Chapter 30: Wendy's Disappearance

"Wow, you actually have so many readers writing letters to you? And it looks like the names on the envelopes are all female readers!" Nicole exclaimed as she helped Monet organize things.

"Well, after all, 'Titanic' is a love story, so naturally, there are more female readers!" Monet explained.

Then, in order to be candid, he continued, "By the way, you said you didn't have anything to do, so why not help me reply to the readers' letters?"

"What if I come across a love letter? How should I respond then?" Nicole teased.

"There's no way there would be any love letters!" Monet answered casually.

But what he didn't expect was for Nicole to hold a letter and ask him, "Tony, do you happen to know a girl named Wendy?"

"You know Wendy?" Monet asked in disbelief.

"Of course, I don't know her, but this letter is from her to you, and she seems to regret a lot in the letter. Well, just read it yourself!" With that, Nicole handed the letter to Monet.

Monet took the letter and indeed, as Nicole had said, Wendy expressed deep regret for her past mistakes in the letter. She also mentioned that she wasn't happy staying with Karl and that she had come to New York specifically to find Monet, but had not succeeded. Looking at the date, it was around the time he had gone to Hollywood. Considering his busy schedule and a touch of laziness during that period, if it weren't for entrusting Nicole to help him reply, he wouldn't have known when he would have read the letter.

To be honest, if he had received this letter before today, Monet might have actually hesitated for a moment. Wendy's initial impression on him was quite positive. However, what she did before leaving was really uncalled for. Even if she had given me a heads-up or left a note before leaving, it would have been acceptable. But with the way she handled it, even if she truly regretted it this time, who could guarantee that if a similar situation arose in the future, he could fully trust her?

Seeing Monet's expression, Nicole quipped, "What? Are you thinking of welcoming Miss Wendy here? No problem, there are still two guest rooms on the first floor."

"You're so open-minded?!" Monet asked in astonishment, but then he waved his hand and said, "But it's not possible anymore. Betrayal is something I can't tolerate. It's like a mirror that once cracked can't be fully restored. So, at most, we can only be ordinary friends!"

"Well then, I'll just reply as an ordinary friend on your behalf!"

"Sure, thank you for your help!"

What surprised Monet a little was that a few days later, he actually received a reply from Ruth. In her letter, Ruth mentioned that since Wendy left Philadelphia to find him in New York last time, she hadn't returned. Ruth initially thought Wendy was with him, but now she was unsure of her whereabouts. So, Ruth hoped that Monet could look into her whereabouts in New York. After all, they were all friends. Even though Wendy had her shortcomings before, if she was in trouble now, it was only right to lend a helping hand.

Monet agreed with Ruth's idea, but to be honest, he thought this matter wouldn't be easy to resolve. Several days had passed, but he still reached out to Chief Klein for help in searching. He also inquired with the newspaper staff and Aunt Mia, who had initially received Wendy, but none of them knew where she had gone after leaving the newspaper office.

This started to worry Monet because from what he knew, Wendy didn't know anyone in New York. Otherwise, she wouldn't have shared an apartment with him, a man she barely knew. So, where could she have gone? It was important to note that while New York was a big city, it wasn't the safest place. Take, for example, the Hell's Kitchen incident when he followed "Fake Jack." If a single girl ended up there, the consequences were unimaginable.

On the way back, Monet noticed some good jujubes and bought a few. However, upon arriving home, Nicole saw the jujubes in his hand and exclaimed, "Oh my god, Tony, you need to eat these sparingly, or better yet, avoid them altogether!"

"Why can't I eat them?" Monet asked puzzled.

"There's this Mrs. Olsen who ate too many of these and developed stomach stones. Doctors couldn't do much, and she has to wait for them to dissolve slowly. So, it's better for you not to overindulge in these!" Nicole explained.

Monet had heard a little about Mrs. Olsen's situation even before he traveled back in time. She had developed a condition known as phytobezoar, and not only jujubes but also hawthorns, persimmons, and such foods, if consumed excessively on an empty stomach, could lead to this issue. As for treatments, being an amateur, he didn't understand the more professional approaches, but he knew of a folk remedy.

So, he asked Nicole, "Are you acquainted with Mrs. Olsen?"

"We're on good terms. Why do you suddenly ask about her?" Nicole inquired, puzzled.

Monet hesitated for a moment and then said, "Because I know a method to treat this condition. It's only suitable for patients who recently acquired it and don't have any other stomach ailments. But this method doesn't have solid scientific backing, so if it's a stranger, they probably won't believe it."

"Mrs. Olsen is practically being tortured by this ailment. As long as it works, she won't care about scientific backing. Hurry up and tell me your method!" Nicole urged.

Then, as if remembering something, she added, "By the way, this method of yours doesn't have any side effects, right?"

Monet waved his hand and answered, "Absolutely not. Actually, it's quite simple. Drink a liter of Coca-Cola before each meal every day, continuously for a week, and it should get better!" (Coca-Cola was already available in 1886, if anyone doubts it, they can check the label on a bottle.)

"Drinking Coca-Cola can cure the illness? You mean this?" Nicole ran to the kitchen, fetched a bottle of cola, and asked Monet.

Monet nodded and said, "Exactly, this thing. But it works better when it's chilled!"

"Tony, are you sure drinking cola will really work?" Nicole pressed.

"Absolutely sure. I've personally seen someone cured of stomach stones caused by eating too many hawthorns through drinking Coca-Cola!" Monet hadn't seen it personally, but before time travel, he had heard that this treatment method had been mentioned in the prestigious medical journal, "The Lancet." It was likely that there were clinical trials.

Then he added, "Moreover, drinking it won't harm you, right?"

"Well, that's true!" Nicole nodded in agreement, then seemed to make up her mind. "Alright, I'll go let Mrs. Olsen give it a try!"