Chapter 279 Guilt
“Essie, is that you?”
Roxanne grew certain she did not imagine the sobs and started to feel more hopeful.
Estella stopped crying when she heard Roxanne’s voice as well. “M-Ms. Jarvis?”
Roxanne heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. She hastily walked toward where Estella was.
She had barely taken a few steps forward when she suddenly slipped.
Roxanne’s heart jumped into her throat as she narrowly steadied herself by grabbing a large tree next to her.
She gazed downward and noticed Estella, who was cowering miserably at the bottom of a pit that was partially concealed by the dense plants around.
“Essie?” Roxanne’s heart ached terribly when she saw Estella.
Looking up at the beam of light shining into the hole, Estella saw Roxanne smiling at her in relief.
“Everything is okay now. I’m here.” Roxanne felt more guilt-ridden at the sight of Estella’s face. Yet, she did not dare to express her emotions because she did not want Estella to be afraid.
Estella’s face was flushed, as she had cried for so long. Her eyes and nose were red, and her cheeks were smeared with dirt from when she had wiped her tears earlier. She appeared very pitiable with her head hung low and her body covered in grime.
“Ms. Jarvis…” Roxanne was finally there to rescue her after she waited for so long. Estella began crying harder after a few seconds.
Roxanne was very anxious when she saw Estella wailing her lungs out. “Don’t cry, Essie. I’m going to find something to pull you up.”
Roxanne searched her surroundings for something that could help her pull Estella up as she spoke.
She consoled Estella while she looked around.
Unfortunately, Estella was bawling so loudly that she could not even hear Roxanne’s voice.
Roxanne finally found a sufficiently long tree branch after much difficulty. After bringing the stick to the edge of the hole and trying its length, Roxanne figured Estella could reach the other end of the tree branch if the latter tiptoed.
“Estella, stop crying. Come here and grab this tree branch. I’ll pull you up.” Roxanne was close to losing her voice after yelling excessively earlier. She cleared her throat to make her voice more audible.
Estella glanced up, wiped the tears on her face, and tiptoed to grasp the tree branch.
However, she could only touch the tip of the tree branch. There was still some length to be covered for her to take hold of the tree branch.
Roxanne frowned. She crawled forward and pushed the tree branch further into the hole.
Only then could Estella seize the other end of the tree branch.
After Estella wrapped her hands around the tree branch, Roxanne gritted her teeth and pulled with all her might to drag Estella out of the hole.
Unexpectedly, Roxanne did not have much strength left in her after starving for the whole night and walking for so long inside the forest.
To make things worse, Estella was too weak to cooperate with her.
As the two exerted force simultaneously, Estella remained rooted to her spot. Instead, Roxanne was tugged forward, causing half her body to hang over the edge of the pit.
Noticing Roxanne’s position, Estella hurriedly let go of the tree branch and ran worriedly to the side of the hole. “Ms. Jarvis!”
Roxanne managed to seize hold of a tree root beside her with effort. She grinned tenderly at Estella. “Don’t be scared, Essie. I’m fine.”
While uttering those words, Roxanne tried her best to climb back up.
Estella suddenly squalled hysterically at the bottom of the pit.
Heart-wrenching agony filled Roxanne’s chest. She turned her head around and saw Estella sitting on the ground, crying her eyes out.
Estella’s sobs gradually diminished, and her breathing became shallower.
Overwhelmed by panic at that instant, Roxanne’s grip slackened. The next second, Roxanne had also fallen into the pit.
With tears in her eyes, Estella threw herself into Roxanne’s arms after the latter fell into the hole.
Roxanne hurriedly hugged the little girl. Guilt washed over her when she felt Estella’s cold body.
If I had brought her together with me in the afternoon, or if I had found her sooner…
