Garden of May — Chapter 31

TO GET TO THE POINT...

THE WILL OF THE LATE EARL OF SOMERSET

WAS INDEED A FORGERY, JUST AS YOU SAID.

APPARENTLY, WHENEVER HE AMENDED THE WILL,

HE’D LEAVE A COPY OF EVERY SINGLE REVISION

WITH AN EMPLOYEE HE WORKED WITH.

ONCE I FOUND THIS OUT,

I HAD TO CONTACT YOU.

THE FACT THAT THE COMPANY MEANT FOR YOU

WENT TO YOUR UNCLE...

IN ANY CASE, OUR FIRST PRIORITY SHOULD BE TO FIND THE ORIGINAL COPY

OF YOUR FATHER'S FINAL WILL.

I KNOW WRITING A WILL IS A LIFELONG PROCESS,

BUT UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES,

NO ONE WOULD OBSESSIVELY KEEP COPIES

TO THIS EXTENT.

THE FACT THAT HE SAVED EVERY SINGLE REVISION

SUGGESTS THAT HE KNEW

THAT ONE DAY, HE WOULD MEET AN EARLY END

AT THE HANDS OF ANOTHER.

REMEMBER...

THAT CAR... THE SOUND OF ITS ENGINE...

THAT COLOR...

THAT SOUND... I REMEMBER EVERYTHING.

I REMEMBER IT ALL.

IF YOU WANT ME... TO KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT...

SHOULD I KILL SOMEONE FOR YOU, JUST LIKE LAST TIME?

G-GIVE ME MORE MONEY.

OR-

THE VICIOUS DECEPTION CUTS DEEP.

I DIDN'T EVEN RECOGNIZE MY PARENTS' MURDERER.

I STUPIDLY ACCEPTED THE UNJUST TREATMENT,

HUDDLED AND SILENT,

AND LET MYSELF BE TRAMPLED.

IT FEELS LIKE THE ENTIRE WORLD CONSPIRED TO DECEIVE ME...

WHY... ME...?

WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE ME?

WHY...

HIC...

HIC

NNNGH,

HIC...

NGH...

VANESSA.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?

HIC

R-RIVER...

WHAT AM I...

SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?

EVERYTHING IS JUST SO OVERWHELMING.

HIC

IT’S TOO MUCH...

WHY ISN’T THERE ANYONE

ON MY SIDE?

WHY...?

AH...

NO, THAT’S NOT TRUE...

YOU’VE ALWAYS

BEEN THERE FOR ME... WHENEVER I WAS STRUGGLING.

YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE

WHO’S NEVER DECEIVED ME.

SO, RIVER...

YOU'LL STAY WITH ME,

WON'T YOU?

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE LOVE...

SO PLEASE...

EVEN AFTER SUMMER IS OVER...

VANESSA,

I HAVE

ALREADY DECEIVED YOU.

I...

THOUGH I HAD MANY CHANCES TO COME CLEAN,

I LET EVERY MOMENT SLIP BY WITH SMALL LIES.

SO...

I—

HOLD ME, RIVER ROSS.

PLEASE, JUST...

NOW I KNOW

THAT THE PRICE OF PUTTING OFF ALL THAT TROUBLESOME EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE

IS UTTER EXHAUSTION.

YOU’RE

A REALLY GOOD ARTIST.

IT’S BEAUTIFUL...

HMM?

YOU HAVE A FEVER.

AH...

I WAS CRYING,

AND I WAS OUT IN THE RAIN...

İ AM-

I'LL BE ALL RIGHT AFTER A GOOD SLEEP.

I HAVE TO GO BACK TO LINDEN

FOR ABOUT 10 DAYS THIS TIME.

BUT YOU JUST GOT BACK TODAY.

THERE ARE SOME COMPLICATED MATTERS TO ATTEND TO.

OH...

I'LL WRAP THINGS UP AND BE BACK AS SOON AS I CAN.

BUT...!

THE SUMMER

WILL BE OVER SOON, RIVER.

YES, IT WILL BE OVER SOON.

WHEN I COME BACK FROM MY TRIP, VANESSA...

WHEN THAT TIME COMES,

THERE'S SOMETHING I NEED TO TELL YOU.