The Cherished Wife

Noelle slept through the night, but she was not in very high spirits when she awoke. As she gazed at her pale face and puffy eyes reflected in the mirror, she vehemently splashed water at her eyes until some color returned to her cheeks. Then, she propped her hands against the sink dispiritedly and gazed at herself sadly.

“Wake up, Noelle! There aren’t any hardships that you can’t get past!”

After preparing herself mentally, she began putting on makeup. She heaved a sigh of relief when all signs of disheveledness could no longer be seen on her face. However, she frowned when she saw her grandfather, Sebastian, her maternal grandfather, calling her. She hurriedly answered, “Hello, Grandpa? What’s the matter?”

“You haven’t forgotten that I asked you to come home today, have you?” Sebastian’s voice rang out. He might be getting on in age, but his voice was filled with as much vim and vigor as it had during his younger years. He had his many years of delivering lectures to students to thank for that.

Noelle was stunned when she heard Sebastian say that. “Grandpa, I… Alright, alright. I’ll come home. I’ll drop by, alright?”

Noelle gazed at her phone with a vexed expression for a long while before she heaved a sigh and grabbed her handbag to leave the house.

after everything that had happened in the past two days, she decided to change her plans. She first went grocery

time working without paying a single visit, only making the occasional phone call to her grandfather. She felt slightly sheepish when she arrived at the front door and waited for May, the family butler, to open the door for her. “Ms. Noelle, you’re home? Why didn’t

hand in hers and smiled as she said,

curiously. “What guests? Didn’t Grandpa say…” Before Noelle managed to finish her sentence, she heard Sebastian’s

looked up, she saw a man sitting with his back to her in the living

he saw the gifts in her arms.

beckoned May to bring the gift over. “Come here, quick. Let me take a good look

and walked over to Sebastian after slipping on a pair of house slippers. “Long time no see, Grandpa. I’ve missed you so much!” Noelle said

gently clapped Noelle’s forehead. “Watch yourself.

his and walked over. “Allow me to introduce you to my granddaughter, Charles. Noelle, this is a