"Iris, are you really giving up on school? You’re actually going to work at the factory?" Esther’s voice trembled with disbelief.
Iris nodded. She had long seen through Esther’s thoughts—she wanted everything. She didn’t want to give up her opportunity to study, nor did she want to lose Wendel.
Just then, Wendel stepped out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of food.
"Dinner’s ready!" he called.
At the dinner table, Esther kept her head down, staring at her untouched food.
Noticing her unusual behavior, Wendel furrowed his brows. "Esther, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you eating?"
Tears welled up in Esther’s eyes. She looked up at him, her voice shaking. "Wendel, are you really getting married?"
Wendel stiffened for a moment. Instead of answering directly, he chose to avoid the question altogether.
"Who doesn't get married at a certain age? Don't be foolish—everyone needs to get married, and that includes you, right?"
Esther’s expression darkened.
Suddenly, she shoved her chair back, stood up, and stormed out of the house, leaving her untouched dinner behind.
"Esther! Esther, where are you going?" Stella called after her, but Esther never looked back.
Wendel panicked. He immediately got up to chase after Esther but hesitated for a moment as he passed by Iris.
He sighed and explained, "She's a young woman running out alone. I'm afraid something might happen to her."
Inhaling sharply, Iris chose to say the exact same words she had in her past life. "Do you really not know why she’s upset?"
Wendel frowned and scolded her. "Iris, Esther might be in danger. This isn’t the time for you to be stubborn."
Without waiting for her reply, he bolted out of the courtyard.
Before she knew it, tears welled up in her eyes.
Even after two lifetimes, watching Wendel defend Esther so fiercely still made her heart ache.
So he wasn’t indifferent or unfeeling—he simply never loved her.
Stella was confused. "What’s going on with those two?"
Her adoptive mother might not have understood, but Iris knew all too well. Still, she chose to say nothing.
Quickly regaining her composure, she simply sighed and shook her head.
Stella wasn’t stupid. If things played out like they had in her past life, it would take less than a month before she realized what was going on between Wendel and Esther.