Chapter 10 chapter Ten

Peggy Malkovich has been married to Woodrow (Woody) Stanford for two years, but residents of Hobe Bay still refer to her as "that waitress". Paige had known him from working as a waitress at Rainforest Grill.Woody Stanford was a famously likeable man in Hobe's Bay.He lives in his own villa, looks handsome, with a touch of classical flavor.He was attractive and gregarious, and he was the darling of young women beginning to be seen in Hobe Bay, Philadelphia, and Long Island.And Peggy looks mediocre, did not finish high school, her father was a coolie for food, and her mother was a housewife.So, when Woody suddenly eloped with this twenty-five-year-old waitress, it was like dropping a big bomb in the social circle.

What made this even more shocking was that everyone thought Woody was going to marry Mimi Carlson.Mimi Carlson is a young, pretty, bright girl.She is the heir to a lumber giant.She has always been madly in love with Woody. Normally, the inhabitants of Hobe's Bay preferred to talk about the affairs of their servants rather than their equals, but Woody was an exception, and his marriage had shocked them too much.It soon became clear that he married Peggy Malkovich by getting her belly bigger.They knew very well who did the crime. "For God's sake, I can understand that he's making people fat, but you can't marry a waitress!"

Like father, like son.Twenty years ago, a similar scandal involving the Stanford family caused a sensation throughout Hobe's Bay.The daughter of an upper class, Emily Temple, committed suicide because her husband impregnated the children's governess. Woody Stanford made no secret of his hatred of his father, so it was assumed that it was out of this hatred that he married the waitress to prove he was more decent than his father. The only person invited to their wedding was Peggy's brother Hope, who flew in from New York to congratulate her.Hope, who was two years older than Paige, worked at a bakery in the Bronx, New York City.He was tall and thin, with a pockmarked face and a Brooklyn, New York, accent.

"You married a very nice girl," he said to Woody after the wedding. "I know that," Woody said weakly. "You have to take good care of my sister, eh?" "I'll do my best." "I'm relieved." This is an unforgettable conversation between a baker and a son of the world's richest family. Four weeks later, Paige miscarried. ※※※ Hobe Bay is a very xenophobic place, and Jupiter Island is the most xenophobic area around Hobe Bay.The island faces the waterway on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. It is the best sanctuary without contact with the world.This place is rich, closed, safe, and has more police than anywhere else in the world.The islanders were proud of their obscure little place, owning a limousine or station wagon and their own sailing boats—an eighteen-foot sloop or a twenty-four-foot clipper.

If you didn't grow up here, then you have to work hard to be a part of this Hobe's Bay area.After Woodrow Stanford married the waitress, the debated question was: How should the islanders accept the bride? Lady Antoine Peljet, a senior and respected old-timer at Hobe Bay, was the arbiter of all social debates.The most pious mission in her life is to prevent nouveau riche and new aristocrats from appearing in this area.Whenever strangers came to Hobe's Cove, and Madame Peljee didn't like them, she always had her chauffeur send them a suitcase.It was her way of informing them that they were not welcome in this place.

Once, her friend reported to her with great interest that a car mechanic and his wife had bought a house in Hobe Bay, and Mrs. Pelje gave them a large traveling bag as usual.When the mechanic's wife realized that the travel bag had this meaning, she laughed loudly and said, "If the old bitch thinks she can get me out of this place, she must be crazy!" But something strange happened.The helpers and fixers they had hired were all gone, the grocery store she owned was always out of stock, they couldn't join clubs, they couldn't even get reservations at good local restaurants.Worse, no one talks to them.Three months after they received the suitcase, the couple had to sell the house and move out.

※※※ Likewise, when news of Woody's marriage broke, the island was overwhelmed with excitement.Evicting Paige Malkovich meant deporting her famous husband, too.Some secretly bet on it. For the first few weeks, they were not invited to meals or to social events.But people here liked Woody, and besides his grandmother had been one of the elders of Hobe's Bay.Gradually, people began inviting him and Paige to their homes.They were anxious to see what the bride looked like. "There must be something special about this old girl, or Woody would never have married her." To their great disappointment, Paige was boring and ugly.She has no personality and her clothes are outdated. "Sloppy" is what people say about her.

Woody's friend was also confused: "What is he looking for in her? He can marry any woman, but he can't marry her!" Among the first to send out invitations was Mimi Carlson.The news of Woody's marriage hit her hard, but she was too proud to reveal her pain. One of her best friends comforted her and said, "Forget it, Mimi! You will forget him." Mimi replied, "I will live, but I will never forget him." Woody did his best to maintain the marriage.He knew he had made a mistake, but he didn't want to take it out on Peggy.He tried his best to be a good husband, but the problem was that Paige had nothing in common with him or his friends.

The only person who seemed to keep Paige in a good mood was her brother Hope, with whom she spoke on the phone once a day. "I miss him so much," Paige complained to Woody. "Should he come here and stay with us for a few days?" "It won't work." She looked at her husband and said sternly. "He has to work." Socially, Woody tries to get Peggy to talk to people, but it soon becomes clear that she's not the type to socialize at all.She always sat alone in a corner, silent, licking her lips uneasily.It was obvious that she was not at all comfortable here.

※※※ Woody's friends knew that even though he now lived in a private Stanford home, he was estranged from his father and living off an annuity left by his mother.He was particularly fond of polo, but the ponies he rode were borrowed from friends.In polo circles, players are graded by points, ten is the best player, and Woody is the nine-point player.His polo mates include Mariano Agger of Buenos Aires, Wicki El Effendi of Texas, Andres Dinis of Brazil and many others master.There are only twelve ten-polo players in the world, and Woody's greatest ambition is to become the thirteenth.

"You know why he's so into polo?" one of his friends commented behind his back. "His father was a very good polo player." Mimi Carlson knew Woody couldn't afford her own race horses, so she had several bought for him.Friends asked her why, and she said: "I want to do everything possible to make him happy." When new golfers ask what Woody does for a living, people just shrug.In fact, he was always living off other people: he cheated at golf, bet on polo, borrowed other people's horses and rowing boats, and occasionally "borrowed" other people's wives. Woody and Peggy's marriage quickly deteriorates, but he denies it. "Peggy," he always said to her, "please join us when we go to the party." "What do we have to do? Your friends don't think I deserve to be with them." "Why, they didn't mean that," Woody assured her. ※※※ The Hobe Bay Literary Club meets once a week to discuss new books and then meet for lunch. One day, while the ladies were dining, the waiter came up to Mrs. Pelje and said, "Mrs. Woodrow is waiting outside. She wants to have lunch with you." There was a sigh at the table. "Show her in," said Madame Perje. After a while Paige came into the dining room, washed and dressed in her best clothes.She stood there, watching the ladies anxiously. Mrs. Perjee nodded to her, and then said very politely: "Mrs. Stanford." Peggy smiled quickly and said, "Yes, ma'am." "We don't need you here. We already have a waitress here," said Madame Perje and continued with her lunch. Woody was furious when Peggy came back and told him about it. "How dare she do that to you!" He threw his arms around her and said, "Ask me the next time you do something like this, Paige. You don't have to be invited to a party like that." "But I don't know." She said with an unhappy face. "Okay. Tonight we're meeting at Black's, and I want you..." "I will not go!" "But we accepted their invitation." "go by yourself." "I don't want to go without you..." "I do not want to go." Woody had to go to dinner alone.From then on, he began not to take Peggy to the party. He never came home on time, and Paige was sure he was with other women. An unexpected accident changed everything. ※※※ The accident happened at a polo match.Woody was playing number one, and one of the opponent's golfers attempted to hit the ball at the center of scrimmage, and it accidentally hit Woody's horse's leg, causing the horse to fall to the ground on top of Woody.Several horses then collided, the second of which kicked Woody.In the hospital's emergency room, doctors came back with the diagnosis: a broken leg, three broken ribs, and a punctured lung. In the next two weeks, Woody underwent three operations, and he suffered excruciating pain.Doctors injected him with morphine to ease his pain.Paige came to see him every day. Hope flew in from New York to comfort his sister. ※※※ The physical pain was unbearable, and Woody's only relief was the morphine the doctors kept prescribing him.Soon after Woody came home from the hospital, he seemed a different man.At one moment he would return to his formerly unrestrained character, at another moment he would be either irritable or taciturn again.He talked and laughed at the meal, but he might suddenly lose his temper with Paige and curse people in a vicious voice.Within seconds, his moods can be as unpredictable as the weather.In the middle of speaking, he would suddenly fall into thought.He began to become forgetful.Make a date with someone, but don't keep it; invite someone to your house, only to find that he's not there.Everyone was very worried about him. In public, he often abused Peggy loudly.One morning, when Peggy accidentally spilled coffee on the floor while serving a friend, Woody sarcastically said: "I was a waitress, and I will always be a waitress." Paige began to show signs of being beaten, and when people asked her what was going on, she always made excuses. She always said "I hit the door" or "I accidentally dropped my hand" in an understatement.People in the community were outraged, and they began to sympathize with Peggy.But whenever Woody's erratic behavior offended someone, Paige always defended her husband. "Woody's stressed out," Paige always said. "He's in a weird mood today." She didn't allow others to say anything that slandered him. Finally, Dr. Tichener revealed Woody's secret.One day, he asked Peggy to come to the office to meet him. She felt a little hairy. "What's the matter, Doctor?" He looked at her for a while and found that there were bruises on her cheeks and the corners of her eyes were swollen. "Peggy, do you ever get the feeling that Woody is on drugs?" Angry flames flickered in her eyes. "No! I don't believe it!" She stood up abruptly. "I don't listen!" "Sit down, Peggy, it's time for you to face the facts. Everyone knows it. Of course you have noticed his behavior. At one moment he will feel how beautiful the world is, and at another moment he will commit suicide." Paige sat staring at the doctor, pale. "He was addicted to drugs." She squeezed her lips together. "No," she said stubbornly. "Never." "But it's true. You've got to be realistic. Don't you want to help him?" "Of course I would!" she said, clutching her hand. "I would do anything for him. Anything." "Okay, first you have to face reality. I'm going to take Woody's job and put him in rehab. I've got someone to send him to see me." Paige looked at the doctor for a long time, then nodded. "All right then," she said quietly. "I'll have to talk to him." Woody came to Dr. Tichener's office that afternoon in a good mood. "You want to see me, doctor? Is it about Peggy?" "No, it's about you, Woody." Woody looked at him in surprise. "Me? What's wrong with me?" "I think you know your problem." "What are you talking about?" "It's going to kill you and Paige sooner or later if you go on like this. What are you on, Woody?" "Take medicine?" "you know what I mean." There was a long silence. "I want to help you." Woody sat there, head bowed.When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. "You're right. I... I'm lying to myself, but I can't help myself." "What did you serve?" "Heroin." "Oh my god!" "Trust me, I tried so hard to quit, but I... I couldn't." "You need help. There is a place that can help you quit." Woody said wearily, "I hope you're right." "I want you to go to Jupiter Island. There's a rehab center, Harbor Hospital." Woody hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'll go." "So who gave you the heroin?" asked Dr. Tichener. Woody shook his head. "I can't tell you that." "Okay then, forget it. I'll arrange everything for you." The next morning Dr. Tichener sat in the sheriff's office. "He was being offered heroin," Dr. Tichener said, "and he wouldn't tell me who it was." Sheriff Murphy looked at Dr. Tichener and nodded. "I think I know who it is." Several people are suspect, Hobe's Bay is a small place and everyone knows who's doing what business. A hotel has recently opened on Bridge Road and is open day and night to Hobe Bay patrons. A local clinic was heavily fined for overprescribing a doctor. A gym opened a year ago.The trainer is rumored to be taking steroids and providing other prohibited drugs to his clients. But Sheriff Murphy had someone else on his mind that made him suspicious. Tolly Belidowdi has been gardener for many homes in Hobe Bay over the years.He is quite accomplished in gardening and likes to play with the garden to pass the day.His well-planned gardens and lawns are the most beautiful in all of Hobe Bay.He is introverted and doesn't like to talk.Little was known about his condition by his employer.He seemed well-bred, not a gardener, and people were very curious about his past. Murphy sent someone to take him to the police station. "If it's about the driver's license, I've already renewed it..." Bailey Dody said. "Sit down!" Murphy ordered. "Do you have any questions?" "Yes, you are an educated man, am I right?" "yes." The sheriff leaned back in his chair. "Then how did you become a gardener?" "I love nature." "Then what else do you love?" "I do not understand." "How long have you been gardening?" Belle Dody looked at him, confused. "My customer complained about me?" "answer my question." "About fifteen years." "You have a nice house and a sailboat?" "yes." "How can you afford these with the money you earn as a gardener?" "My house is not that big and my boat is small," Belidowdi said. "Maybe you're earning some other side money." "What are you..." "You're working for some people in Miami, aren't you?" "yes." "There are quite a few Italians there. Did you do them any favors?" "What help?" "Selling drugs, for example." Belle Dody looked at him, startled. "My God! Of course not." Murphy leaned forward. "Let me tell you, Bailey Doddy, I've been watching you, I've talked to some of your employers. They don't want you or your 'morphine' friends here anymore, haven't you heard? " Belle Dody closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again a moment later. "very clear." "Well, I hope you're out of here by tomorrow. I never want to see your face again." ※※※ Woody Stanford spent three weeks at Port Hospital, and when he came out, he was the Woody he had always been: charming, kind, and cheerful.He went back to his old friends and played polo on a horse Mimi Carlson had given him. ※※※ Sunday marks the eighteenth anniversary of the Palm Beach and Country Polo Club.There was heavy traffic on Forest Hill Street as thousands of polo fans flocked to the polo grounds.They rushed to the west side of the field to grab grandstand positions, and some had to sit in the bleachers at the south end.The best players in the world will gather here to compete. Paige and Mimi Carlson sat next to each other in the grandstands.It was Mimi who invited her. "Woody said to me, this is the first time you've seen a polo game, Paige. Why didn't you watch it before?" Paige licked her lips. "I think... maybe I was too nervous to watch Woody play. I don't want to hurt him again, this sport is too dangerous. What do you say, Mimi?" Mimi said thoughtfully: "Yes, accidents can happen at any time. Just think about it. There are eight runners, each weighing about 190 pounds, and eight ponies, each about eight A hundred pounds, and they're running at forty miles an hour on a three-hundred-yard field, how can they not miss anything?" Paige shuddered. "If something happens to Woody again, I can't take it anymore. Really, I'm crazy worried about him." Mimi Carlson said softly, "Don't worry, he's one of the best. He trained under Hector Ballantes, you know." Paige looked at her blankly. "Who is he?" "He was a very polo player, one of the legends in the polo world." "Oh." There was a grunt from the audience as the players rode across the field. "What's wrong?" Paige asked. "They just finished the round robin, it's kind of a ritual before the game. They're going to play soon." On the field, the two teams lined up under the hot sun, waiting for the referee to throw the ball. Woody looked fresh, tanned, athletic, and looked determined to win.Paige waved and blew him a kiss. Both sides of the match are now lined up.The players are all holding sticks for offside. "There are six stages in a polo game, and each stage is called an innings," Mimi Carlson explained to Paige. "Each round lasts seven and a half minutes. When the bell rings, the round is considered over. Then there is a ten-minute break. In each round, they have to switch horses, and the team with the most points wins." "That's right." Mimi wondered how much Peggy could understand her explanation. On the court, the players' eyes were fixed on the referee, waiting for the ball to be thrown.The referee looked around the audience, then suddenly threw a white plastic ball between the two rows of players.The game begins. The players on the field were flying fast one by one. Woody first controlled the ball and he hit a forehand offside.The ball flies towards one of the opponent's golfers.The player rode in hot pursuit, and Woody caught up and hooked his stick, destroying his scoring chances. "Why would Woody do that?" Paige asked. Mimi Carlson explained: "If your opponent has control of the ball, you can hook your stick to his stick and stop him from shooting, so he can't score. Woody will definitely play one down below. Offside the ball so that your own team can control the ball." The game on the field is changing, and you can't and don't have time to think. The audience yelled: "Pass to the middle..." "On the sidelines..." "Turn around..." Players run at full speed on the field.The horses of these players are all thoroughbred horses, including Quarter horses, Arabian horses, Morgan horses and silver mane horses. Eighty percent of the results of the game depend on the quality of the horse breeds.These racehorses are fast, have what golfers call "ball feel," and anticipate every step, every move of their rider. In the first three rounds, Woody played very well, scored two points in each round, and the audience on the field cheered.His shots and hooks are quick and crisp, and his stick is everywhere.The old Woody Stanford is back: fast and unafraid.Towards the end of the fifth inning, Woody's team was far ahead.The players leave the court for a ten-minute break. Woody made a point of smiling at Paige and Mimi, who were sitting in the front row, as they passed. Paige excitedly says to Mimi Carlson: "Is he great?" She looked at Paige and said, "Yes. He's great in every way." In the locker room, Woody's teammates congratulated him. "Nice, man! You're a god!" "It was a great game!" "thanks." "Let's go out there and give them a hard time. They won't have a chance!" Woody grinned and said, "No problem." He watched his teammates walk to the field and suddenly felt exhausted.I'm working so hard, he thought, I don't want to be back on the court again.If this continues, my competitive state will not improve.If I go to the arena, I will make a fool of myself.He began to panic, his heart pounding.I just need a little refreshment.No!I can't do this, I can't.I promised.But my teammates are waiting for me.I'm only here once, and I won't be an example next time.I swear to God, this is the last time.He opened his closet and reached into his coat pocket. ※※※ Woody hummed a little tune and returned to the arena, with a strange light in his eyes.He waved to the crowd and returned to his waiting team.I don't even need a team, he thought.I can single-handedly beat those sons of bitches.I'm the best fucking polo player in the world.He chuckled to himself. Towards the end of the sixth inning, the accident happened, although some viewers insisted it wasn't an accident at all.As the team rushed towards the goal, several horses collided and Woody took the opportunity to get the ball.Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another player beside him, turned to the side, hit a hook, and kept the ball behind the horse.At this moment, the opponent's No. 1 player, Rick Hamilton, took the ball and ran towards the goal.Woody was hot on his heels, swinging his club at the head of the opponent's club, but missed.They are getting closer and closer to the goal.Woody tried desperately to hook Hamilton's stick, but failed every time. Just as Hamilton approached the goal, Woody deliberately turned his horse's head and hit Hamilton, and the ball flew out.The Hamiltonians were thrown off their feet.The audience stood up and shouted loudly.The referee blew his whistle angrily and raised a hand. The first rule of the game of polo is that when a rider has control of the ball and is running towards the goal, it is a foul to cut off his path.Any golfer who crosses the goal line and causes danger will be sentenced to a foul. The game is suspended. The referee walked up to Woody and said angrily, "You fouled on purpose, Mr. Stanford." Woody grinned and said, "It's not my fault! It's his damn horse..." "The opponent gets one point, which is your punishment." The result of this round was a crushing defeat.Woody had two more fouls in the final three minutes.As a result, the opponent scored another two points.Both fouls allowed the opponent to get free throws.In the last thirty seconds of the inning, the opposing team scored the decisive point.It was supposed to be a sure thing to win, but in the end it was defeated. In the grandstands, Mimi was stunned by the sudden turn of events on the field. Paige asked timidly, "It's not going well, is it?" Mimi turned her head and said, "Yes, Paige. I'm afraid so." A waiter came up to them. "Miss Carlson, may I speak to you?" Mimi Carlson turned to Paige and said, "Excuse me, I'll be away for a while." Paige watched them go away. In the locker room, Woody's teammates were silent.Woody stared blankly at the wall, ashamed.Mimi Carlson walked into the locker room and hurried over to Woody. "Woody, I have the most terrible news for you." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Your father is dead." Woody looked up, shook his head back and forth, and began to sob. "It's me...it's my responsibility, it's...my fault." "No, don't blame yourself too much, it's not your fault." "Yes, it was my fault," Woody cried. "If it weren't for the penalty for fouling, we would have won the game."