The Comments Called Me Ruined and I Called Bluff Chapter 10
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, I had been back for three months.
Everything in the Dixon family had fallen into place.
The company’s messy financial records were fully sorted out, and my reputation outside was slowly being restored.
The servants who used to behave arrogantly under the imposter’s roof had either quit or been replaced.
The house was filled with fresh faces, and the rules had been reestablished.
Sadie’s life had completely returned to normal.
She made a few new friends at school and would go out shopping with them on weekends.
But every single time before she left, she would stop by my room first to check in.
“Nicole, I’m heading out!”
“With who?”
“My classmates.”
“What time will you be back?”
“Before six.”
“Okay, stay safe.”
She nodded repeatedly and ran off.
After taking a couple of steps, she sprinted back and planted a quick kiss on my cheek. “Bye!”
[Sadie is so clingy and sweet.]
[She won’t leave without giving Nicole a kiss first.]
Cyrus stopped working late into the night. Every day, he came home right on time for dinner.
Sometimes he arrived early and just stood by the kitchen door, watching me cook.
“What are making today?”
“Buffalo wings.”
“Okay.”
Then he just stood there watching.
I’d gotten used to his little habit by then. He could stay if he wanted—it wasn’t in the way.
“Need any help?” he suddenly asked.
“You know how to cook?”
“…I know how to chop.”
I handed him a cucumber.
He picked up the chef’s knife, but the cucumber slices he cut were completely uneven—the thickest one was almost the size of my thumb.
“Are you slicing a cucumber or chopping firewood?”
“I’ll cut the next ones thinner.”
Sadie walked past the kitchen door and caught a glimpse of his handiwork.
“Cyrus, you’re so bad at this.”
“Shut up.”
“Nicole, look! That piece is thicker than my face!”
“Your face definitely isn’t as thick as that cucumber slice.”
“Nicole! Why are you taking his side!”
The three of us dissolved into chaos in the kitchen. Smoke from the wok, laughter, and cucumber slices flying through the air.
[This is exactly what home feels like.]
[The three-year void has finally been filled.]
After dinner that evening, the three of us sat out in the garden.
The summer night was cool, and the stars were incredibly bright.
Sadie was lounging on a lawn chair, already half-asleep.
Cyrus sat right next to me, twirling a car key in his hand.
“There’s something I never told you,” he spoke up suddenly.
“What is it?”
“During those three years… I kept trying to find a way to bring you back.”
I turned my head to look at him.
“I asked a lot of people. Spent a lot of money.” his voice was entirely flat. “None of it worked. Later, I thought, if you were never coming back…”
He paused. “I would just make sure Sadie grew up well, then hand the company over to her. And then…”
“Then what?”
He didn’t answer immediately. He just glanced at me and let out a soft smile.
“There is no ‘then’ anymore. You’re back.”
I stared at him, a string in my heart pulling tightly.
Even though he didn’t say it out loud, I could guess what that “then” meant.
“I’m back.” I said, “And I’m not going anywhere.”
He gave a slight nod.
Sadie rolled over, murmuring in her sleep, “Nicole… don’t go…”
I smiled, reaching out to pull her light blanket up over her shoulders. “I won’t leave. I’m right here.”
The corners of her mouth curved slightly, and she drifted right back to sleep.
The night breeze was gentle, and the starlight was brilliant.
I leaned back against my chair, looking up at the sky.
To my right was a fast-asleep Sadie, and to my left was a silent but gentle Cyrus.
Whether the three-year void could ever be filled didn’t matter anymore.
What mattered was that starting today, I was here.
And they were here too.
That was more than enough.