Chapter 183: Angry
Brad strutted forward in his sharp suit, looking all dapper and suave, with those slightly hollow cheeks giving him an edge.
Just a step behind, this young chick, probably around eighteen or nineteen, was clutching a bunch of papers, chatting him up with a shy smile. She had that fearless vibe going on. Brad’s whole mature, cool-guy act was totally what girls went for.
Brad’s face was a blank slate, and he didn’t speed up or anything. It was like they had this weird balance, him leading and her trailing.
I wasn’t sure if he noticed me, but when he turned his head, his eyes were kinda cold, and his faint smile had a hint of mockery.
What was he mocking me for? Was it ‘cause I was being too forward or for agreeing to Daniel’s crazy request?
I did all this for him. Didn’t he get it?
I just stood there, feeling like my heart got stabbed.
It’s only been a few days, and he’s already got someone new. Were all those promises just BS? I figured he might fall for someone else eventually, but I thought it’d be way down the line.
Plus, I only agreed to Daniel’s request as a temporary fix, just to give him a reason to keep going.
I suddenly remembered that cliché from novels: the best way to get over an old love is to start a new one. Was Brad using that trick to forget about me?
I stumbled into Larry’s office, still in a daze. He handed me some papers and said calmly, “Go home and think it over. This is a rare chance, and you gotta grab it. The world’s big, and there’s a lot of crap out there. What I want you to remember is who you are, what you want, and how to fight for it.”
Larry’s words hit me like a wake-up call. The dark cloud that had been hanging over me, along with the jealousy from seeing Brad with that girl, suddenly lifted.
Yeah, things weren’t beyond fixing. I shouldn’t just roll over and accept it.
The compromise was just a temporary thing.
The love and freedom I wanted were worth fighting for.
Seeing Brad with another girl made me so jealous. If he ever found someone else, holding her, kissing her, getting all cozy, I’d probably lose it and do something crazy.
To stop myself from doing something stupid out of jealousy, I decided to come up with a solid plan to fix this mess and take back my reluctant promise.
Yeah, I regretted it. Even if it was just a temporary thing, I regretted it.
For Brad, I wasn’t even scared of dying. Why would I care about what others thought?
On Saturday morning, Ronan, Helen, Hugh, and Emma all showed up together.
I didn’t want them to know about Daniel’s suicide attempt, but they found out anyway.
I didn’t know they were coming. When I saw Ronan and Helen in front of the school building, I just lost it and started crying.
I thought I wouldn’t cry, but seeing them made all my hurt and pain come rushing out, and I bawled in Helen’s arms for what felt like forever.
We didn't stick around the rented apartment for lunch; instead, we found a chill spot to grab a bite together.
"Jane, are you really okay with this?" Ronan asked me.
"I'm not okay with it, and I’m not gonna accept it." With Larry's advice and Brad's example, I decided I wasn’t gonna play the hero anymore.
Back then, to save Daniel’s life, I had no choice. I did say I’d be with him if he didn’t die, but I never said what we’d do together or for how long. Even if it was just a month, I kept my promise, right?
"Good." Ronan smiled, relieved, patting my hand. "That's my girl. When things get tough, we gotta stay positive. We’ll figure it out together."
"I know, thanks, Mom and Dad."
I booked a room for Ronan and Helen at a nearby hotel and, after settling them in, headed back to the rented apartment.
I’d been out for a while, and if I didn’t get back soon, I was worried Daniel might do something crazy again.
Sure enough, when I walked in, Daniel was by the door, sitting in his wheelchair with a cold look on his face.
"Why are you sitting here?" I asked after saying hi to Hugh and Emma.
He shot back coldly, "Where did you go? Do you know how worried I was?"
I didn’t feel like talking to him.
At first, he was nice, always smiling when he talked to me. But after a few days, something set him off, and he started snapping at me, getting mad for no reason, making me super anxious. When I got really mad, he’d apologize and beg for forgiveness, promising not to do it again. But then he’d do it all over again.
After more than a week, I was worn out by his mood swings.
Until I figured out a solution, I still needed to take care of him. That was my principle, to repay kindness. If I couldn’t repay with my body, I’d repay with care.
I admitted I was too impulsive that day, and I regretted it.
"I had lunch with my parents and booked them a hotel. Anything else you wanna ask?" I replied coldly, bypassing the wheelchair, tossing my backpack on the sofa, and heading to the bathroom to wash my hands.
He sensed my coldness and impatience, and tried to follow me in his wheelchair, but ended up bumping into the dining table, almost tipping over.
I dried my hands and pushed him to a safe, spacious area. "How many times have I told you to remember the layout of the house? Otherwise, you’ll get hurt when no one’s around."
He looked up at me with empty eyes. "I know, I’ll remember. Please don’t be mad at me."
"Why are you mad again?"
Daniel hesitated for a moment before mumbling, "Brad didn’t come back."
So that was it, no wonder!
After Daniel fell asleep, Emma pulled me to the balcony to talk.
She held my hand and suddenly started crying. "Jane, you’ve been through so much."
"It’s nothing. I owe him this." I pulled my hand back indifferently, not wanting to talk more.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
