Chapter 456 Grievance
A few words from Cooper had everyone tearing up, including his classmates.
Cooper was really worried about the villagers and genuinely wanted to help them find a steady income.
Bronte wiped her eyes, raised her glass, and said, "Cooper, starting a mine isn't that easy. We need reserves that meet the standards and approval from multiple departments. It'll take time, but I promise, once the mine is up and running, I'll recommend our folks to the construction team so they can work close to home and take care of their families."
For the first time, I realized that doing something could impact so many lives, and I felt a bit proud.
Cooper got drunk, and his wife had to take him home.
The guys drank a lot and stumbled back to their rooms to sleep.
Bronte and I shared a room. After dinner, we sat on the wooden bed, packing our stuff. Elliot kept coming in, pretending to borrow things or look for something, making me want to let him move in while I stayed with a junior.
The sixth time he walked in, Bronte, with one foot on a stool and her hand on her knee, glared at him and asked what he wanted to borrow this time. If he had nothing, he might as well just move in with us.
Feeling awkward, I buried my head in the bed, turning inward and covering myself with a coat, creating a space for the two of them to talk.
With the coat over my head, I reached for my phone and checked Facebook messages.
Before nine o'clock, Brad sent me two messages. One asked if I had made it, and the other said, "Hey babe, send me a voice message calling me 'darling.' I really want to hear it."
"I'm sharing a room with Bronte, so it's a little tricky." Just moments after I sent that, Brad quickly replied, "Just whisper it; I can hear you. Come on, hurry up."
Brad's low voice was so tempting, making my heart race.
I had to admit that I might never be able to resist his charm.
After a long silence from me, Brad sent a sad waiting emoji.
I had no choice but to call him.
I lifted my coat to check, and Bronte and Elliot were both gone. I had no idea where they went.
I pressed the voice button and opened my mouth several times but couldn't say it, so I typed "darling" and sent it.
Brad quickly called me on video, eager to hear me call him darling.
Unfortunately, the signal in the mountains was terrible, and the video call froze right after it connected, making it impossible to talk. I had no choice but to hang up and used the excuse of being "exhausted from the long car ride" to end the chat quickly.
The conditions in the mountain village were pretty basic, with no hot water. I had to wash my face and brush my teeth using cold water, then I sat on the bed and wiped my feet with wet wipes.
Bronte still hadn't returned, so I called her and felt relieved to learn she was in Elliot's room discussing things. I climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.The real work kicked off the next morning.
Everyone had these huge backpacks, and I had no clue what was inside, but they looked pretty heavy.
Bronte led the way, and we all headed into the mountains, chatting and laughing as we went.
Elliot was lugging a bag full of samples and notes from the last collection, sticking close to Bronte and using academic talk as an excuse to get closer to her.
I trailed behind Bronte and Elliot, keeping a couple of steps back. This way, I made sure I wouldn't get left behind but also avoided eavesdropping on their conversations.
The actual geological exploration was nothing like I imagined. Watching those young faces turn serious and focused the moment they started working, I couldn't help but feel a deep respect for them.
Everyone who works hard deserves respect.
Because of the big professional gap, I wasn't involved in the specific tasks. Instead, I was assigned to follow Bronte and Elliot, taking photos and keeping records. I didn't underestimate the importance of record-keeping; it was crucial.
Despite being busy, time flew by, and soon it was noon.
We all brought our own lunches, mostly bread and milk. Everyone was a bit tired, but being young, no one complained. Instead, we excitedly sat together, took out our food, and talked about the morning's results while eating.
When I handed the morning's data to Bronte to check for any issues, my phone suddenly rang. The familiar ringtone was super jarring, making me anxious.
I took out my phone and saw it was Mia.
As soon as I answered, before I could say anything, Mia's urgent and angry voice came through, "Jane, have you checked the alumni group?"
"No, what's up?" I asked, puzzled.
We were so busy in the morning that I had no time to check my phone. Something serious must have happened for Mia to be so agitated.
Mia exclaimed, "That bitch Jenny has gone crazy. She posted a long article in the group. Go check it out, it's disgusting."
I closed my eyes wearily, having expected this day. What was meant to happen would happen!
After calming myself, I opened Facebook. The Northern Institute of the Arts alumni group was buzzing.
Hundreds of comments buried Jenny's long article.
I had no interest in reading the comments and scrolled for a long time before finding Jenny's long post.
Jenny, a literature major, penned a highly emotional article. In it, she depicted herself as a devoted woman who had secretly loved Brad for years but couldn't win his heart. She claimed to have sacrificed everything for him, saving Brad during a critical moment and injuring her legs in the process.
Brad, however, was subtly portrayed as an ungrateful scoundrel who continually hurt his benefactor. Jenny also mentioned me, casting me as a malicious woman who prevented Brad from repaying her and constantly gave him bad advice, which contributed to her emotional anguish.
Every sentence dripped with resentment.
As for the comments, they were all over the place.
Some of my former classmates were in the alumni group. They knew my character and were skeptical. Especially Mia and Isabella, who were particularly close to me, angrily argued with those people, refusing to back down even when surrounded.
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