Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl (Pearl and Richard) novel Chapter 1317

"I'm begging you, I just need to see him once. I promise I'll leave right after I make sure he's okay." Esther was pleading earnestly, which softened the maid's heart.

"Miss Esther, please don't make this hard for me. This isn't right. You two have split up, so it's best if you stop chasing him. Besides, he said some nasty things. I really feel bad for you."

The maid didn't want to see a kind woman like Esther get hurt over and over again, so she tried to convince her to leave.

"Please believe me. I'll leave right after I see him." Esther knew her request was foolish, but she couldn't rest until she saw that James was okay.

Feeling helpless, the maid finally whispered the truth to Esther. "He's very sick and is getting treatment at the hospital. He's not here at home. There's nothing I can do for you."

Esther's eyes widened. "What? Is he really that sick?"

"Miss Esther, I shouldn't say more. That's all I can tell you."

The maid had promised James to keep his illness a secret, but now she had slipped up, which made her anxious.

"Can you tell me which hospital he's in?"

"I can't do that."

Esther couldn't remember how she left the Crawfords' house. All she knew was she needed to call her friend Pearl for help.

In the past, Agnes might have been hopeful. But she knew better now. "Este, let me be honest. James isn't sick from a virus. It's a genetic disease that runs in his family. It's rare, and now it's his turn."

Esther was shocked. "What? What kind of genetic disease?"

"The Crawfords have a rare genetic condition that shows up every three generations. The affected usually don't live past twenty-five. Their health starts to decline at twenty-four, and gradually their bodies break down until they pass away. When James was born, we tested him and everything seemed fine. We never expected this.

"There's no cure for it. So, Este, James ended things with you for your own good, regardless of how it seemed. Please don't come back. Let him rest in peace."

Overwhelmed by the news, Esther broke down in tears. "Aunt Agnes, I can't just leave him like this."