Chapter 5
677 Words
Elaine lay in bed for an entire day without eating or drinking.
Only when her mother called did she finally stir.
"Elaine, remember that watch you asked me to keep an eye on overseas? The latest Palin model finally came back in stock at the boutique. Do you want me to buy it and send it home for your friend?"
That watch was the newest release from Palin.
It suited Simon perfectly.
To save enough money for it, Elaine had worked part-time jobs nonstop for three months. She pinched pennies and lived as frugally as possible.
All so she could place that watch into his hands on his birthday.
But now, there was no point anymore.
Her throat tightened as she tried her best to keep her mother from hearing the emotions in her voice.
"No need, Mom," she said quietly. "My friend broke up with her boyfriend. We don't need the watch anymore."
After hanging up the phone, a familiar voice suddenly sounded behind her.
"What don't you need anymore?"
Elaine stiffened.
It was Simon.
He walked over and handed her a packed meal box.
"You haven't eaten yet, right?" he said casually. "I specially bought this for you. It's your favorite place from the school cafeteria."
Looking at how calm and composed he was, as though nothing had ever happened, Elaine felt her heart turn ice cold.
How could he act so heartless?
She clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms as she forced out each word.
"What are you doing here? Leave. You're not welcome here."
But Simon acted as if he had not heard a thing. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
Then, his lips pressed down toward hers.
This had once been his way of coaxing her. Elaine had always been physically drawn to him.
But now, all she felt was disgust.
The moment he was about to kiss her, she shoved him away hard.
"Enough!" she snapped, her voice shaking. "Can you stop being so disgusting?"
Simon frowned slightly.
He walked over to the sofa, lit a cigarette, and exhaled slowly. His tone was clearly filled with impatience.
"I already apologized," he said coldly. "What more do you want from me?
"I know what happened today went too far. But if you insist on throwing all the blame onto Suzy, have you even thought about what'll happen to her?"
He blew out another puff of smoke, sounding as if everything he said was perfectly reasonable.
"She's not like you. You've got a rich mother overseas and a businessman father here. Everything she has today, she earned step by step on her own. It wasn't easy for her."
"So that's your excuse for protecting her while bullying me?" Elaine shouted.
All the pain and bitterness she had bottled up for so long finally burst out. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
The moment he saw her crying, something flickered briefly in Simon's eyes. His tone softened slightly.
He crushed the cigarette into the ashtray and strode toward her, grabbing her shoulders firmly.
"Alright, stop making a scene, okay?" he coaxed impatiently. "The suspension already happened, so what's done is done. Besides, your major isn't that great anyway. Why not take this chance to switch to a different major? Wouldn't that be better?"
Elaine froze completely.
She never imagined that something as serious as suspension could sound so light and insignificant coming out of his mouth.
At that moment, it felt as though she had never truly known this man at all.
She walked to the door and pulled it open.
Then, she raised her hand toward the exit, her voice colder than ice.
"Simon, let's break up. Just pretend we never met."
The moment he heard the words "break up," shock flashed across Simon's face. Then, anger quickly replaced it.
Without another word, he strode toward the door.
"Fine," he sneered coldly. "I'll wait for the day you regret this!"
Bang!
The door slammed shut violently behind him.
Leaving Elaine alone in an empty, lifeless room.
- Writer
