My Body Was Left Unclaimed for Five Years

Chapter 4 Unwanted Apologies

"Mr. Sullivan, I've wrapped up this section."

Caleb fiddled absentmindedly with his pen, his expression laced with ridicule.

"Quite the talent for spinning tales, isn't she? She was clearly discontent with Stella, yet turned the tables to claim Stella was bullying her. Kicking her to the curb seems like it was the right call!"

He remarked, casting a detached look towards Jane.

Jane caught on, swiftly flipping to the subsequent page, and resumed her reading.

"Today marked the start of my job hunt. Wendy's family isn't financially comfortable, and I couldn't impose on them. Yet, despite approaching several companies, none would take me on.

"My qualifications hit the mark, but I kept striking out in interviews. The final interviewer seemed warm and receptive. I tried to explain, 'I'm not seeking a high salary, ma'am. Just three thousand a month will do.'

"She gave me a pitying glance, implying, 'Don't bother applying. No one in Tidesburg will employ you. An order was given not to hire anyone named Sarah Sullivan.' That revelation floored me. As I left, I realized it was Caleb's doing. His way of pushing me to apologize to Stella.

"But I wasn't in the wrong, so why apologize?"

"Humph!"

Caleb released a quick, sardonic laugh.

"So Sarah has been placing the blame on me for wanting an apology all along? I aimed to curb her arrogance, yet it seems she never grasped that lesson. This writing sounds like a ploy to paint herself the victim and seek some cash?"

Jane shot him a glance, then silently moved on to the next page.

This time, there was a weight to her words.

"Today, I tried to find Caleb again. Snow was about to blanket everything. Every winter, no matter how occupied he was, Caleb would always carve out moments to create snowmen with me. We would engage in epic snowball battles and lie on our backs, mesmerized by snowflakes cascading into our eyes.

"I missed him dearly. Maybe it was time to swallow my pride and admit my fault. Crashing at someone else's place forever wasn't a viable option.

"An apology wouldn't hurt. If I threw in a bit of charm, Caleb would surely let it go. But the staff informed me that Caleb had set off on a globetrotting adventure with Stella. Before leaving, he instructed them to tell me not to reach out. He had no wish to see me again. Caleb had moved on from me."

The page was unusually brief, allowing Jane to zip through it swiftly.

Caleb slammed the pen down on the table, fuming with outrage.

"I never said anything like that! What nonsense! Keep going! I want to hear the rest of Sarah's fabrications!"

Jane let out a weary sigh, turned the page, and carried on, though now her eyes widened, and her voice quivered with unease, "It was Christmas Eve, but I suffered an attack. I had stepped out to pick up some ready-made dinners. Wendy had invited me to join her family's holiday celebration, but I didn't want to intrude on their family gathering, so I turned her down.

"On the way back, my mind couldn't shake thoughts of Caleb. Was he sculpting a snowman with Stella or cozying up with dumplings? By now, he could be miles away in another city. If they had snow or celebrated Christmas there, it was anyone's guess."