Four years later...
Dubbed "Canada's most beautiful town" by Queen Elizabeth II, Goderich is full of beautiful parks and beautiful flower gardens. Perched on steep slopes overlooking Lake Huron in Ontario, the town of Goderich is home to three beaches including a long boardwalk that runs along the shore. Goderich's picturesque central area is designed in an octagonal shape, with charming shops surrounding a central square.
Goderich is a town worth living with relatives and family. Everything here is wonderful, a peaceful town, poetic and gentle natural scenery, and the people here are also open and friendly.
After living here for four years, I feel like a completely different person. I am no longer Esther Joan, but now Esther Ambar. After all that happened, I didn't have any hope for Joan's family anymore, so I decided to use my mother's last name.
The phone rings, I answer it.
"How's it going, is everything okay over there?" Frederick still asked me as kindly as he always did.
"Okay. I'm going to the kindergarten to pick him up."
"Okay. See you tomorrow. The flight will probably come soon."
"Yeah, I hope so. See you soon."
After the car explosion 4 years ago, I was considered 'dead' in the Lenox City country. That was the plan Frederick told me about. He predicted that Dominic would not let me leave the Lenox City easily, moreover, with Dominic's power and influence, sooner or later he would be able to find me. So Frederick had to help me fake my death.
Before the car exploded, the driver took me out of the car and hid in the distance. The two bodies in the car are just fake people. To make Dominic believe I was really dead, I left the necklace there.
After the car exploded, I watched Dominic hobble over to where I had been in the car and pick up the necklace. And then he cried, the first time I saw him look like that. It was as if he had just lost something very important.
That was the last time I saw him.
I didn't leave the Lenox City immediately, but stayed at an inn for a few months, then left. I had to move a lot, live in a few cities in the Nordic region. In the end, my choice is Goderich. At that time, being pregnant made my health weaker every time I moved to different countries. Fortunately, the child is very resilient and persistent, just like his father.
After leaving, I was taken care of by the driver for my daily life. As for Frederick, to avoid Dominic following and paying attention, he only visited me once a year. Occasionally, he would call me, like today, to check on me and my son. And of course, he also randomly mentioned Dominic a few times in his stories.
It is known that after I 'died', the police went to the scene to check and discovered the DNA of the woman in the car was me. I don't know how Frederick managed to fool the police either, but he was actually quite good at scams, even Dominic was fooled by him.
My funeral was held privately by Dominic, not one of Joan's family members attended. Maybe because he knew I didn't like them, so even if I was dead, he wouldn't allow them to come see me. My grave is located in a secluded steppe, every day his subordinates come to clean and guard.
As for Dominic's private life, not much has changed. He is still a powerful and strong man, of course I know that my death can not make him torment forever. Men like him are always unfaithful.
Frederick every time he mentioned Dominic noticed my reaction. Seeing that I was completely indifferent and indifferent, he finally stopped pretending to accidentally mention my ex-fiancé.
Every summer vacation, Frederick would come here. Because legally he is the father of my son anyway. He said that the boy would be born pitiful if he didn't have a father, so he volunteered to be his father. Although he couldn't stay by my side to take care of my mother and me, all of our living expenses were covered by him.
I knew I shouldn't be too indebted to him, but he never once allowed me to refuse his help.
Arriving in front of the kindergarten gate, I immediately saw my son's teacher holding my son's hand and waiting.
"Hello, Esther Ambar. Can we talk for a moment?" The female teacher said softly.
My son was sullen and puffy as if he wanted me to take him home right away, but I knew something bad had happened so I took him into the office and sat down with him.
"Today, Kenelm Vincent got into a fight. He hit three other boys causing them to have nosebleeds and scratches on their hands and feet. Their parents were very upset and wanted me to discipline Kenelm."
"Why is this happening, teacher?" I hesitated to ask her.
"I also wanted to know why they were fighting. But when I asked Kenelm, he refused to answer."
Seeing the confused look on the young female teacher's face, I knew she too had run out of ways to talk to my stubborn son.
"Kenelm, look at me. Tell me what happened."
I tried to look Kenelm in the eye to convince him, but he was really stubborn and didn't want to talk to me at all. Although I tried my best to calmly and patiently talk to him, he still wouldn't open his mouth and say anything.
"After all, why are you so stubborn? I'm really tired of you."
I stood up and walked over to the window to calm my mind and sigh. I kept panting, my chest rising and falling, then when my breathing stabilized, I turned to talk to the teacher.
"When I get home, I'll talk to him. Tomorrow I'll definitely take him to apologize to his classmates."
"Yes, Kenelm is a good kid. I believe so." The teacher smiled gently at me.
Actually, I know she said it just to reassure me. I understand my unruly son all too well. It is always destructive and disruptive, it is active and often makes silly jokes. However, his personality is always taciturn and quiet, as long as he doesn't want to, no one can force him to do anything.
Usually, the troubles caused by Kenelm do not cause too severe consequences. Only this time was different, because it was his first time fighting.
On the way home, he still absolutely refused to talk to me. His face was hard and angry, his steps were lewd and his arms crossed over his chest. As soon as he got home, he immediately ran into his room and slammed the door.
I sighed and sat down on the sofa, rubbing the sides of my head with my hands.
"What's going on?" A man came in from the garden. His clothes were still covered in mud, probably just planting a tree.
"Kenelm fights with his friends." I closed my eyes to rest but still talked.
"It's normal for boys to fight." He smiled and went to the bathroom to clean the shovel.
"It would be normal for him to tell me why he was fighting, or at least he should say sorry. But look at him, he chose to be silent."
I sat up and said with an angry mood. To be honest, being a mother at a young age confused me immensely. When I gave birth to him, I went through the most terrible pain of my life, it was like it took half of my life. However, I am proud that the baby was born and healthy.
I took care of my son growing up with my own hands, even though Frederick advised me to hire a nanny. Kenelm is also the name I gave him, it means brave defender. When I was a baby, Kenelm was so cute, he was my companion when I felt lonely with life in a strange city. But as he got older, Kenelm showed a stronger and more Dominic-like personality. I couldn't understand his thoughts, and I couldn't control him.
That's why I'm not in a good mood these days.
"Come on, don't be so moody. He's definitely not going to hit his friends all of a sudden. There must be a reason, give him time to let his temper stop."
This advice sounded reasonable, so I sighed and put this aside.
"By the way, Garrick, how's your family business?"
"Thanks to Sir Frederick Vincent everything is fine."
The man talking to me is Garrick Harvey. And he was also the driver who drove me the day we had the accident in the Lenox City.
Remembering that time, everything was like a dream.
I still remember the Harvey family having a great crisis. They looked to other large families for help, but no one was willing, including Joan's. But suddenly, Frederick suddenly came and easily helped the Harvey family out of bankruptcy.
At first, Garrick himself did not understand why Frederick did it. He asked Frederick and got the answer that Frederick needed loyalty. He needs someone who is willing to sacrifice his life to complete the task he is entrusted with. And Garrick was the chosen one.
Garrick's job is to keep me safe and become my close bodyguard. That's why Garrick took on the driving role in my and Frederick's escape plan.
"Garrick, have you ever thought about going back to ballet?"
My sudden question made Garrick pause, a few seconds later he answered.
"It's not unheard of, but I wouldn't have thought. My life was sold to Sir Frederick. He saved my family, and I would do anything he asked." Garrick took off his muddy apron and was about to wash it when he stopped and turned his head to speak to me. "Besides, it's only when I'm your bodyguard that I can stay by your side without fear. Frederick gave me the opportunity to protect you, why would I refuse?"
I still remember when I was in the same Malibu academy, Garrick once confessed his feelings to me. But because I don't have feelings for him, I can't reciprocate him. Gradually, I also forgot about it. And even Garrick hadn't once mentioned this until today. Looking into his eyes, I knew he was self-deprecating. He is afraid that with his current status, he is not worthy to be my man anymore.
However, I'm just a single mother alone and without relatives, he doesn't need to love me for so long.
I really don't understand his thoughts and can't explain why he has to sacrifice to become a mediocre bodyguard by my side. But that's your decision, and I can't interfere.
Now he was Frederick's subordinate, a loyal servant just like Frederick wanted. It was you who found out the whole truth about Dominic and handed it over to Frederick, or indirectly gave it to me. He was always silently protecting me and reminding me to stay away from Dominic, it's just that my unrequited love for Dominic made me never really trust Garrick.
"You know what? You're a reliable friend. Thank you for being with me until now."
Garrick's eyes filled with sadness when I said I only considered him a friend, but then he still wore the same gentle smile he gave me four years ago when he helped me get rid of Baldric Herrington. Looks like you really know how to help me avoid the bad guys around me.
"I want to thank you too. For everything."