Chapter 214: Well Done
Henry Sterling suddenly stopped moving, and Mrs. Sterling couldn’t help but mutter.
The view from the door wasn’t great. The door blocked part of it, and Henry stood in the remaining gap, practically blocking it completely.
Mrs. Sterling didn’t see Eleanor Rhodes.
"Eleanor Rhodes."
Henry had been looking at Eleanor the entire time. His dark eyes were deep, revealing the complex emotions churning inside him.
He called her name and asked sincerely, "Are you free right now? I have something I want to say to you. It won’t take up too much of your time, five minutes at most."
Eleanor pressed her lips together and grabbed Vivian Lowell’s hand. She turned to Grandma Faulkner and said, "Grandma, why don’t you all go inside and order first? Vivian and I will stay here for a moment. We’ll join you soon!"
Grandma Faulkner looked at Eleanor, then at Henry. She could probably tell something was off from their strange demeanor.
"Alright."
Grandma Faulkner nodded in agreement, not forgetting to pat the back of Eleanor’s hand. "Eleanor, remember to protect yourself!" she said softly. "With Vivian here, I’m sure you’ll be fine!"
With that, before turning to enter the private room, Grandma Faulkner shot a disdainful glance at Henry, her lips pursed in clear distaste.
Vivian couldn’t help but smile at Grandma Faulkner’s childish behavior. By then, Eleanor had turned her attention back to Henry and pointed toward the nearby stairwell.
It was an emergency exit, designed for people in the private rooms to leave through the back. There was no one around at the moment, making it a convenient place to talk.
"Henry."
Eleanor’s expression was calm as she looked at him. "Whatever you have to say, let’s say it over there. Vivian is my good friend. You don’t mind if she comes with me, do you?"
Henry naturally wouldn’t object. After nodding in agreement, he spoke to Mrs. Sterling inside the room. "Mom. If you want something to drink, just scan the QR code to order.
"I have some business to take care of. I need to have a quick word with Eleanor."
Inside the room, Mrs. Sterling was still playing on her phone. Hearing Henry’s words, she was about to grumble when she caught the name "Eleanor." Instantly, her eyes lit up with excitement.
"Eleanor is here too? Where? Quick, quick! Invite Eleanor over to eat with us! Oh my, Henry, why are you walking away?"
Mrs. Sterling wanted to chase after him to take a look, but Mr. Sterling stopped her.
"Oh, you! Henry already said he needs to talk to Eleanor. Why would you chase after them right now? If you want to invite her, it won’t be too late to do so after they finish talking!"
Mr. Sterling’s words calmed Mrs. Sterling down.
She glanced at him and said, "I didn’t expect you to be the smart one this time! Alright! Once our son finishes talking to Eleanor, I’ll find a way to go over and give him an assist!"
Over by the emergency exit, Vivian had originally wanted to give Eleanor and Henry some space by standing a little further away. However, Eleanor kept a tight grip on Vivian’s hand.
Vivian could see it in Eleanor’s eyes: she genuinely did not want to be alone with Henry.
"What do you have to say?" Eleanor asked, holding onto Vivian while looking at Henry. After asking, she pulled out her phone and glanced at the time. It was as if she were truly checking to make sure he could finish his piece within five minutes.
Henry looked a little hurt.
He was used to the gentle, lively, cute, and passionate Eleanor. The current Eleanor, who only wanted to stay far away from him, was completely different from how she used to be.
His heart clenched slightly, but he knew that he couldn’t blame Eleanor for how things had turned out. It was all his own fault.
"I’m sorry."
Henry spoke solemnly, suddenly pulling a small object out of his bag. As soon as he took it out, Vivian was a little surprised.
It was a keychain shaped like a sunny day doll. It was tiny, but it looked very similar to the one Eleanor had bought previously. It was clearly part of a matching pair.
"After you left that day, I passed by a display window and saw this keychain. I thought it looked a lot like yours. I figured you would probably like it, so I bought it.
"It’s just that so many things happened afterward, I never got the chance to give it to you."
Eleanor stared blankly for a moment the instant she saw the keychain.
That day. Of course she knew which day Henry was talking about. It was many months ago, before Wendy Wynn had returned to the country. He had bought it then, intending to give it to her.
Actually, if Wendy hadn’t returned, would she and Henry have been able to slowly come together without any interference?
As this thought surfaced in Eleanor’s mind, a wave of sourness washed over her heart. She had worked so hard for so long, only to fall short at the final hurdle. Naturally, she harbored some resentment, but that resentment was now gradually fading, and the wounds in her heart were slowly healing.
Eleanor used to feel that she couldn’t imagine what it would be like if there ever came a day when she no longer liked Henry. Because she felt that Henry was so wonderful, she would definitely like him for the rest of her life. She was even afraid of the possibility of not liking him.
But now, that day had arrived.
She wasn’t afraid. Instead, she had slowly accepted it. Yet here Henry was, telling her that he had always remembered that sunny day doll she had so desperately wanted to give him back then—the one he hadn’t accepted.
He had even bought one, intending to give it to her.
Eleanor’s convictions crumbled a little. She stared at the sunny day doll for a long time before managing to force a smile at Henry.
"Professor Sterling."
Eleanor’s tone suddenly became polite but distant. "It’s been a long time. I used to like sunny day dolls, but I don’t like them anymore.
"I’m sorry. I don’t want this."
Hearing Eleanor’s words, Henry’s body almost trembled. He stared fixedly at Eleanor, understanding the underlying meaning of her words.
She used to like it, but not anymore. Perhaps she wasn’t just talking about the sunny day doll, but him as well?
Had he been completely discarded by her?
"It’s okay." Henry put the sunny day doll away and changed the subject, explaining, "The reason I helped her back then was actually because she adopted a kitten from your shelter.
"That little white cat is very well-behaved and obedient, but it’s in poor health and gets sick often.
"I’ve always known that as the director of the animal hospital, you occasionally do follow-up visits for the kittens you’ve adopted out. You also hope that the fur babies you rescue can grow up safe and healthy.
"I just wanted to help you fulfill your wish. Wendy... the few times she came to me, it was always because the cat was sick. She and I never got back together."
Eleanor closed her eyes for a moment.
She hadn’t known this. All she knew was that after Wendy returned to the country, Henry would go to her whenever she called.
From Eleanor’s perspective, her own wish was very simple: for Henry to be there when she needed him. Even if he couldn’t be there in person, sending a message to check on her would have made her happy.
But the reality was that, basically, he was absent every single time. To Eleanor, the "peerless hero" in her heart had practically never made an appearance.
Since he hadn’t been there when she needed him the absolute most, there was no longer any need for him to exist in her life.
Eleanor had always told herself this, and she was still holding fast to this belief now.
"Mhm. I understand."
Eleanor nodded nonchalantly, indicating that she had heard him, and asked, "Professor Sterling, is there anything else you want to say?"
Henry bit his lip.
He had known all along that his explanation was coming a bit late. But in the past, even he hadn’t seen his own thoughts clearly. Was he only just now realizing that it was already too late?
Henry felt somewhat unwilling to accept this.
He said, "I didn’t know about her suicide attempt beforehand. She tried to make me stay, but I didn’t agree. I’ve already come to an agreement with her. I’ll give her a sum of money and have her return abroad.
"From now on, there will be no relationship between her and me. Eleanor, I’m sorry. I’m only just now understanding my own feelings. I—"
Before Henry could finish his sentence, Mrs. Sterling stepped out from inside the private room.
She looked fierce and imposing as she marched straight toward Vivian and Eleanor.
Hearing the CLACK CLACK CLACK of her high heels, Vivian glanced at Mrs. Sterling. Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously shielded Eleanor behind her. She was still afraid Mrs. Sterling might do something!
"Idiot!"
However, Mrs. Sterling’s scolding was directed at Henry. She looked so angry she was ready to hit someone, but she forcefully held herself back and yelled, "You’re giving her money to return abroad?
"On what grounds? She didn’t choose you back then for the sake of money. You should have seen clearly that this woman is insatiably greedy! And you’re actually giving her money?
"Then hasn’t she achieved her goal? Then there won’t be any chance to make up for the harm she’s caused Eleanor! Henry, how can you be so foolish about these things?
"Stop interfering with Wendy Wynn’s matters. I’ll take care of it!"
Mrs. Sterling spoke with intense exasperation, dismayed by his failure to meet her expectations!
After finishing, she couldn’t even stop herself from glaring at Henry before looking at Eleanor. "Eleanor! This boy Henry is just plain silly!
"For the things he didn’t do right, I apologize to you on his behalf!"
Eleanor didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
To be honest, Henry offering Wendy money to leave was indeed a bit inappropriate, although Wendy was a very troublesome person and difficult to get rid of through normal means. But giving her money was one of the worse options among many "bad choices." Vivian and Eleanor truly couldn’t fathom why Henry insisted on making such a choice.
Was it because paying to solve the problem was the simplest way, or was it because, deep in Henry’s heart, there was actually still a tiny place reserved for Wendy?
Even if they weren’t together anymore, they had once been lovers, after all.
They just hadn’t expected that the moment Henry’s words left his mouth, he would face such fierce opposition from Mrs. Sterling!
Vivian’s face remained expressionless. But in her heart, she couldn’t help but cheer, "Mrs. Sterling, well done!"