Chapter 217: Monica Points a Knife at Herself, Jane
Banner, New Jersey.
Mayweather Girls' Orphanage.
A math test is underway. The female math teacher, lacking experience with the upcoming high school entrance exams, walks around checking the students' answers. When she reaches a dark-haired girl with braids in the first row, the girl looks up at her with a sweet smile before continuing to answer the questions.
A slight, maternal smile appears on the math teacher's lips. Looking at the girl's neat handwriting and flawless answers, she sighs inwardly, "Esther, what a shame."
This girl, Esther, had always been her best student—academically gifted, a talented pianist, an excellent artist, polite, communicative, and possessing a maturity far beyond her years.
Such an outstanding girl as Esther, unsurprisingly, was adopted by a couple shortly after arriving at Mayweather. But who could have imagined that she would encounter such tragedy so soon after leaving?
Although it was an accident and not Esther's fault, the key issue is that future adoptive families won't see it that way.
This isn't the first time.
Looking at Esther's file, she was adopted from abroad by an American couple, but while she was out, their house caught fire and killed them, leaving Esther back in an orphanage.
It's so tragic.
While orphanages often embellish their children's backgrounds and teach them to wear a pitiful, practiced smile to increase their chances of adoption, how can such an artificial smile compare to the natural charm inherited from a mother's survival instincts?
And this embellishment isn't arbitrary; such important information cannot be deleted, altered, or concealed by the orphanage.
With two fatal accidents, Esther is seen as cursed by some. Even if a rational couple doesn't care about this, they might still have better options and pass over the perpetually unlucky Esther.
Thinking of this, the math teacher couldn't help but shift her gaze from the dark-haired girl with braids to the last row of the classroom. There, she saw the blonde girl, Beth Harmon, not focused on answering her questions, but instead looking up at her with an indifferent expression. When their eyes met, Beth Harmon raised her hand.
This wasn't the first time.
The math teacher walked over, picked up the already completed test paper from the desk, glanced at it—all correct—and, as always, said in a low voice, "Go take the blackboard eraser to the basement and clean it."
Beth Harmon stood up, walked to the blackboard, skillfully picked up the chalk-dust-covered eraser, and left.
The math teacher stood in the last row, watching Beth Harmon leave the classroom, while the girl with braids, who had been focused on answering her questions, looked up and watched Beth Harmon's figure disappear.
This was another reason why the math teacher felt sympathy for Esther; before Beth Harmon came, Esther was indeed the most outstanding child at the Mayweather Orphanage.
But after Beth Harmon arrived, even though she never argued and remained quiet, always observing everything with her large, indifferent eyes, her genius intelligence, inherited from her mother who held a PhD in mathematics, was undeniable.
Academically, she was self-taught, putting immense pressure on her math teacher, who prepared lessons even more diligently, fearing being shown up by a nine-year-old.
As for her hobbies, she developed a love for chess after seeing the janitor playing alone in the basement while cleaning blackboard erasers. Within weeks, this attracted the attention of the chess club advisor at Bergen County High School, who approached the principal to invite her to a 1v12 high school tournament. She won decisively, even meeting a world champion grandmaster and the renowned detective Chuck.
This experience made even the ordinary math teacher envious, not to mention its allure to adoptive couples.
Both nine years old, Esther seemed no less capable than Beth Harmon, but the real difference was undeniable. If she had to explain, one was precociously excellent, while the other was simply exceptionally intelligent.
Outside the classroom, Beth Harmon, carrying a blackboard eraser, walked down the corridor, turned a corner, reached a stairwell, went down, pushed open a door, and entered the basement. She went to the sink, vigorously slapped the eraser for a while, then began washing it. Turning her head to the inner room, she saw a chessboard as always, but the familiar old janitor wasn't there. She frowned, went over to look at the chessboard, casually made a move in the endgame, and then went to the corner to browse the various chess books and magazines.
The Mayweather Girls' Orphanage operated under a closed system; there were no cell phones, no television, and apart from the weekly movie screenings, there was very little communication with the outside world.
For the taciturn Beth Harmon, this wasn't unacceptable, especially since she had her chess.
Of course, reading the magazine containing major chess news from the old man who ran the office was one of her few pleasures.
Then she saw an article about Grandmaster Patrick Kloster winning the World Championship title at the Moscow Championship Challenge, and calmly began reading the magazine's analysis of the final game.
A bald old man carrying a toolbox and ladder walked in, glanced at Beth, and remained silent.
"His confidence seems a bit shaken," Beth said after a long while, looking up at the bald old man. "Has something happened lately?"
The bald old man looked at Beth in surprise and slowly said, "I heard that in a tournament held on Long Island, Patrick Kloster lost to Detective Chuck."
At this point, even the usually taciturn Beth couldn't help but add, "He lost badly; he must have been severely affected mentally. You're right, he's no match for Detective Chuck."
"I told you so," Beth Harmon said without surprise.
At first, the two only played chess and barely spoke. But as Beth displayed exceptional chess talent and won honors with the old man's help, she returned wanting to share her feelings with him.
She then shared her assessment: even a world champion grandmaster couldn't compare to a top mathematician like Chuck Wolf.
The old janitor, whose only hobby was chess, didn't believe her. He explained what a world champion meant, but it didn't change her mind until he learned about the battle at Channing Estate from a friend at the chess club. Only then did he realize she was right.
"It's a shame he's not married..."
"Why?" Nine-year-old Beth Harmon looked at the old janitor with confusion at his sudden sigh.
"Nothing," the old janitor didn't explain the rule that unmarried people couldn't adopt children. He shook his head, then glanced at her. "You should go back now. Someone's coming today; you should get ready."
"There's nothing to get ready for," Beth, of course, knew what the old janitor meant by "preparations," and said nonchalantly. "My life is fine now."
Every now and then, couples wanting to adopt children would come; this day was almost like a festival at the orphanage. Everyone dressed in their best clothes, looking their most presentable, flashing their most uniform, practiced smiles, and gazing expectantly at the couples who walked in, hoping they would be adopted.
"You don't know what you're talking about," the old janitor shook his head. "You'll understand in time. Now, go!"
Saying this, he suddenly looked towards the stairwell, vaguely sensing someone there, but not seeing anyone.
Seeing his resolute attitude, Beth Harmon could only leave with her magazine.
The exams were long over, and no other classes were scheduled for today. Girls of all ages laughed and played, freely displaying a youthful energy they didn't usually have.
Yes. Today was a rare day of freedom allowed by the Mayweather Orphanage, mainly to showcase to the potential adoptive parents and donors who were about to visit.
A car drove in.
The orphanage director personally stood at the door to greet them. As a couple stepped out of the car, she immediately approached with a smile: "Mr. and Mrs. Kloster, welcome to Mayweather!"
Indeed, the visitors were Patrick and Linda Kloster.
Linda took the initiative to greet them.
Patrick Kloster, however, stood reservedly with his hands behind his back, surveying the Mayweather buildings. His gaze suddenly fell upon the attic on the second floor, where a small figure flashed by. A calculating smile involuntarily appeared on Patrick's lips.
Led by the director, the Klosters began their tour of the Mayweather Orphanage. Remembering her husband's reminder, Linda asked, "Director, I heard there's a child named Beth Harmon. Where is she?"
"Oh, Beth's in her room," the director said, glancing at the world champion before smiling and explaining. "She enjoys studying chess games. I think she'll be very happy to see Mr. Kloster again."
"I hope so," Patrick Kloster said with a knowing smile. "If possible, I hope to personally train the next generation of American chess players, truly capable of dominating the world chess scene."
"That's everyone's hope," the director said with a flattering smile, then led the couple upstairs to Beth's dormitory, where they found Beth sitting and reading a chess magazine.
"Beth, come and greet Mr. and Mrs. Kloster," the director called.
Under the director's gaze, Beth could only get up and walk over, mechanically greeting them, then looking at Patrick Kloster with a strange expression.
"We meet again," Patrick Kloster looked Beth up and down, then noticed the chess magazine in her hand. He smiled and said, "Are you looking at my game from the final? Do you understand it?"
"Still studying it," Beth looked at him. "But I know you won with great difficulty. Was it because Chuck Wolf crushed your confidence?"
"..." Patrick Kloster's smile faltered.
"Beth!" The director, keenly sensing the unfriendly atmosphere, looked at Beth with a stern gaze. "Where are your manners?"
"Sorry." One has to bow one's head under someone else's roof. As clever as Beth was, she naturally understood this principle. So, meeting the stern gaze, Beth adjusted her expression, revealing a practiced smile honed by the industrial training of an American orphanage, and looked at Patrick Kloster. "Mr. Kloster, what caused you to take a full 44 moves to checkmate your opponent? Was it because of Chuck Wolf?"
"..." Everyone looked at Beth's practiced smile, but the question remained largely unchanged, still grating. They only found this practiced smile extremely irritating.
"You're very perceptive!" Just as the director was racking her brain trying to smooth things over, Patrick Kloster laughed. "Very much like me."
With that, he turned and left.
"Mr. Kloster!" The director glared at Beth fiercely and quickly followed.
Patrick Kloster was not only a potential adopter but also a potential major donor. A successful adoption would be a valuable asset to their orphanage, making the director's attention crucial.
Just then, beautiful piano music rang out, drawing everyone's attention.
Linda, who had been observing, suddenly became engrossed in listening.
Patrick Kloster put his finger to his lips, signaling the director to be quiet, and the three listened attentively for a while.
"Who is playing?" Patrick Kloster asked the director first, then looked at Linda. "Darling, it reminds me of you playing the piano."
"It must be Esther playing," the director explained with a strange look in her eyes, quickly changing the subject. "Mrs. Kloster, you also enjoy playing the piano?"
"Just a little," Linda smiled shyly.
"Oh, you're too modest," Patrick Kloster said. "My wife is incredibly talented at the piano. If it weren't for her stage fright, she could be a famous pianist."
"I have no doubt about that," the director echoed with a smile. "Mr. Kloster, you're so outstanding. Since you chose Mrs. Kloster as your partner, she must be equally outstanding."
"Let's go take a look," Patrick Kloster suggested, leading the way toward the sound of the piano again.
Linda and the director followed, entering the hall. There, they saw a dark-haired girl with braids and a ribbon around her neck, sitting at the piano, playing with complete absorption.
"She plays beautifully," Linda exclaimed in admiration. A thought struck her, and she went over to talk to Esther. After leaving, she looked expectantly at her husband. "Patrick, can we adopt her?"
"Director, what do you think?" Patrick Kloster didn't answer, but looked at the director instead.
"This..." The director hesitated. As the director of a church-run orphanage, her devout faith bordered on superstition. She could sense Esther's unusual nature and vaguely felt something was off about her. She didn't want the Klosters, who were so important to the orphanage, to adopt Esther, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.
"We've decided, we'll adopt her," Patrick Kloster, seeing this, became even more certain of his suspicion and made the decision immediately.
"Really? That's wonderful!" Linda was overjoyed.
Compared to Beth Harmon, who shared a love of chess with her husband, was straightforward, and was the one her husband specifically wanted to adopt, she preferred Esther, who shared her interests, if she had to adopt one.
"Director, can we adopt both her and Beth Harmon at the same time?" Patrick Kloster looked at his happy wife and smiled meaningfully.
"Ah, this..." The director was taken aback, but after thinking for a moment, she didn't refuse.
Normally, a couple can only adopt one child at a time. But setting aside Esther's special circumstances—she might never have another chance if she wasn't adopted this time—Patrick Kloster is wealthy and influential, and she could make an exception according to American custom.
Beth Harmon was stunned when she heard the news. The director didn't offer much explanation; the children in the orphanage always eagerly awaited adoption and were often rejected—no child had ever refused a foster family.
At the hillside villa, after their evening activities, everyone went to their own rooms and slept separately.
Jane woke up in the middle of the night, completely dehydrated. She groggily got out of bed, staggered out of the bedroom, went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of ice water, and gulped it down with her eyes closed. Only then did she open her eyes wide with relief. After closing the refrigerator, she jumped in fright, almost screaming. Clutching her heaving chest, she scolded Monica, who had suddenly appeared behind the refrigerator door, "Monica, what are you doing? You scared me to death!"
Monica ignored her, went to the kitchen counter, grabbed a kitchen knife, and started washing and cutting vegetables.
"Making something at this hour? Are you hungry? I'm a little hungry too—make me something," Jane wasn't bothered by it; she'd seen Monica's strange behavior many times and was used to it. While saying this, she frantically drank more water, slumped onto the sofa, picked up the remote, turned on the TV, and randomly flipped through channels, stopping at one showing interesting news and stories.
"University of Chicago student Bianca shot and killed her best friend Heather after they went to play a drinking game called 'Old Friends Half-Price' with her boyfriend. Police suspect it was caused by jealousy..."
Jane, who was gulping down water, spat it out. Her eyes widened as she watched intently. After finishing the gossip, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Turning her head slowly, she saw Monica standing behind her, expressionless, holding a knife.
"Ahh!!!" Jane couldn't hold back any longer and screamed.
In the master bedroom, Chuck wasn't asleep either, answering a phone call: "Dr. Wolf, or should I call you Detective Chuck?"
"What is it, Kalinda?" Chuck ignored the teasing on the other end and went straight to the point.
"Okay, we need your help." Seeing this, Kalinda, an investigator from the Chicago law firm Lockhart & Gardner, stopped beating around the bush and stated the reason. "Have you heard the news about the University of Chicago female student shooting and killing her best friend?"
"Chuck!!!" Just as Kalinda was introducing the case, Jane, terrified, screamed and burst into the bedroom, followed by Monica, expressionless and holding a knife.
"Are you alright over there?" The commotion made Kalinda stop and start getting curious.
"I'm fine," Chuck glanced at the scene and calmly said, "Continue."
"Bianca's mother contacted our firm, wanting to hire us as her daughter's defense attorney. We need to know if Bianca is innocent..." Kalinda, imagining the drama on Chuck's end, continued introducing the case. Seeing her female boss gesturing, she added, "Diane wants to speak with you."
(End of Chapter)
[+500 Power Stones = +2 Extra Chapter]
[+10 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Review!
P*atreon/Soulforger (50+ advanced chapters)
Buy me coffee - ko-fi*com/soulforger01