Chapter 495: Estrangement
Clayton Xavier arrived carrying a large bag, ready to pick up his goods. It was full of cloth. Adrian Hawthorne gave him one hundred feet of it and didn’t even ask for payment upfront. Just like with Goldie Thorne and the others, the deal was an eight-cent commission per foot. Adrian even provided a ruler and scissors. He was so thorough that he despised himself for it. ’How did I become such a Good Samaritan?’
And he clearly despised Clayton Xavier.
The conflicted Adrian Hawthorne didn’t give Clayton Xavier a pleasant look; he even hustled him out the door. In truth, he was angry with himself. He didn’t allow himself to be a good person, yet here he was, playing the part—and for Clayton Xavier of all people.
Adrian Hawthorne felt his mind must be addled, but it would surely return to normal in a while. After laying out the rules, he shooed Clayton Xavier out the door, not wanting to look at the annoying fellow. Out of sight, out of mind.
Clayton Xavier paid Adrian Hawthorne’s foul attitude no mind. He was simply grateful. ’This cloth will definitely be easy to sell. Eight cents a foot means eight dollars for one hundred feet. If I’m lucky, I could make eight dollars in a single day. Mom wouldn’t have to work so hard, and Grandma could finally see a doctor.’
He planned to go to Wraven to sell the cloth. Adrian Hawthorne had told him someone was already selling in Vessaria, which was also too far away. Wraven was much more convenient. Carrying the bag of cloth, Clayton Xavier had just reached the foot of the mountain when he ran into Jacqueline Spann. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react and simply froze.
But Clayton quickly came to his senses. His gaze grew distant, he straightened his back, and offered a polite smile.
’I won’t get entangled with Jacqueline Spann again. We can’t even be ordinary friends.’
’I can’t let Mom be heartbroken again.’
When he got home last night, he hadn’t told Verna Golding what happened in town. It wouldn’t be long before everyone in Xavier Village knew anyway. Secrets never stayed secret in a rural village, and a commotion that big was bound to be spread around by someone. Verna Golding would find out sooner or later.
’Since Grandma and Mom don’t want me to know about this whole mess, I’ll just pretend I don’t.’
Jacqueline Spann’s heart sank. She was sensitive enough to notice the change in Clayton Xavier’s attitude. ’Does he know?’
"Clayton, are you going to Wraven to buy books?"
"Mm."
Clayton Xavier’s expression was impassive, a clear signal he didn’t want to talk. Jacqueline Spann’s heart sank even further, but her smile only widened. "I happen to be free. Why don’t we go together?"
"There’s no need. I’m in a hurry, I should get going."
Clayton Xavier refused flatly and quickened his pace. Jacqueline Spann’s face turned cold, her hands balling into tight fists. Unwilling to let it go, she called out after him, "Is there some kind of misunderstanding?"
"I really am in a hurry. Goodbye!"
Clayton Xavier didn’t even turn his head back. He was afraid that if he looked at Jacqueline Spann, his resolve would soften. ’After all, Phoenix Golding and his own father are the ones to blame. Jacqueline is innocent.’
But he truly couldn’t face Jacqueline Spann without a barrier between them anymore.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Clayton Xavier walked on, his figure gradually receding into the distance. After he rounded a bend, he was gone from sight.
Jacqueline Spann bit her lip so hard she tasted blood. The drastic change in Clayton Xavier’s attitude was a greater blow to her than the exposure of Phoenix Golding’s ugly affair. Clayton was likely the only person she had ever truly given her heart to.
She had even imagined a future with Clayton Xavier—a distant, beautiful one.
But now, it was all just a dream. She and Clayton Xavier had no future together anymore.
Jacqueline Spann didn’t stay heartbroken for long. She turned and walked away, glancing toward the Hawthorne family’s home. She saw Goldie Thorne, along with Phoebe Huxley and Juliana Rhodes. Her expression turned chilling. She knew Adrian Hawthorne had brought back a lot of cloth and had won over both the village chief and Accountant Golding. The Adrian of today was not the Adrian of the past; no one dared to bully him anymore.
She knew Adrian Hawthorne had gotten that cloth from Tristone, which only strengthened her resolve to go there herself. ’If Adrian Hawthorne can get his hands on it, so can I. I just need to get in touch with my aunt.’