Chapter 371 The Mindset of a Good Student
Chloe thought, 'No wonder she looks familiar. I saw Cynthia's photo in the dorm display case when Donovan and I visited Pearl Peak City University. But it was a really small photo and it was nighttime, so I couldn't recognize her right away. So her name is Cynthia.'
"My name's Chloe," Chloe introduced herself, extending her hand.
Chloe wasn't sure if Cynthia knew her. At the class reunion, Donovan's classmates knew her name and face, so someone might have told Cynthia.
Standing in front of Cynthia, Chloe felt uneasy, unsure how much Cynthia knew.
One was Donovan's ex-wife, the other a woman who once pursued him. Their relationship was complicated. Chloe felt a mix of empathy and jealousy, and couldn't help comparing herself to Cynthia.
Cynthia made Chloe feel like an ordinary woman again, not an important "female scholar."
"Did you drop your wallet?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah," Cynthia replied, still searching. "There's not much money in it, but there's a photo of someone very important to me. He's the love of my life."
Chloe wondered, 'Could it be Donovan? She chased him from high school to university, until she got a PhD.'
But Cynthia couldn't find it.
"I can't find it," Cynthia said, disappointed.
By then, it was past eleven.
"It's rare to meet someone from Aurora Isle here. Let's have a meal together, Chloe?" she asked.
"Okay," Chloe replied and then thought to herself, 'Cynthia must know me; otherwise, she wouldn't invite me to eat together.'
They went to an Aurora Isle restaurant and had pasta, talking about academics and life.
Soon, Chloe's suspicions about Cynthia knowing her identity proved right, especially when Cynthia started talking about the class reunion.
"Chloe, I knew about you before. I didn't expect to run into you at school. When I saw you, I felt a sense of familiarity. You're Donovan's ex-wife, right? After the reunion, someone sent me your photo, so I know who you are," Cynthia said. "I was afraid you'd feel uncomfortable, so I wanted to clear up a misunderstanding. I'm not like what our classmates said, that I didn't go to the reunion because he got married. Don't misunderstand."
"Then why?" Chloe asked, sensing Cynthia had more to say about the reunion.
Cynthia paused. "Forget it. Let's not talk about it. Let's eat. I was feeling down at Aurora Isle, so I applied to be a visiting scholar here. I didn't expect to run into you."
Chloe hated when people left things unsaid, it made her uneasy.
Cynthia brought it up but didn't explain anything.
Her hesitant words seemed deliberate. "I didn't go to the reunion because of Donovan."
Then she fell silent, eating her pasta as if trying to swallow her sad memories.
This made Chloe feel awkward and guilty. Cynthia had studied hard for Donovan but didn't end up with him. Meanwhile, Donovan had married Chloe as soon as he started working.
It felt like Cynthia was the diligent student, while Chloe was the cheater who copied her answers and scored higher.
Now, Cynthia was seemingly showing generosity, not holding a grudge, making Chloe feel incredibly guilty.
The first time they met, Chloe didn't have a good impression of Cynthia. In fact, she was quite repulsed.
After the meal, they each went their separate ways.
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