Babel Novel
Chapter 258
Estrella hadn’t been keeping tabs on Jason’s whereabouts, nor had she been tracking Holly’s movements. It was the night Holly visited the Sandalwood Oasis that Estrella received an anonymous email full of photographs documenting Holly’s presence there.
Estrella glanced at the images and dismissed them, well aware someone was deliberately trying to stir up trouble by showing her only the pictures of Holly arriving at the Oasis, not leaving. It was a clear setup for misunderstanding.
Truth be told, she couldn’t care less about Jason’s love life. In the days following the receipt of the photos, she hadn’t mentioned a word about it. She knew Jason wouldn’t get involved with Holly at this juncture, seeing as he was investing all his time and energy on matters involving her and Isaac. The only reason she brought it up now was because Jason had just made a sarcastic remark, so she intentionally said that.
“Let the furt come, then. Who’s afraid of a little pain?” she thought defiantly.
Sure enough, when Estrella mentioned Holly, Jason’s complexion changed instantly. He explained, “Sure, Holly went to the Oasis that day, but it’s not what you think between her and me.”
“Really? You can say that when she was literally in your house? And here I am getting grilled for having a meal in public? You are really being hypocritical. Besides, Jason, I’m not your wife anymore.”
Estrella felt a strange satisfaction seeing Jason’s anger. Maybe it was payback for past grievances.
With her sharp wit, Jason was left speechless, thinking that not even a hundred extra mouths could help him win an argument against her. “Damn it, why did she have to study law? I can’t win a single fight,” he cursed internally.
At that moment, Jason felt like that he was about to explode out of anger.
As he stood red-eyed and frustrated, Estrella looked on nonchalantly, “Now that it’s all out in the open, since everyone has their…”
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She was cut off abruptly as Jason, with bloodshot eyes, interjected, “I saw her, showed her a bit of respect, only because she’s got evidence. What do I like about her? If I did, I would’ve been with her already. Why would I keep entangling myself with you?”
Caught off-guard by his outburst, Estrella was momentarily speechless, not expecting him to suddenly articulate his frustrations so vividly.
Their eyes locked, and as Estrella stared at him, Jason spoke again, half angry, half pleading, “Estrella, you’re heartless. You always say I misunderstand you. Don’t you have any misconceptions about me? Have you ever trusted me completely?”
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After Jason’s tirade, Estrella was about to respond when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw it was a call from Marie.
Holding Jason’s gaze, she said, “Hold that thought, let me take this call and then we can continue our little spat.”
With that, she answered the call with a cheerful, “Hey Marie.”
Marie’s voice came through the phone, “Ms. Estrella,” and without wasting any time, she added, “Something happened at the house a few days ago. I’ve been pondering over it and decided it’s best to inform you, so I called.”
“Go ahead, Marie, I’m listening,” Estrella replied, her voice steady.
Marie quickly relayed, “A few days back, the Ledford family’s Miss Holly came to see Mr. Jason. They ended up in an argument, and from the next room, I overheard Miss Holly claim that someone had tried to set a fire to kill Mr. Jason.”
“Mr. Jason was furious when he heard this and even threatened Miss Holly, saying if she were to disappear, no third party would know about this incident.”
Marie had heard the entirety of Jason and Holly’s conversation that night. Wisely, she omitted mentioning Holly’s remarks about Estrella having a son and how being with her could be embarrassing for Jason. She relayed only the critical parts to Estrella.
Continuing with evident concern, Marie said, “Ms. Estrella, I’ve been scared out of my wits these past few days. I worry that Mr. Jason might do something rash in a moment of anger, and this family would be ruined. So, after much thought, I decided to call you. Maybe you could talk some sense into Mr. Jason. Please tell him not to stoop to Miss Holly’s level and not to do anything foolish that could cost him his future. It wouldn’t be
worth it.”
“And on that note, the Ledford family isn’t one to mess with either. Miss Holly’s brother is…” Cleverly, Marie left the sentence hanging.
Estrella appeared calm on the surface, but inside, she was hit by a storm of emotions. So Holly had approached Jason to threaten him to stay away from her, and Jason had retorted with such harsh
words. After a thoughtful silence, Estrella said, “Marie, I understand. I’ll find a moment to have a serious talk with Jason.”
Now, Estrella had to acknowledge that the people working close to Jason, like Drew, Marie, or his driver, were all shrewd individuals. Marie’s call was clearly an attempt to show Jason’s stance and intentions, making sure Estrella knew he was on her side, protecting her.
Estrella agreed to persuade Jason, and Marie sighed in relief. After a brief chat, Marie ended the call, suggesting Estrella should come back for a visit when she had time.
With a nonchalant click, Estrella tossed her phone onto the cabinet beside her and lazily turned to Jason, “Alright, let’s pick up where we left off. Got any more grievances,
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anything else you wanna yell about? Go ahead, your turn.”
Jason’s gaze locked onto Estrella, his mind racing with exasperation. What was the point of venting now? He wasn’t an idiot. After all, Estrella had heard every word of Marie’s recent phone call.
Yet, he didn’t want Estrella to get too cocky, nor did he want her to remain oblivious to his feelings. Without hiding the hurt that had surfaced moments ago, he looked at Estrella with feigned anger and burst out, “Estrella, you’re just heartless, you know that?” Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
He continued, his voice a mix of confession and accusation, “I admit I got it all wrong back in the day, and I’m sorry for that. But after I realized my mistake, didn’t I do something about it? Haven’t I been
trying to make amends? Here I am, busting my gut trying to win you over, trying to bridge the gap with Isaac, and you just go off on dates with other guys?”
“Where does that leave my pride? How am I supposed to hold my head up after this?
“Sure, we’re divorced, the papers are all signed, and you’re free as a bird now. But after all these years, did you really have to rub it in my face right now? Couldn’t you have given it a little more time? If things still don’t work out, you could go on dates then. Can’t you just wait a bit longer?
“Do you really care so little about me? After all these years, do I mean nothing to you? Can’t you spare me some peace of mind?”
Jason had intended only to play the victim, but as he spoke, his emotions surged genuinely. He felt hurt.
Even if he had been at fault in the past, he was sincerely trying to make things right now. He wasn’t demanding an immediate answer, but at least she could grant him some time, some chance to prove himself.