Chapter 458 New Post
"No way, Jane Hanks. Listen up. Coming back here won't help; it'll just distract me 'cause I'll have to look after you. So, stay put and don't move. I mean it, don't come back now," Brad cut me off, sounding dead serious.
For the first time, he used my full name.
He raised his voice, his tone firm, eyes locked on mine with a look that said he wasn't messing around.
It was the first time he'd ever talked to me like that. I felt hurt but didn't dare to argue.
I got that he wanted to keep me out of the mess and handle everything himself. He was doing it for me.
But I wanted to be with Brad so badly that I didn't want to back down.
Through the phone screen, Brad and I had a silent standoff.
In the end, I caved. "I've got a bunch of messages, pictures, and call recordings from Jenny saved on my phone. I'll send them to you. Maybe they'll help."
Brad's eyebrows shot up in surprise, his tone softened, and a small smile crept onto his face. "You kept recordings?"
I felt a bit proud. "Yeah, I got the idea from novels. I made sure to keep a record of anything related to Jenny."
Brad said, "Jane, you're so smart. Stay put, okay? Don't do anything without my say-so. Follow my lead. We gotta be careful now; one wrong move could mess everything up. So, be good and don't act rashly. If I need you, I'll call."
Reluctantly, I nodded.
At this point, I had no choice but to go along with Brad's plan and wait.
I couldn't help but feel frustrated with my own helplessness again. When things went south, I could only hide behind Brad. I didn't even have the ability to protect myself, let alone help him!
Brad's expression softened, and his deep voice took on a gentle, coaxing tone. "Baby, give me some time. I'll clear all the obstacles."
"Okay," I choked out.
After hanging up, I forwarded everything related to Jenny that I had saved on my phone to Brad.
I hoped my small contribution could help solve Brad's problems.
After that, I went back to the break area, where Bronte handed me an unopened roll and urged me to eat a bit more. She reminded me that there was still a lot to do in the afternoon, and I wouldn't be able to work on an empty stomach.
Bronte was super enthusiastic, and I couldn't refuse, so I forced a smile and took it, but I had no intention of opening it. Since Mia's call, I had lost my appetite.
Elliot, having heard something from somewhere, insisted on taking me back to my place to rest, but I refused to go.
Being alone would only lead to overthinking and make it harder to endure. It was better to work with everyone, chat, and laugh to distract myself and make time pass faster.
In the afternoon, I took a moment to browse the alumni group.
I scrolled up a few pages, and without exception, they were still discussing Jenny's long post.
Humiliating, cursing, despising, and mocking.
It wasn't until the evening that the discussions in the group gradually died down.
After posting the long article, Jenny had made no further moves.
As for Brad and me, the people involved, we also stayed silent.
This made those who wanted to take the opportunity to trample on Brad to achieve their own goals lose interest. Or maybe they were lurking, waiting for bigger news to drag us into the mud, leaving us with no chance to recover.I had to admit, the selfishness and malice in people could be pretty shocking.
I wasn't sure if Jenny had hired those nasty folks. If she did, she definitely wouldn't just let things play out like this. Knowing her, she'd have a follow-up plan, and it would be brutal.
Cooper's wife made dinner. When we got back, the hot dishes were already on the table. Cold, tired, and hungry, everyone cheered and rushed to the table, gulping down the hot soup. They couldn't stop raving about how good it was and kept thanking her.
Even though I wasn't hungry, I forced myself to drink a bowl of soup and eat some bread to keep my energy up.
Back in the room, I sat at the table organizing data, transferring each record into another notebook. The endless rows of numbers blurred my vision, making me miss my computer.
The signal was terrible in the mountains, so there was no stable wired or wireless connection, and I didn't bring my laptop. Now I realized how dumb that was. Even if I couldn't connect to work, I could've at least used it to record and save data, avoiding the fear of losing it.
After organizing the data, I realized two hours had passed, and my watch now read ten o'clock.
I wanted to rest early but wasn't sleepy, so I found an academic report that Professor Evans had sent me yesterday to read.
As I read, I found myself unconsciously imagining Brad's face taking shape from the words on the phone screen.
I quickly blinked, scolding myself for being pathetic. All I could do was worry; I felt utterly powerless.
Jenny's incident served as a stark reminder of the importance of being strong, fueling my determination to become stronger as soon as possible.
Finding it hard to focus on the report, I decided to send Brad a message on Facebook.
Brad must be incredibly busy at this crucial moment. I didn't expect him to reply, but I wanted him to know that I was following his instructions and that I was doing okay.
To my surprise, Brad responded within seconds.
[Today was exhausting but satisfying.] I added an emoji of a strong arm after the text.
[Keep it up. Everything is fine; don't worry.]
Brad's response was surprisingly brief today. I wanted to say more, but I was concerned about interrupting him, so I refrained. There would be plenty of chances to chat later; there was no need to hurry.
After washing up, I climbed into bed, holding my phone and staring at it for a while before drifting off to sleep without even realizing it.
The next day, when I woke up, it was still dark outside.
Bronte's breathing above me was steady and long, indicating she was sound asleep. Outside, apart from the occasional crowing of a rooster and a dog barking from some house, everything was quiet.
Not wanting to disturb Bronte, I set an alarm on my phone and closed my eyes again to try to sleep.
I did fall asleep, but it wasn't the alarm that woke me; it was Bronte.
I opened my bleary eyes to meet Bronte's anxious gaze, and my heart sank. Something must have happened.
Indeed, something had happened, and it was significant—really significant.
After posting a long article in the Northern Institute of the Arts alumni group, Jenny started a new thread on the National Capital University forum. The content was even more sincere and heartfelt than the one in the Northern Institute of the Arts group, painting Brad and me as completely despicable scoundrels. It was as if National Capital University would be sealing its own fate if it didn't expel us.
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