Chapter 33 Conceal or Snitch
No matter how many bad things happened before, Daniel and I grew up together. I actually feel bad for him getting betrayed by Zoe.
But as they say, "Every pitiful person has some detestable traits." Daniel kind of brought this on himself; he deserved it.
To figure out if I should tell Daniel, I even took Brad out for pizza to talk it over.
We sat in the most popular pizza place on campus and started chatting.
"Brad, should we tell Daniel?" That was my main issue.
Brad frowned, his dark eyes like black gems. "Are you close with Zoe?"
"Not really," I replied.
"Still have feelings for Daniel?" Brad asked.
"Nah, I cut him loose ages ago. We're totally done with each other now."
"Then why are you so conflicted? Got nothing better to do? Can't you just focus on your art?" Brad said, looking stern.
I gritted my teeth in silence. 'I came to you for guidance, not a lecture. Besides, Daniel is your brother. If you don't know, fine, but if you do and still stand by, that's just heartless!'
"Just trying to help. Think about it, Brad. If you were betrayed by your girlfriend, would you prefer to stay in the dark forever, or would you want to uncover the truth and see justice served?"
Brad's face darkened. He grabbed a tissue box and knocked it on my head. "You're the one getting played by a chick. Stop talking nonsense."
"Brad, I'm not saying you were actually betrayed. I'm just giving an example. Don't take it personally, okay?"
"Even as an example, it's not okay," Brad said.
"Fine, no examples. Just tell me, should we keep it a secret or spill the beans?"
Brad put down the box, thought for a while, and then spoke. "Daniel's blind. He picked the wrong person, serves him right."
"But..." I couldn't understand Brad's reasoning. 'Is the brotherhood in the Pitt family really this thin? Brad just watches his own brother get betrayed by a woman and does nothing, almost as if he's waiting for the drama to unfold.'
"No buts. Zoe's actions will come to light sooner or later. Let Daniel find out for himself. He's so wrapped up in her right now that he doesn't even listen to our parents. Why would he believe us? Helping him would just lead to suspicion and strain our bond. It's not worth it."
What he said made sense, but something still felt off to me.
Given my estranged relationship with Daniel over the years, he wouldn't believe me. He'd probably think I was trying to stir up trouble between him and Zoe, so I temporarily gave up the idea of tattling.
However, for the sake of our childhood together, I still wanted to give Daniel a heads-up.
Whether Daniel would understand, I could only do my best. The rest was up to him.
Lying in bed that night, I thought for a long time before sending a message to Daniel, suggesting he chat with Zoe on video more often. After all, no one could replace a boyfriend's care, and Zoe needed his attention.
Daniel was surprised by my sudden message and sent a series of replies, all trivial greetings.
At this point, did he really think I was up for some chit-chat with him?
After a few replies, I got annoyed and turned off my phone to sleep.
The next day, Helen called. I mentioned Zoe's situation to her. Helen was quiet for a bit before telling me to mind my own business and stay out of it.
Helen said Daniel would never believe me and that I'd just come off as having ulterior motives, which would only make him more prejudiced against me. Sometimes, good intentions lead to bad outcomes.
Helen said that since we had no bad intentions, we shouldn't fear Daniel's prejudice, but there was no need to invite trouble.
Brad and Helen were on the same page, so I finally felt relieved after days of worry.
As for Daniel, I had already given him a hint. The rest was up to him.
With that decision made, I stopped worrying and threw myself into the competition.
After reviewing my ideas, Brad decided to go with my plan. After nearly a week of refining, we finalized our creative direction and planned to start drawing the next day.
I've been studying art for a while and have entered countless competitions. But this high-level team competition was a first for me. I was so excited that I rummaged through all my supplies, realizing I still needed a few types of paint, which I had to buy immediately.
There was a stationery store on campus that opened at 9 AM and closed at 5 PM. By this time, it was already closed.
There was a themed stationery supermarket on the street behind the school, which had a wide variety of items. After dinner, with nothing else to do, I dragged my roommate Mia Brown out to shop under the pretense of buying paint.
Of course, buying paint was the main goal.
We hadn't walked far when we saw a long line at a hot dog stand, and the smell made my mouth water. I mentioned it to Mia, and she was tempted too, so we joined the line.
"Are all guys this sleazy nowadays? Dating A during the day and hooking up with B at night. The world is really going downhill," Mia said, shaking her head in mock disapproval, her lips curled in disdain.
She made me laugh, and I followed her gaze. "Why do you care so much?"
What I saw shocked me.
I cursed my good eyesight; there was no way to pretend I didn't recognize them.
Zoe and a male classmate were standing in the shadows at the entrance of a small motel. The guy was kissing Zoe, and she was melting into his arms, attracting strange looks from passersby.
I sighed. 'Just a few more steps inside, and they could kiss in private. Why do it in public? What a hobby! These two really didn't care about public opinion. So bold!'
"Do you know them?" I asked Mia.
"Yeah, the dues's John. He's in the finance department, and I heard his family is loaded. He's a real hit with the ladies. Even got a love confession from a freshman not long ago. He's quite the popular figure. The girl is an exchange student from the South. These two are bold. Caught them flirting in the ladies' room the other day, and now they're at it again. Young and lively, they sure know how to enjoy themselves."
What's so surprising about that? Just five or six days ago, I saw them undressing each other in the flower corridor.
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