Chapter 366 Provocation
I mumbled, "Oh my God, this is so freakin' embarrassing."
I was totally lost. Brad wasn't even trying to help; he just laughed all smug-like. "So what if they saw? It's just a couple being all lovey-dovey. Haven't they ever kissed before?"
I was fuming! I ignored him and started to walk away, but he grabbed me. "You planning to walk home? The car's over there."
In my panic, I totally forgot which way the car was.
I turned towards the car. Brad kept laughing, smirking like he just won the lottery.
He was shameless, but I was still mortified.
I was so mad I turned back and kept walking in the opposite direction, throwing a rare tantrum. "I'll walk home. I'm getting my steps in. Don't bother me."
My parents raised me to be chill; tantrums were not my thing. My friends always said I was super laid-back.
Of course, Brad knew me well. Seeing me storming off, he laughed even louder behind me. He didn't even try to hide it, which made me so mad I wanted to run.
But I didn't get far before a strong hand grabbed my jacket hood and yanked me back. Brad said, "There are better ways to exercise, and walking ain't it. If you wanna work out so bad, I'll give you a chance tonight. Just don't beg for mercy."
It took me a full minute to get what he meant. He was teasing me! All he thought about was sex. How horny could he be? It was infuriating.
Even though Professor Evans had my back, Jenny's situation still hit me hard and totally messed with my mood.
Brad dropped me off at home and took off for some emergency meeting at the school, where he was a big deal.
I sat alone in the empty living room, clutching a stuffed toy, feeling super lonely and still kinda pissed.
That feeling of wanting to talk to someone but having no one to talk to was the worst.
I suddenly remembered the days when I lived with Mia. Even though the house was packed, we could share our thoughts right away. If one of us was down, the other would cheer us up. Whether we cried or cursed together, at least we weren't alone.
I really wanted to call Helen. In this moment of confusion, I wanted to hear her voice and ask if sticking by Brad no matter what was the right move, or if there was a better way to handle this mess.
I dialed halfway but then put the phone down.
My parents had worried about me endlessly. Even now, as an adult, their concerns for me persisted.
Now that I was living hundreds of miles away, it sucked that I couldn't be with my parents all the time. Should I bother them with my own issues? If I couldn't even handle my own relationship problems, how could I do anything else right?
Mia had finally moved on and started a new life. I couldn't bear to disturb her, nor should I.
Isabella just got married; Lillian was busy prepping for her engagement. Amelia just broke up with Ryan; Mindy and Louis's relationship was heating up. None of them were in the same headspace as me.
I thought, “The world is so huge, yet here I am, bursting with unspoken words, with no one to confide in.”
Growing up kinda sucked. Old friends and exes had their own lives, and even a little concern was rare. How could I expect them to drop everything and be there for me like when we were kids?
I hugged my stuffed toy and crashed in the guest bedroom, throwing myself on the bed, feeling super wronged and upset.
Out of our group of seven or eight friends, almost half had rocky love lives. Love was seriously a pain.
I thought about it until I dozed off without realizing it. When the soreness in my arms woke me up, it was almost 1 PM.
I pressed my growling stomach and let out a deep sigh.
Wearing my soft slippers, I shuffled to the kitchen to whip up some tomato and egg noodles, my specialty. I sat at the dining table to eat.
While munching, I opened Facebook to check unread messages.
In the News Feed, Jenny had posted a new update.
The picture was an old photo. A tall guy stood with his back to the camera, slightly turning his face, showing off a straight nose and broad shoulders. He was wearing a light brown casual suit that hugged his strong body.
I didn't need a second look to know it was Brad during his PhD days at the Northern Institute of the Arts.
That casual suit was the one I helped him pick out when we went shopping.
After a morning of silent war, Jenny started provoking me by posting at noon. She was seriously lost it.
The picture already ticked me off, but her caption made me even angrier.
Jenny: [You're mine; you can't escape. Just wait for me to catch you.]
I was livid. Was Brad the man you loved or just prey you had your eyes on?
In a fit of rage, I wanted to reply and tell her to stop daydreaming. But then I remembered Professor Evans's words and held back. Jenny wasn't just Brad's lifesaver and my rival in love; she was also an important partner for the school.
This collaboration was a big deal, not just for the school but also for Professor Evans because it had a wide scope. It brought in revenue and was a crucial step for Brad's career.
I could disregard Jenny's dignity, but I couldn't ignore Brad's future. At such an important moment, I couldn't act rashly or drag Brad down.
Jenny's intention in posting this update was probably to bait me into doing something stupid so she could pressure the school and make Professor Evans and Brad compromise.
I kept telling myself that it was just a post. It was not worth jeopardizing the bigger picture for Jenny's petty schemes.
With nothing to do in the afternoon, I sent Brad a message and headed to Crystal House to paint.
Right now, my love life was a mess, and I couldn't fight back. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, it was better to focus on my career.
Maybe I would never reach the starting point Jenny was born with, but there was no reason to give up. A life earned through my own efforts was indeed sweet.
To my surprise, Adam was also at Crystal House. When he saw me come in, he glanced at me and then went back to his painting.
I glanced at him and felt that his familiar back seemed to carry a coldness and anger I couldn't understand. His right hand moved up and down, not like he was painting but like he was slashing something with a sword.
Who pissed him off? I shook my head, trying to stay focused and started working.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
