Chapter 326
"Hey, Ms. Martinez, where's Mr. Oliver at?"
Oliver Reynolds was a lecturer at Sevan City University and also Ella's fiancé. When I heard they were getting hitched, I was bummed out for days.
Ella's face got all tense, then she sighed, and I knew something was up between them.
"Ms. Martinez, if you don't wanna talk about it, that's cool. I was just asking."
"It's fine. It's ancient history. I've moved on."
Ella hugged her knees, the sea breeze messing with her hair, and it smelled so good, it was almost dizzying.
"When the whole fake skincare scandal blew up, he freaked out that I'd mess up his future, so he bailed on the engagement. Our wedding was just a month away."
Her voice was steady, but I could tell she was hurting inside. "I was caught up in the drama, so I let him go."
"But he was your fiancé."
Ella needed support back then, but Oliver ditched her when she needed him most.
"That whole mess showed me he didn't really love me. It's better this way; it saved me from future headaches."
"Ms. Martinez, I couldn't help you back then, but now, I've got your back, no questions asked."
During the fake skincare scandal, I stood up for Ella, but I was just a regular student and couldn't do much.
But now, things are different, and I can actually help her.
"Thanks." She smiled, "Can I lean on your shoulder?"
"Of course!"
She leaned in, and I sat up straight, not daring to move.
I was stoked, but more than that, I respected her as my teacher.
Then I noticed something was off.
She was crying!
The moon was bright, the sea was shimmering, but her face was hidden by her hair, so I couldn't see clearly.
But her body was shaking. When someone is really sad, they cry silently.
For a teacher to cry in front of a former student, it must be really tough.
She must be in a lot of pain to cry like this.
I felt super awkward.
The thing I dreaded most was a woman's tears.
After thinking for a bit, I put my arm around her and patted her back gently, saying, "It's over. It's all in the past."
Ella's sobs turned into full-on crying, and eventually, she just hugged me and let it all out.
I sighed internally. Oliver was such an idiot. If he hadn't left, Ella probably wouldn't have been so down for so long.
But then again, maybe it's not my place to comfort her now.
After a while, Ella stopped crying, her eyes all puffy.
I gently wiped her tears, "Don't cry, your makeup's a mess."
She nodded, "Someone who was supposed to spend a lifetime with me isn't as good as my student. It's kinda funny and sad at the same time."
"These days, I've been suffering day and night, even thinking about ending it all a few times!"
I was shocked, "Ms. Martinez, don't think like that. Even if others don't care, I care about you!"
She smiled through her tears, "I've made it through. At one point, I was so depressed I had to take meds to keep it together."
Depression?
I felt lucky that Ella had pulled through on her own.
Otherwise, it would've been such a waste.
"Back then, even my own parents blamed me. I thought no one in the world gave a damn about me!"
"I told you, I care. Even if you didn't join my company, I'd still care!"
I looked at her seriously, "Ms. Martinez, when I saw you in the classroom that day, I was over the moon. And back then, this company wasn't even a thing yet. I think I'll make more time to come to class in the future, even if I don't say a word, just being there, seeing you… it's enough."
"Really?"
"Absolutely!"
At that moment, I had no hidden agenda, so I said it with all the confidence in the world.
She seemed a bit shy under my gaze, even avoiding eye contact. I don't know where I got the guts, but I suddenly hugged her.
Maybe it was all the bottled-up feelings from my college days bursting out.
"Ms. Martinez, I like you! I liked you back in college, it was...pure. I know you're feeling down now, and saying this might seem like I'm taking advantage, but if I didn't say it, I knew I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
"Even if you turn me down, at least I won't have any regrets!" I added, my voice tight with apprehension.
She didn't push me away, just listened quietly.
After I finished, she still didn't say anything. My heart was pounding like crazy, and I was a bit scared.
Would she be mad?
What if I freaked her out?
Just as I was stressing out, she sighed, "I don't want to think about this right now."
Was that a rejection?
Hearing that, I felt a bit bummed, but it made sense.
I let go of her, "I'm sorry, Ms. Martinez, I was impulsive."
Ella looked at me, "But if you come to my class every day, maybe I'll consider it!"
That gave me hope, "Okay, I'll definitely come!"
"Don't make promises you can't keep. I have three classes a week, are you sure you can make time?"
"I'll make time."
Ella stood up, "Let's go, it's getting late!"
"Ms. Martinez, how long do I have to attend your classes?"
"It depends on your determination."
She smiled, "If you show me you're serious, maybe a month. If not, it could be a year, or even two."
My car was parked under the teacher's dorm. I was a bit reluctant to see her go upstairs. "Ms. Martinez, I'll come see you in a couple of days."
"Go home, and text me when you get there!"
As she turned to go upstairs, she stopped at the corner, "John, starting tomorrow, you're my exclusive student. Are you ready for my test?"
I nodded, "I'm ready!"
On the way back, I was super happy, but it also felt unreal.
It was all happening so fast, like we skipped a bunch of steps.
Oh well, if I can't figure it out, I won't stress. As long as I remember to show up to class on time.
On the way to the airport, I pulled out my phone and saw that Lily had called me several times and sent a bunch of messages on Facebook.
Lily: [John, he's Eloise's friend. I was just tagging along with Eloise on a blind date, and she happened to go to the bathroom at that time.]
She even sent screenshots of her chat with Eloise, and it was true!
I totally misunderstood her.
At that moment, a friend request caught my eye.
Sunflower.
That was Eloise's account.
Why did she add me?
After thinking for a bit, I accepted the friend request to see what she wanted.
As soon as I accepted, she sent a message, [John, are you even a man? Why are you so petty?]
She straight-up called me out.
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