Beyond the Divorce

I was puzzled and asked, "So what happened next?"

"I had no choice but to make do with what I could. I rang their neighbor's doorbell to ask them. However, the neighbors wouldn't give a straight answer either. They just asked who I was.

"Even though I explained that I knew Beatrice, they still claimed to be unaware of their family and asked me to check with someone else.

"But seeing them being evasive, I knew something was amiss. Finally, I asked an older security guard in the neighborhood and got this information. But I got kicked out of the neighborhood eventually." Theo laughed awkwardly.

"Kicked out? Why?" I asked Theo.

"Why? The Chandler family reported me!" He sighed helplessly.

"I couldn't find out more and didn't dare approach that security guard again. I was afraid it might harm him, and it's not easy for someone his age to find a job."All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

"How did you think of asking the guard?" Edith asked.

"Oh, about that. Since the neighbors couldn't help, I wandered around the yard. The guard was on duty, and he asked why I was roaming around the neighborhood. I had to tell him that I was looking for someone from the Chandler family.

"He interrogated me and thought I was some kind of troublemaker, so he tried to chase me out. I had no choice but to tell him that I was looking for Beatrice. The Chandler family wasn't being friendly, and I just wanted to know if Beatrice was there."

We all listened attentively. It seemed that Theo had perseverance.

He continued, "Then the guard impatiently told me to stop asking around. When I heard that, I was sure he knew something.

"I gave him a cigarette, and we both smoked. Only then did he tell me quietly not to ask anymore. I asked him if it was true, and he said, 'I've been working in this neighborhood for many years. Do you think there's a family here that I don't recognize?""

"Did he mention when she entered the instituion?" I asked, unwilling to accept the news.

"According to him, it's been around eight years," Theo said regretfully. "Otherwise, why haven't we heard anything from her? If it weren't for you, no one would have thought to look for her."

Edith nodded. "It's been too long. We graduated only ten years ago, right? But she's been gone for around eight years? What a pity!"

"So, she didn't stay in her hometown long after graduation?" I pondered, saying, "What could have happened?"

"We'll have to find a way to investigate this slowly," Theo said.

Everyone felt regretful. "We never expected that Beatrice would have such a fate."

"There must be something going on

here. I wanted to probe the guard further, but the Chandler familyè reported me, and I got kicked out of the neighborhood." Theo chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. "It was quite embarrassing."

"There's something wrong with the Chandler family," a male classmate said. "You didn't even mention that you were looking for Beatrice. Otherwise, I would've gone with you. Let's figure out what happened to the family. It's impossible not to find out."

His suggestion aligned with my thoughts. It seemed I needed to dig into the background of the Chandler family, something Theo couldn't accomplish.

I needed Grayson.