Chapter 31 Chapter Thirty

Eve arranged a honeymoon trip for them.It was expensive, but she told George: "You can't skimp on money." She sold three pieces of jewelry that had been given to her by an ardent suitor.She handed the money to George. "I appreciate you, Eve," he said, "I—" "I'll be back." ※※※ The honeymoon was amazing.George and Alexandra flew to Round Hill in Montego Bay in northern Jamaica.The hotel reception there was a small white building right in the middle of a dozen or so beautiful private bungalows with verandas on a hill jutting out into the clear blue sea.Mellis lived in Noel Coward's house, which had a swimming pool and a maid who prepared breakfast for them, and they ate in the open-air dining room.George rented a small boat, and they sailed and fished in the bay.They swim, read, play chess, and make love.

Alexandra went out of her way to please George in bed, and when she heard him moan in orgasm, she was thrilled at how much pleasure she could bring him. On the fifth day, George said, "Alex, I have to go to Kingston on some business. The company has an office there, and they want me to go there and have a look." "Okay," said Alexandra, "I'll go with you." He frowned and said, "I want you to come with me, but I have to wait for an overseas call, and I have to wait here for the call." Alexandra was a little disappointed: "Can't the service desk help?"

"The phone is very important, I can't trust them." "Okay, then I'll stay here." George rented a car and drove to Kingston.It was almost dusk when we got there.The streets of the capital are crowded with tourists in colorful costumes.They come here on their yachts to buy things at the cheap markets or small craft shops.Kingston was a city of commerce and trade, with refineries, warehouses and fish soups.But because it has a natural port almost surrounded by land, it also has beautiful old buildings, museums and libraries. George had no interest in that.What he desperately wanted was the satisfaction of a desire that had been pent up for weeks.He walks into the first bar he sees and strikes up a conversation with the owner.Five minutes later, George was escorted upstairs to a cheap hotel by a fifteen-year-old black whore.They stayed together for two hours.Then George left the room alone, got into the car and went back to Montego Bay.Alexandra told him that the important call he had been waiting for hadn't come.

The next morning, the Kingston papers reported that a tourist had beaten a prostitute to the point of death. ※※※ At Hanson's, the upper echelons were talking about George Mellis.Quite a few clients have complained about his management of their securities books.The company has decided to fire him.However, now he has changed his mind. "He's married to one of Kate Blackwell's granddaughters," said a senior staffer, "and that's going to change things up a bit." Another echoed: "Of course if we get the Blackwell business..." Greed is almost palpable in the air.They decided that George Mellis should stay with the company.

※※※ When the two returned home from their honeymoon, Kate told them: "I want you to move here with me, it's a huge house and we won't get in each other's way. You—" George interrupted, "That's kind of you, but I think it would be best for Alex and I to have our own home." He didn't want to live with this old lady who watched his every move day and night. "I understand," Kate said, "in that case, I'll buy you a house as a wedding present." George put his arms around Kate. "You are so generous," said the voice hoarsely with emotion, "Alex and I will accept this gift and express our gratitude."

"Thank you, Grandma," said Alexandra, "we'll find a house not far from here." "Yes," agreed George, "we'll find a place close enough to see you, and you know what an attractive woman you are!" ※※※ Within a week, they found an old brownstone apartment near the park, only a dozen blocks from the Blackwells' apartment.It was a handsome house of three stories, with a master bedroom, two guest rooms, the servants' quarters, a huge old-fashioned kitchen, a wood-paneled dining-room, an elegant sitting-room, and a study. "Looks like you've got to decorate the house all by yourself, dear," said George to Alexandra. "I've got a client for the firm."

In fact he spent very little time in the office, and he seldom dealt with clients, but rather with things that interested him more.The police are getting a flurry of reports of beatings these days, from male and female prostitutes to lonely women who go to singles bars, and the victims say they were beaten by a handsome, cultured young man from A foreign country, most likely a Latin-speaking country.And those willing to look at the police department's archived photos couldn't identify it either. ※※※ The small restaurant in the downtown area where Eve and George were eating was so quiet that no one would recognize them.

"You want Alex to make a new will without Kate knowing." "How can I do it?" "Let me teach you, dear." The next night, George agreed to have dinner with Alexandra at Le Joy, one of the best French restaurants in New York.He was almost thirty minutes late. Restaurant owner Pierre Jordan led him to Alexandra's table. "Forgive me, my angel," gasped George, "I'm with my lawyers, you know the lawyers, they make everything so complicated." Alexandra asked, "What happened, George." "No, I just changed my will." He shook her hand and said, "If something happens to me now, all my property will belong to you."

"Honey, I don't want to—" "Oh, of course my fortune is no match for that of the Blackwells, but it will make you live comfortably." "No, nothing will happen to you, never." "Of course not, Alex, but life will play tricks on you sometimes. Of course it can be unpleasant to face the jokes, but it's always good to plan ahead, isn't it?" She sat there thinking for a moment, then said, "I should change my will too, don't you think?" "Change what?" There was surprise in his voice. "You are my husband, and everything I have belongs to you."

He withdrew his hand and said, "Alex, I don't want your money." "I know, George, but you're right. It's always good to plan ahead." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I know I'm a fool, but I'm so happy I can't bear to think about what happened to the two of us." Anything, I hope we grow old forever." "It will," whispered George. "I'm going to talk to Brad Rogers tomorrow about amending my will." He shrugged: "If you want to do that, honey," and then, as if remembering something, "Oh, if you really want to modify it, it's best to let my lawyer do it. He knows my property situation and he can coordinate anything. .”

"You can do as you like, Grandma thinks—" He stroked her cheek: "I don't want your grandma to get involved in this matter, I adore her, but our personal matters should be resolved by ourselves." "You're right, honey, I won't tell Grandma about it, would you like to make an appointment for me to meet with your lawyer tomorrow?" "Remember to remind me to call him. Now, I'm hungry, shall we start cleaning this crab?" ※※※ A week later, George is in Eve's apartment. "Did Alex sign the new will?" Eve asked. "This morning. She will inherit her share of the company on her birthday next week." ※※※ The following week, forty-nine percent of the shares in Kruger-Brent Ltd. were transferred to Alexandra's name.George calls to tell Eve the news.Eve said, "Brilliant! Come to me tonight and let's celebrate." "No, Kate throws a birthday party for Alex." There was a silence. "What did they eat at the banquet?" "how could I know?" "Find it out." The phone disconnected. Forty-five minutes later, George called Eve again: "I don't understand why you're so interested in this menu," he said unhappily, "You're not going to be invited to the party. But I can Let me tell you, the dishes at the meeting include scallops, thick-cut steak, lettuce salad, French cheese, creamy espresso, and Alexandra's favorite color separation ice cream with birthday cake. Satisfied?" "Yes, George, see you tonight." "No, Eve, I can't run out of Alexandra's birthday party—" "You'll figure it out." The bloody bitch!George hung up the phone and looked at his watch.All be damned!He had already postponed an appointment with an important client twice, and now he was running late again.He knew that the chiefs of the company had kept him here only because his marriage had brought him into the Blackwell family.He can no longer do anything detrimental to his position.He has disguised an image in front of Alexandra and Kate, which must not be destroyed.Soon, he won't need anyone. He once sent a wedding invitation to his father, and the old man didn't even reply, not a word of congratulations.I never want to see you, his father once said to him, you are dead, do you understand?died.Now his father would be surprised, the prodigal son was alive and well again. ※※※ Alexandra's twenty-third birthday party was a great success.There were forty guests in all.She had asked George to invite some of his friends, but he demurred: "It's your birthday, Alex," he said, "just invite your friends." The truth is that George doesn't have any friends.He's a lonely man, he thought vainly.People who depend on others can only be weak.He watched Alexandra blow out the twenty-three candles on her birthday cake and make a silent wish.He knew that he must be included in the wish he made.But he thought, you should have prayed for a little longer, my dear.He had to admit in his heart that Alexandra did have a super-beautiful appearance.She wore a long white chiffon dress with delicate silver shoes and a diamond necklace around her neck that Kate gave her for her birthday.Large pear-shaped stones were held together by a white gold chain, which twinkled incessantly in the candlelight. Kate looked at them and thought, This reminds me of our wedding anniversary, when David put this necklace around my neck and told me how much he loved me. At this moment, George was thinking that the necklace must be worth one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. All evening George had felt that some of Alexandra's girlfriends were staring at him, smiling and ogling him, and touching him intentionally when they were talking to him.Lustful bitch, he thought contemptuously.On other occasions he might have risked it, but these were friends of Alexandra's.Of course they dare not complain to Alexandra, but they may call the police.No, things are going so well that I don't need to take the risk. At one minute to ten George approached where the phone was kept, and a minute later it rang and he grabbed the receiver. "Hey." "Mr. Mellis?" "yes." "I'm the telephone service desk and you asked me to call you at 10 o'clock." Alexandra happened to be standing nearby, he looked at her and frowned and said, "When did he call?" "Are you Mr. Mellis?" "yes." "You asked for a ten o'clock call, sir." Alexandra stood beside him. "Very well," he said into the microphone, "tell him I'm on my way and I'll meet him at the Pan Am Express Club." George dropped the phone with a bang. "What's the matter, dear?" He turned to Alexandra and said: "A stupid colleague is going to Singapore, but he left some contracts in the office. These contracts are the documents he must bring with him. I have to get them and send them to him before his plane takes off." he." "Now?" Alexandra's voice was full of frustration, "Can't someone else send it?" "I'm the only one they trust," George said with a sigh. "You'd think I was the only one in the office who could do anything." He put his arm around her. Your birthday party, you continue to play, I will come back as soon as possible." She forced a smile and said, "I will miss you." Alexandra watched him go, then looked around the house to see if her guest was having a good time. She wondered what Eve was doing on her birthday. ※※※ Eve opens the door to let George in. "You've figured it out," she said. "You're a smart fellow." "I can't stay here, Eve, Alex is—" She shook his hand, "Come on, honey, I'll surprise you." She led him into the small dining room.A table for two was set, with handsome silverware and white napkins, and a lighted candle in the center of the table. "Why is that?" "Today is my birthday, George." "Of course," he said listlessly, "I—I'm afraid I won't be able to give you a birthday present." She touched his face and said, "You will, dear. You will give it to me later. Sit down, please." "Thanks," said George, "I can't eat more. I just had a good supper." "Sit down," she said nonchalantly. George looked her in the eyes and sat down. Dishes for the birthday dinner included scallops, thick cut steak, lettuce salad, brie cheese, espresso cream and split ice cream with birthday cake. Eve sat across from him, watching George force himself to shove down the dishes. "Alex and I always share anything," Eve said. "I shared her birthday dinner tonight, but this time next year, only one of us will have a birthday. Honey. My The sister is going to have an accident, and then the poor grandma is going to die a miserable death. It's all going to be ours, George, and now, go to bed and give me a birthday present." He had been dreading this moment.He's a strong, powerful man, and Eve manipulates him into making him feel weak and incompetent.She let him undress her slowly, then undressed him, prodding him expertly. "Okay honey," she said as she mounted him, starting to move slowly, "ah, it feels so good...you can't have an orgasm, can you, poor boy? Know why? Because you're a monster. You Don't like women, do you, George? You only like to hurt them. You want to hurt me, don't you? Say you want to hurt me." "I want to kill you." Eve laughed. "But you don't dare, because you want to own the company, as I do. . . You won't hurt me, George, and if anything happens to me, a friend of mine will send a letter to the police. " He didn't believe her words. "You're scaring me." Eve ran a long, pointed nail across his bare chest: "There's only one way you can tell if it's true, isn't it?" she sneered. He suddenly realized that she was telling the truth.He can never escape her control!She will always mock him and enslave him.He couldn't bear to be controlled by this bitch for the rest of his life, and something exploded inside him.A red film fell before his eyes, and after that he didn't know what he was doing.There seemed to be a force outside of him dominating him.Everything happened in slow motion.He just remembered that he pushed Eve away, spread her legs apart, and heard her cry out in pain.He punched something again and again, and he felt ecstasy.At this moment his whole body was immersed in a long spasm of unbearable ecstasy.He thought, Oh God!How long have I been waiting for this.It seemed that a person's shrill scream came from a distant place.The red mist in front of him gradually disappeared, and he looked down.Eve was lying on the bed, covered in blood.The bridge of her nose was broken and there were bruises and cigarette burns all over her body.The eyes were swollen into a slit.Her jaw was broken, and there were whimpers from the corner of her mouth. "Stop hitting, stop hitting, stop hitting..." George shook his head to clear himself, and when he realized what happened, he panicked, he couldn't explain what he had done.He ruined everything, everything! He leaned over to Eve: "Eve?" She opened one swollen eye: "Doctor... called... Doctor..." Every word hurt her, "Harry... John Harry." ※※※ All George Mellis could say on the phone was: "Can you come right away? Something happened to Eve Blackwell." When Dr. John Haley came into the house, he looked at Eve, the blood-splattered bed and walls and said, "Oh, my God!" He felt Eve's pulse, turned to George and said, " Call the police and say we need an ambulance." Although the pain made her delirious, Eve whispered, "John..." John Harry leaned over. "You'll be fine. We'll take you to the hospital right away." Eve reached out and touched his hand with difficulty and said, "Don't call the police..." "I have to report to them, I—" She clenched her hands tightly: "Don't...call the police..." He looked at her cracked cheeks, broken jaw and cigarette burns and said, "Don't talk." Severe pain tormented her, but Eve still struggled with death. "Please..." It took her a long time to spit out a few words intermittently, "Private...grandma will never...forgive me...don't...call the police...crash...accident..." There was no time to argue, Dr. Harry went to the phone and dialed: "This is Dr. Harry," he gave Eve's address, "send an ambulance right away, find Dr. Keith Webster, and let him Wait for me at the hospital, tell him there's an emergency, get ready for surgery," he listened for a moment, then went on, "Crash." And slammed the phone down. "Thank you, Doctor," whispered George. Dr. Harry turned to Alexandra's husband with disgust in his eyes.George has hurriedly put on his clothes, but his knuckles are exposed in many places, and blood is spattered on his hands and face. "Don't thank me. I'm only here for the Blackwells. But you must agree to see a psychiatrist." "I do not need--" "Or I'll call the police, you bastard, you're not fit to get away with it." Dr. Harry reached for the phone again. "Wait!" George stood there, thinking that he had almost destroyed everything, and now, miraculously, he had another chance to save it. "Okay, I'll see a psychiatrist." They heard the screech of an ambulance in the distance. ※※※ She is pushed into a long tunnel with colorful lights that come on and off.She felt light in her body, and she thought, if I want to fly, I can fly.She tried to move her arms, but something pulled her down.She opened her eyes, and she was being pushed rapidly into a white corridor. Two men in green robes and green hats were running forward pushing a stretcher.I'm playing a part in a play, Eve thought, I can't remember my lines, what should I say?When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on the operating table in a large white room. A thin man in a green robe was bending over her. "My name is Keith Webster. I'm going to operate on you." "I don't want to be ugly," Eve whispered, with difficulty speaking, "don't make me... ugly." "No problem," promised Dr. Webster, "I'm going to let you sleep and relax now." He winked at the anesthesiologist. ※※※ George spent a lot of effort washing the blood off his body in Eve's bathroom. He looked at his watch and cursed.It was 3 o'clock in the morning.He hoped Alexandra was asleep, but she was still waiting for him when he walked into the living room. "Honey! I'm crazy! How are you?" "I'm fine, Alex." She stood up and hugged him tightly. "I'm ready to call the police, I think something terrible must have happened." How right you are, thought George. "Did you hand over those contracts to him?" "Contracts?" he remembered suddenly. "Oh, those contracts, yes, to him." That seemed years ago, a lie told in the distant past. "What made you come back so late?" "His plane was delayed," George said casually. "He wanted me to stay with him for a while. I kept thinking the plane was leaving and it was too late to call you. I'm so sorry." "I'm relieved that you're here now." George remembered Eve being carried on the stretcher.At that time, a few words came out panting from her crooked and broken mouth: "Going... home... nothing... nothing... happened..." But if Eve died, he would be charged with murder arrested.If Eve doesn't die, everything can return to normal, as originally planned.Eve will forgive him because she needs him. George lay in bed until dawn, unable to sleep.He thought of Eve and the way she yelled and begged for mercy.He could feel Eve's bones being broken again under the fist, and he could smell her burnt flesh. At that time, he was close to loving her. ※※※ John Harry was very lucky to find Keith Webster to operate on Eve.Webster is the number one plastic surgeon in the world.He has a private practice on Park Avenue and another in South Manhattan.There, he specialized in treating those born with deformities.People who go there pay only what they can afford.Dr. Webster was used to treating patients injured by accidents, but he was startled at the sight of Eve Blackwell's battered face.He had seen pictures of her in magazines, and he was filled with intense indignation at the vandalism of such a beautiful face. "Who did this? John?" "It was a crash, Keith." Keith Webster snorted and said, "Then the driver pulls over and strips her naked, lights a cigarette and burns her ass? Tell me the truth." "I'm afraid we can't discuss this. Can you still fix her?" "That's my job, John, to fix them." It was nearly noon when Dr. Webster finally said to his assistant: "It's over, take her to intensive care, and let me know if there is anything minor." The operation took nine hours. ※※※ Forty-eight hours later, Eve was moved out of intensive care.When George came to the hospital, he had to see Eve, talk to her, and make sure she wouldn't take terrible revenge on him. "I'm Miss Blackwell's solicitor," George told the nurse on duty. "She wants to see me, but stay a little while." The nurse looked at the handsome young man in front of her and said, "She can't see guests, but I believe you should be fine if you go in." Eve was placed in a single ward. She was lying straight on the bed, covered in bandages, and all kinds of plastic tubes connected to her body like ugly appendages.Only the eyes and mouth are exposed on the head. "Hey, Eve..." "George..." Her voice was weak and harsh, and he had to get closer to hear her voice. "You didn't... tell Alex?" "No, of course not," he sat on the edge of the bed, "I'm here because—" "I know why you're here... let's... get on with it..." An indescribable sense of relief surged in his heart: "I'm very sorry, Eve, really, I—" "Have someone call Alex...tell her I'm out...traveling...in a few weeks...to be back." "Ok." Two bloodshot eyes looked at him: "George...do me a favor." "what?" "To die in agony..." ※※※ she fell asleep.When she awoke, Dr. Keith Webster was sitting beside her. "How are you feeling?" There was comfort in the gentle voice. "Very tired... How is my injury...?" Dr. Webster hesitated. X-rays showed that she had a fractured cheekbone and it was severe.The indentation of the cheekbone involves the temple muscles, causing pain both when opening and closing the mouth.The bridge of her nose was broken, two ribs were broken, and there were multiple deep cigarette butt marks on her buttocks and soles of her feet. "How is it?" Eve asked again. Dr. Webster told her, as gently as possible: "You have a fractured cheekbone, a broken nose, displacement of your eye sockets, pressure in your muscles when you open and close your mouth. And some cigarette burns. All The injured parts were taken care of properly.” "I want to look in the mirror," Eve whispered. This was the last thing Dr. Webster would allow. "I'm sorry," he said with a smile, "we've all used up our mirrors." She didn't dare to ask the next question, but she couldn't help but said, "I—what will I be like when I get better?" "You'll still be as beautiful as you were before the accident." "I do not believe." "You'll see. Now, tell me what happened? I've got to write a report to the police." There was a long silence. "I was hit by a truck." Dr. Keith Webster wondered again why anyone would want to destroy this fragile beauty, but he had long given up thinking about the grotesque behavior of humans and their brutal energies. "I need a name," he said softly, "who did it?" "Mike." "Last name?" "truck." Dr. Webster was bewildered by this pact of silence.First John Harley, now Eve Blackwell. "If this is a crime," Keith Webster told Eve, "by law, I have to write a report and file it with the police." Eve held out her hand and held the doctor's hand tightly and said, "Please don't do this, if grandma and sister know about this, it will make them extremely sad, if you tell the police...the papers will be published. You can't... Please do not……" "I can't call it a crash. Ladies don't run down the street naked." "Please!" He looked down at her, full of pity: "I think you may have tripped and fallen down the stairs at home." She clenched her hands tighter. "Indeed it is……" Dr. Webster sighed. "I suppose so." ※※※ After that, Keith Webster visited Eve every day, sometimes two or three times a day.He bought her flowers and some small presents from the hospital gift shop.Eve asked him anxiously every day: "I lie here all day long, why is no one treating me?" "My colleagues are working for you," Dr. Webster told her. "your colleague?" "Natural instinct. Your wounds are healing perfectly under these scary-looking bandages." Every few days, he removes the bandages and examines the wound. "Let me look in the mirror," Eve begged. But his answer was always: "Not in time." He was Eve's only visitor, and Eve began to look forward to his arrival.He was an unattractive man, short and thin, with thinning sandy hair and blinking brown nearsighted eyes.His embarrassment in front of Eve amused Eve. "Have you ever been married?" she asked. "No." "Why do not you get married?" "I—I don't know. I don't think I'm going to be a good husband. I always have emergency calls." "But you should have a girlfriend." He actually blushed: "Hey, you know..." "Tell me." Eve said jokingly. "I don't have a regular girlfriend." "I'm sure all the nurses are crazy about you." "No, I'm afraid I'm not very romantic." That's the most understated way of saying it, Eve thought.But when she talked about Keith Webster with the nurses and interns who came to do all kinds of degrading things to her body, Eve found that they almost all thought he was a saint. "He's a miracle worker," said an intern. "There's nothing he can't do with human faces." They told about the surgeries he performed on deformed children and criminals, but when Eve asked Keith Webster about them, he kept digressing: "Unfortunately, the world is always judged by the looks of it." people. I want to do what I can to help people with disabilities. It can make a big difference in their lives." Eve is puzzled by him.He doesn't work for money and glory, he's a completely selfless person.She'd never met anyone like him, and she didn't know what it was that made him do this.But it was nothing more than idle curiosity, and she had no interest in Keith Webster, beyond what he could do for her in therapy. ※※※ Fifteen days after being admitted to the hospital, Eve was sent to a private clinic in upstate New York. "You'll be more comfortable here," Dr. Webster assured her. Eve knew that he had to travel a long way to see her, but he still appeared in front of her every day. "Do you have any other patients?" Eve asked. "There is no patient like you." ※※※ Five weeks after Eve entered the clinic, Keith Webster removed all the bandages.He turned Eve's head from side to side and said, "Does it hurt?" "It doesn't hurt." "Do you feel tight?" "No." Dr. Webster looked up to the nurse and said, "Get Miss Blackwell a mirror." Eve suddenly felt a wave of fear.For weeks she had wanted to see herself in the mirror, but when the moment came she panicked.She wanted to see her own face, not a stranger's. When Dr. Webster passed the mirror, she whispered nervously, "I'm afraid—" "Look at yourself," he said gently. She gently lifted the mirror.It was a miracle!Nothing changed, it was her face.She looked for the scar in the mirror, there was none!Instantly her eyes filled with tears.She looked up and said, "Thank you," and gave Keith Webster a kiss.It was a short thank you kiss, but she could sense him. He pushed her away, suddenly embarrassed. "I—I'm glad you're so happy," he said. joy! "Everyone is right about you, you are truly a miracle worker!" He said shyly, "Look at what ingredients I use."