Chapter 178 Gotten Lost Due To Dementia
It was almost four o’clock when they finished eating and returned.
The Smith family’s car arrived to pick her up. Eileen had just taken a seat in the car when her phone started to vibrate in her pocket,
She received a message from Jasper that read: The weather has been getting colder recently, remember to wear more layers. Do you need Richard to add more blankets to your bed at night?
Eileen replied: No need, it’s not that cold.
She sent the message, but Jasper did not respond.
Eileen then sent him another message: I’ve finished school, so I’m heading home first.
Jasper: Why are you so early today? I’ll have my driver come pick you up.
Eileen: I just picked up some books and finished the entrance exam, and then school was over. I happened to run into Elm and went for a meal with him.
Jasper’s gaze deepened as he stared at the mobile screen. He then texted: Okay. I’m off to a meeting now. See you tonight when I get back.
Eileen texted: Okay.
She then went straight to the Smith family’s house. The extracurricular cla*ses she took had already exceeded the planned time, and she had completed all the courses.
The goal was to focus on studying in the future.
After arriving at the Smith family’s residence, she saw Richard training a few new housekeepers outside the courtyard.
He was briefing them on some important points to note.
As Eileen stepped out of the car, a dozen housekeepers greeted her in unison, “Ms. Eileen.”
Such a scene had never occurred at the Swan residence as it wasn’t very large and had only four housekeepers.
Naturally, it didn’t come close to the grandeur of the Smith residence.
Eileen was so nervous that she didn’t know what to do.
Richard noticed Eileen’s discomfort and immediately said. “You can all carry on with your
respective tasks.”
“Understood.”
After a group of housekeepers were taken away, Richard approached Eileen and said, “You came home three hours earlier than usual, Ms. Eileen. Would you like me to prepare some snacks for you?”
“No need. I’ve already eaten, so I’m not very hungry. I’m going to my room to do my homework now, Richard.” Eileen replied.
Richard smiled. “All right.”
Eileen had only taken a few steps when she turned around and asked, “By the way, do we have any carp fish at home?”
“Do you want to eat carp fish, Ms. Eileen?”
“I’ll cook some fish tonight! I went to a restaurant today, and it tasted quite good, so I asked the owner for the recipe. I’ll write down the ingredients we need in a bit. Would you mind helping me with the preparations?”
“Your cooking will surely bring great joy, Ms. Eileen,” Richard said.
Eileen nodded in response.
Cooking for Jasper was intentional, yet not quite. It was simply her interest and hobby to cook, especially when she encountered delicious food. She aspired to recreate the exact same taste as the original.
The fish at the seafood restaurant indeed tasted amazing.
Plus, Jasper’s taste is similar to hers, so he enjoyed the food she made.
Richard knew about this, but he did not tell Jasper. Instead, he wanted to surprise Jasper.
Eileen jotted down the ingredients, and the housekeeper immediately went off to prepare them.
Jasper usually has no other tasks in the evenings. He typically finishes his work on time and gets home around half past six.
After finishing a page of the new exercise book Jacob gave her, Eileen wondered if he had given her advanced math problems typically done by junior year university students.
Why are these questions becoming increasingly difficult? I spent an hour on just two questions!
The pot was stewing fish, and the aroma was quite similar to that of the restaurant’s.
Eileen calculated the time, so she knew he would be back soon.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Eileen made several calls, but Jasper didn’t answer any of
them.
It was almost eight o’clock when Eileen suddenly realized Richard was nowhere to be found.
She was so busy and focused that she didn’t even notice when he left. When she asked the housekeepers, they stuttered and hesitated.
“Did something happen to him? Why did Richard leave as well?”
The housekeeper replied, “Well… Mr. Richard instructed me not to tell you.”
“Has something happened to Jasper?”
“I don’t know either.”
Eileen knew they were tight-l*pped and she wouldn’t get much out of them, so she decided to call Fabian instead.
After a long wait, Fabian finally answered the call.
“Ms. Eileen? Are you guys still working overtime?”
Fabian looked at the person, who was hooked up to the IV drip in the ward, and said after a brief pause, “The CEO is in a meeting and will be late. You don’t need to wait up tonight, Ms. Eileen. You have cla*s tomorrow, so you should rest early.”
His tone was noticeably off, and moreover, she could hear the faint sound of someone crying in the noisy background.
At about eleven o’clock that night, a housekeeper told her,
“You should stop waiting, Ms. Eileen! It’s not uncommon for Mr. Jasper to be out all night. Your health will suffer if you keep waiting.”
Eileen sat cross-legged on the floor, a pen in her hand as she worked on some problems. “It’s okay, I’ll wait for half an hour. You can go ahead and get some rest.”
With that, the last housekeeper left. Suddenly, an old woman with Blake hair appeared at the door. She was dressed simply, but her eyes looked bright and lively. Leaning on her cane, she peered through the gla*s window at the people inside.
“Old Mrs. Smith!” the housekeeper exclaimed in surprise.
Is she the young girl Richie brought home?” the old lady asked.
“Yes. the housekeeper replied.
“What is she doing?”
“Mr. Jasper hasn’t returned yet, so Ms. Eileen is waiting for him.”
“I see. You can head on back now.”
“All right, Old Mrs. Smith.”
Upon hearing a sound behind her, Eileen turned around and saw an elderly woman walking in, leaning on a cane. Her shoes and trouser legs were covered in mud, giving her a somewhat disheveled appearance.
Eileen propped herself up using the coffee table and glanced around. Apart from the streetlights illuminating the surroundings outside, everything else was shrouded in quiet darkness.
Eileen had never seen this old woman before, especially not at this hour.
It reminded her of a very popular horror movie.
“Why are you out at this hour, ma’am? Are you lost?”
Eileen’s first reaction was to look at the woman’s shadow on the ground, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
“Young lady, do you mistake me for a ghost?” asked the old woman.
Eileen was startled. “No, not at all!”
She really takes after my grandma! Grandma enjoys staying up late at night and wandering around too.
“I’m thirsty. Is there any water to drink?”
“Sure, sure. Just wait a moment, I’ll go pour you some.”
This old lady looks so kind and gentle, so why does she seem so fierce?
Eileen went to the kitchen and poured the woman a gla*s of warm water. “Here you go, ma’am. Would you like to sit for a while?”
Immediately after, Eileen brought out a cushion and placed it on the sofa as she continued. “You can sit here.”
4/5
Do you find my appearance repulsive?”
Fileen quickly clarified, “No, but this isn’t my home. I’m just staying here temporarily. The owner hasn’t returned yet, and he might be displeased if he sees that the couch is dirty. You could sit wherever you like if this were my home.”
Seeing her behave as if she owned the house, Eileen looked around and sat down, not bothering to sit on the cushion.
“This house is indeed beautiful, but it feels cold and lacks character. What is that pleasant. smell?”
“Ah, there’s fish in the pot. It’s been cooking for a while. Are you hungry, ma’am? Shall I serve you some?” Eileen replied.
“The aroma is quite fragrant. I’ve never tasted it before.”
“Then I’ll go serve it up.”
Eileen walked into the kitchen, finding the old woman’s behavior a bit too peculiar.
She had thought the old woman was Jasper’s grandmother, but her behavior suggested otherwise.
Could she be a random elderly person from some random family who has gotten lost
due to dementia?
