsty. Please get me a glass of water.”

Julian Hamp’s face turned pale in an instant. She looked up at Samuel Girard, her eyes filled with disbelief. “How… how could she be in your house? And in your room, no less?”

Samuel Girard also looked a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head and said softly, “Her foot isn’t fully healed yet, so it’s not convenient for her to go home. That’s why she’s staying with us for now. We’ve been rehearsing a play lately, preparing to compete in a provincial competition next week.”

“Rehearsing a play? Staying at your place?” Julian Hamp’s voice trembled. All his hopes shattered in an instant. “Samuel Girard, what exactly am I to you? I’m not even allowed to spend a little time in your room. Yet she can stay at your place and rehearse plays with you. Have you really fallen for her?”

“I didn’t, Julian. Please stop thinking nonsense,” Samuel Girard hurriedly explained. “Elenore is…”

Before he could finish speaking, Elenice Walker came down from the second floor. She was wearing a loose T-shirt by Samuel Girard, with her hair falling loosely over her shoulders, giving her a very approachable look. When she saw Julian Hamp, her face showed surprise, followed by a smug smile. “Julian Hamp, what are you doing here?”

Julian Hamp stared at Elenice Walker’s T-shirt and her smug smile, trembling with anger. He looked at Samuel Girard and said, word by word, “Samuel Girard, I see. You really have fallen for her. I won’t bother you anymore. I’m leaving.”

With that, she turned and ran toward the door. Samuel Girard hurried forward and grabbed her wrist. “Julian, please don’t be angry. Let me explain. Elenore actually…”

“I won’t listen! I don’t want to hear any of your explanations!” Julian Hamp pulled his wrist away forcefully, tears streaming down his face. “Samuel Gillard, from now on, we’re no longer friends. There’s nothing left between us!”

Just then, Elenice Walker suddenly spoke up: “Julian Hamp, please don’t get me wrong. The relationship between my cousin and me isn’t what you think it is.”

“Isn’t it the kind of relationship I’m thinking of?” Julian Hamp sneered, his eyes filled with mockery. “Then what kind of relationship is it? He lets you live in his house, wears your clothes, and rehearses plays with you. Isn’t that obvious enough? Elenore Walkerman, don’t go too far!”

Elenice Walker smiled, walked over to Samuel Girard, put her arm around his, and said with a laugh, “My cousin and I are actually blood relatives. I came to St. Ing’s High School to be with my cousin. My parents are abroad, so there’s no one to take care of me. That’s why I’m staying at my cousin’s place.”

“Cousins?” Julian Hamp was stunned, his face showing disbelief. He turned to Samuel Girard. “Is she telling the truth? Are you really cousins?”

Samuel Girard nodded, his voice tinged with guilt. “It’s true, Julian. Elenis is my aunt’s daughter. She’s coming to St. Ing’s High School to study. Since no one else could take care of her, she’s staying with us. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want anyone to know about our relationship. I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble, nor did I want you to misunderstand.”

Julian Hamp felt a mix of emotions surge through her heart: surprise, disappointment, and a hint of resentment. She thought she had lost Samuel Girard, that he had fallen in love with someone else. But it turned out to be a misunderstanding. Yet, when she thought back to Samuel Girard’s coldness and reprimands from a few days earlier, and to the hurt she had suffered, tears welled up in her eyes again.

Just when she thought the misunderstanding had been resolved and that everything would be fine again, she didn’t notice a sinister glint in Elenice Walker’s eyes. At the door stood a familiar figure, staring at them with cold indifference. A much bigger conspiracy was quietly taking shape. Had Samuel Girard and Julian Hamp truly resolved their misunderstanding? And in what manner would Ezra Brandon’s revenge unfold?