Walking On Eggshells
2300 Words
So, I traveled back to the past.
Or it could be that it is my second regression in this novel.
Ashleigh sighed as she finally started to accept this reality after staying in her apartment for over two weeks. She had a feeling it could be a dream.
Her fear that she might wake up and that she wouldn't be with her children kept her from touching her belly.
No, she wasn't ready to feel that sensation just yet.
In the first few days, she did nothing but sleep like a log and tried to eat only as much as she could digest.
Aside from resting, she looked into some matters related to her career to check on her current standing, then ran a background check on the characters she wouldn't want to run into, and later she checked on her call history. Not a single missed call or message was there from home.
It seemed as if her relationship with her family wasn't good in this life either.
"I can't say I am disappointed. Now, can I?" She didn't look lost anymore, but her suppressed anger was evident when she asked herself, "Should I be thankful to wake up at a time like this when my life was all over the place?"
Glancing down, she glared at the page of her diary she had placed on her lap earlier.
Those problems noted down in black ink can't be solved that easily with only her willpower to fight back against the odds.
No, she wouldn't waste her breath this time trying to mend her relationship with her family and biased friends.
Why should she? They were just characters under a novel's influence that only favored the heroine, her sickly twin sister. It had been over three years since Ashleigh was kicked out of her home, but no one called to ask if she was doing well or needed their help.
The next issue was her stolen art pieces, but Ashleigh didn't have much saved to hire people to retrieve them.
She was considering moving to a small country where she could afford to live and do some part-time gigs without fear of being hunted by paparazzi or any of those individuals she wanted to avoid at all costs.
Who could tell how long Ash would live this time? She couldn't afford to waste time on those people and needed to do everything she could to earn enough to save them for her children's future this time.
There was only one problem left on the list.
Her children's father.
"What should I do with him?" Ashleigh drew a circle around the last issue. With a bit of force, of course. She would have to leave the two pages untouched, but she didn't mind that waste. It was funny how Ashleigh took her anger out like that in her diary.
Sighing softly, she murmured, "Do I have to stoop at his level like he did last time, even after knowing I won't live long?"
Although she had no idea about what happened to Ashleigh in the novel, after dying for the second time, Ashleigh realized that she had died soon after she turned 29.
How tragic it was to die so pitifully both times and again come back with those memories.
But anyway, the meeting with her children's father was unavoidable.
Of course, he would send his secretary or lawyer instead of appearing himself.
That man wasn't interested in her much. His prejudices had him not wanting to associate with her by any means. Besides, he had the upper hand in everything as he was aware of her situation, so the chances of her fighting back against his unfair demand were zero.
Such a meticulous person like him visited her in the hospital with his medical board.
Only he knew what he was thinking at that time.
The children didn't know about their biological mother, so the hassle of handling them after Ashleigh's death wasn't there. Then why did he leave everything behind and come to see her?
Tossing her diary in the drawer, she closed her wardrobe after choosing a dress.
It had been a while since she last set foot outside. She needed to go to the market later to buy necessities, too. Packing was almost done, so it was okay.
After changing her clothes, she took the cab to the bank. Of course, Ashleigh had to take her handset with her. She would again lose it if she got another call from the clinic, but there was nothing Ashleigh could do about it.
~ *** ~
"One apple pie, please."
After making her last stop at her favorite cafe, the first thing Ashleigh ordered was something sweet.
Not many people stopped by at that hour, so it was convenient for getting her job done without a hassle.
She made up her mind about exactly to which country they should move next, and that was why she couldn't wait to book their flight tickets and leave that resume she made last night on the job portals of that specific country.
In her first life, she was an office worker.
Having vast knowledge of related fields like marketing and accountancy wouldn't be an issue for getting into a small industry, right?
"How much time has passed, anyway?"
It had been a while since she came to the cafe. She wouldn't even check the time if her gaze didn't fall outside.
Surprised, Ashleigh murmured, "Gosh! I shouldn't stay out so late. But I am far from done here, though!"
What could she possibly do in this situation?
She might not be in danger now, but a moment is enough for things to go downhill.
In this world, where everything works in the protagonist's favor, Ashleigh has learned to stay one step ahead and execute everything the way she planned. She saved her children in her past life, which made her confident that she could do the same in this regression.
Quickening her pace, she gritted out, "Let's just book the first airline I see and leave this place before anyone finds me."
The atmosphere inside the cafe suddenly changed.
Ashleigh got goosebumps on her skin, but she didn't think it was anything ominous.
The wind had been blowing too much outside since this morning, yet she chose to sit close to the window because it felt good.
Her earplugs were on, so she neither heard the commotion around her nor noticed how people started to leave as she continued her work on her laptop. Just when the confirmation was about to be made, and she was almost done packing her stuff, a stammering voice behind her got her attention.
"H..here is y,your order, miss."
A frown appeared on her face as soon as her gaze fell on the tray beside her laptop.
Everything there was something she enjoyed during her tea break, excluding the black coffee she hated placed right beside her favorite green tea, but no one was supposed to know about this, as Ashleigh never shared her preferences in the first place.
She couldn't have been more annoyed with herself for almost drooling at the delicious-looking salty sprouts bowl before her. And how didn't she know they also had almond crescent cookies on their menu?
"Sorry, but I think you are at the wrong table." She almost drooled at her favorite snacks. "I never ordered anything like this. Please kindly take them- "
"There is no need for that."
Ashleigh was interrupted by someone whose voice sounded strangely familiar.
It was from the man who just walked in. He had an expensive suit on that she could tell from a distance. Even his watch, too. She felt out of place just seeing that much. But who could he be? She was too scared to see his face.
The cafe was too small to need a guard, but now higher-tier security guards could be seen guarding the whole place. Ashleigh gulped hard, noticing she was the only customer present.
No matter how familiar she was now with this scene, she could never get used to something like this which generally occurs in the novel she is in.
Could this man be one of those characters?
With a heavy sigh, Ashleigh raised her hand to press her forehead, but her arm stopped midway.
The sound of that man's footsteps was getting closer, but Ashleigh couldn't tear her gaze away from the goosebumps on her skin.
A sudden sense of foreboding crept into her heart.
It couldn't be because of the weather, which she was sure of.
Ashleigh subconsciously hurried to stuff her laptop in her bag and stood up as her instincts began to urge her to run away. In her right mind, she wouldn't have done something this useless considering her surroundings and how impossible it would be to leave that place. But before that, she first needed to cross that man, whose presence alone gave away the suffocating aura of a dark mountain that never gets sunlight.
"Planning to leave, Miss?"
His blue eyes bore into hers as they stood face to face.
Ashleigh wanted to agree, but her tongue felt too heavy to move.
"I will be hurt if you do that."
Hearing that, she went stiff. It felt strange how easily he said that while looking so normal.
The man looked less intimidating when he sat down and picked up his black coffee, but she was too scared to move from her place, even though her face didn't give away much.
He took a sip and asked hoarsely without looking up. " ...you don't like tea?"
Her heart trembled when the corner of his mouth curved up strangely. Something about that look on his face made Ashleigh instinctively want to tear her gaze away from him, not wanting to get more intimidated by him.
"N-no, I do?" Hastily, she sat down and picked her cup from the tray. "A sip won't hurt, so why not?"
At a time like this, whenever Ashleigh runs into people like this man, she tries her best not to offend them. She also had to keep her emotions in check and keep her guard up unless she didn't want to get used to or crushed by them later.
The lessons she learned in her past lives at least wouldn't send her to the early grave.
Ashleigh took another sip leisurely and began thinking about putting her experiences to good use. That way, she could avoid offending characters obsessed with the sunshine protagonist.
Now that she thinks about it, there wasn't anyone who had as beautiful hair as the person before her.
She didn't want to admit it, but the first thing she noticed about him was his black hair with a blueish glow. It could be just because of the light contrast in this place. Would they feel soft if she ran her finger through them?
"So, how was your day?"
Ashleigh snapped out of her thoughts.
"Quite productive, as you can see." She gulped down the tea in her mouth. Her true feelings came out in words so naturally that she couldn't hold them back. "Given my state, I wasn't expecting much. It's surprising how I managed to finish my work for today. The weather outside played the biggest factor here, which put me in a good mood. It's been a while since I felt this good."
"...no wonder you look so yourself today."
Ashleigh almost didn't hear what he said under his breath.
"Hm?" Lifting her perfectly shaped brow, she turned at him, "Did you just say something?"
But he instantly denied it. "What do I possibly have to say here?"
"I see." It felt strange, but she didn't pry. Who knows what she may come across if she digs more? She picked a cookie from the plate and took a bite. "Did something good happen at work, sir?"
"Why do you ask?"
The man casually asked back as he lifted the sprout bowl from the tray before placing it beside her empty tea cup.
Ashleigh felt awkward seeing this gesture but pretended not to notice anything.
"It's not every day we share a drink with a stranger."
Quiet intentionally, she poked and waited while she munched the cookie in her mouth.
But his lazy gaze was so unnerving as he leaned into his chair that Ashleigh could only continue talking to cover up for the little bit of rudeness she dared to show him.
"When I was in school, I often used to buy tea for elderly men to chat with them. You may not believe it, but I picked two or three things from my bickering with those orthodox hags." She paused before continuing, "Although I am not a big gossiper, I can still hear you and give you my honest opinion."
After saying that, she moved to her sprout bowl.
This stranger bought her tea and snacks, so it would only be fair to lend him an ear. Besides, she wasn't in a place to refuse to hear someone who could be a character even the male lead wouldn't dare to mess with.
"I don't have much experience on this matter, but do people normally talk about business on a date with someone for the first time?"
"They don't." She found nothing strange as she took a spoonful of sprouts and shared her thoughts until his words registered in her mind. "That's considerably rude, in my opinion. The communication barrier between two people will lift so high that- "
Ashleigh paused and replayed what she had heard just now.
Her head snapped up, and she flinched, seeing him looking at her already.
"...excuse me!" She cautiously looked into his eyes. "May I know what you are hinting at?"
- Writer
