Chapter 238 Becoming Someone She Despised
Diana didn't know how she got back to her apartment. Like a zombie, once she closed the door, she could no longer hold back. Her back against the door, she slid down to the floor, curling up, burying her face between her knees, and sobbed uncontrollably.
For the first time, she saw herself as a fool, a clown—even more ridiculous and pitiful than those who deliberately act goofy on stage to entertain.
‘Diana, oh Diana, when did you start living in a way that even you despise? What's the point of Liam being so great, mature, charming, and affluent if he doesn't love you? Wake up, stop humiliating yourself with unrequited love! Or else, you'll end up despising even yourself.’
Huddled next to the door, Diana's heart felt like it had been carved out, with the howling, icy winds pouring into the void, chilling her to the core.
With no more reservations, she cried like a child, releasing all her pent-up grievances and pain, her worries and insecurities.
At that moment, all her illusions and desires about love shattered.
From then on, she wouldn't take the initiative to love a man. She would never reveal her true heart to one again.
Buzz—
Diana lost track of how long she had been crying when the ringtone of her cell phone broke through her sobs. How she wished it was Liam calling.
He could explain that what he had with Tessa was nothing more than a meaningless fling and that it was her he really cared for.
But that was a foolish dream, wasn't it?
She had heard it, the way Tessa called out to him, “Liam,” in that crisp, sickly sweet voice that could make any man's knees weak—
Nineteen-year-old Tessa and thirty-year-old Liam—how it fascinated men.
Knowing it was a hopeless cause, Diana still clung to a sliver of hope as she fetched the phone from her purse. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't Liam. It was her mother.
At this moment, Liam was probably still wrapped up in passion with Tessa, not giving a second thought to Diana. With a monumental effort, she started to compose herself, wiping away tears to answer the call.
“Mom...”
“Diana, what have you been up to? Why did it take you so long to answer my call? Are you working late at the office again? Honey, you're a young lady. You can't just immerse yourself in work all the time. You should get out there and date. If you don't find a boyfriend soon, in a few years, you'll be left on the shelf, and younger, prettier girls will take all the good men.”
Before Diana could get a word in, her mother's non-stop chatter came through the phone like rapid-fire fireworks.
“And guess what? Your father and I spent twenty thousand dollars to book a seven-day tour. Do you know why? Because the itinerary includes a visit to Jena, where you studied abroad for three years. We never got to see where you lived during that time, and now we'll finally get a chance to visit it.”
Listening to her mother's loving and cheerful voice, Diana felt a tinge of comfort. She steadied her voice and nodded, “Yeah, that's great, Mom. I'll transfer some money to you later. Buy whatever you like on your trip, okay.”
"Don't worry about the money, darling. We have enough budget. Besides, the trip isn't until the week after next. Oh, and you didn't come home last weekend. You have to come this weekend, or we'll come to you."
“I'll be there this weekend, I promise.”
“Diana, something seems off in your voice. Are you... have you been crying?” Finally, her mother's perceptive ear picked up on the rawness in Diana's voice over the phone.
“Mom, no, it was just dinner with colleagues. I had some spicy food, and it did a number on my throat. Going to grab some iced milk to cool off before I hit the shower. You and Dad should head to bed early, too, okay? Bye.” Diana ended the call before her mother could respond.
Staring down at the darkened phone screen, images of Liam and Tessa tangled in a fervent embrace at the hotel flashed through her mind, contrasting sharply with her own past encounters with Liam. Without opening her eyes, Diana's lips curled into a disdainful and wry smile.
...
Teresa had been bedridden for two days in the hospital and then at home for a week, almost going stir-crazy. She felt like she was adamant about returning to school.
Gabriel couldn't bear to deny her request, so he agreed. Still, he personally took care of her commute to and from work, without fail, ensuring she was safe.
Back at school, Teresa noticed that one of her classes was short one student—Samuel Lawson, the teaching assistant whom Dakota had bribed to install a hidden camera in her office. Teresa knew about Samuel's background: a poor family struggling to make ends meet, a sick father, and younger siblings to care for. She had decided not to act against him, pretending not to know anything.
Now, with Samuel's sudden absence, it wasn't hard to guess who might have ‘handled’ the situation. Teresa, though, acted as if she hadn't noticed a thing, carrying on as usual. Perhaps the rest at home had recharged her because her lectures were more engaging and animated than ever, captivating the students who clustered around her after class, only dispersing when the bell for the next course was about to ring.
