Chapter 2
934 Words
I knew this girl.
A junior at John's school, the daughter of the university board member, called Eliz Hale.
John once complained to me that his professor was insisting on adding someone to a new research project they'd just started.
A person with connections, who knew nothing at all, was really annoying.
During that time, the person John complained about most was Eliz.
He complained, "She can't even write a report. I really don't know why they brought her in.
"I even have to teach her technical terms, such a hassle.
"She's still asking me questions in the middle of the night. I really don't want to reply to her."
His irritation was obvious, but after comforting him, I didn't think much of it.
It wasn't until six months ago that John didn't send me any messages for a whole day.
I was afraid something had happened to him, so I called him dozens of times, but couldn't get through.
After a sleepless night, it wasn't until the next morning that John called back with a video to explain.
"Eliz got drunk last night, and I took her home, which is why I didn't get a chance to reply to you. Seriously, she went out alone in the middle of the night. Isn't she afraid of getting into trouble…?"
That was the first time I wasn't in his eyes. His words were all about caring for another girl.
After that, John still complained to me about Eliz.
He said, "Eliz got drunk again today. It's really not reassuring.
"She messed up the experiment steps again, and the explosion scared her like a groundhog, haha."
But perhaps he didn't even realize how gentle his tone was when he talked about her.
During that time, I tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.
Would John fall in love with someone else? This question has tormented me night after night.
In the end, I decided to come to Pacshire.
Let myself see the truth, let myself give up.
I stayed in the hotel until the evening when John called me.
"I'll have dinner sent up to your room. I finished the report last week, and there's a celebration today, so I can't be with you."
I asked, "Can I join you?"
When I came to Pacshire before, John never left me alone at the hotel.
On the other end of the phone, John seemed stuck by my question, and remained silent for several seconds.
I said, "Forget it, you go ahead."
He sighed, "I'll come pick you up."
The gathering of the international students was held at a local restaurant.
When I arrived, I finally understood why John didn't want me to come initially.
As I pushed open the private room door, the sounds from inside poured out all at once.
"Why did you come so late? Eliz has been waiting for you for a long time..."
His best buddy turned around, grinning, but froze the moment he saw me, "De-Della, what are you doing here?"
John hugged my shoulder and said, "I brought her here. If you joke like that again, you'll be in big trouble, buddy!"
He brushed off his friend's remarks with a few casual words.
But I just kept looking at the girl in the crowd who looked up at us.
This was the first time I had actually seen Eliz, the person John had mentioned countless times.
She probably had mixed ancestry and her appearance was extremely exotic and beautiful.
There were no dramatic arguments. As soon as she saw me, she said, "You remind me so much of my aunt—she has that similar vibe and look."
'She's calling me old, huh?' I thought.
John tightened his grip on my shoulder.
He frowned and said, "Della is the same age as you, not nearly as old as your aunt."
Eliz stuck out her tongue, "You're such a buzzkill!"
She said this while taking my hand in hers, "Della is so stunning. You're so lucky, aren't you?"
John retorted, "We're a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman. What right do you, a little goblin, have to oppose...?"
Eliz Hale widened her eyes, "You're calling me a goblin? Have you ever seen such a beautiful goblin like me?"
She swung her fist, ready to punch John, naturally pushing me aside, and began chasing him around.
The small private room was filled with the sounds of the two of them teasing and playfully bickering. I couldn't get a word in edgewise.
As for John, from the very first moment he saw Eliz, his gaze never once fell on me again.
I ate this meal very quietly.
After returning to the hotel, John asked me, "Are you uncomfortable?"
Yes, I was uncomfortable.
But I just whispered, "No, it's just that the food here tastes different from back home."
John replied indifferently, "Some things back home tend to change once they get overseas."
Yes, so did people, right?
I didn't say anything, and John didn't speak again either.
He picked up his phone and started messaging, smiling foolishly as he chatted.
It was the first time I realized John could be so happy chatting with someone other than me.
While he was in the shower, messages continued to pop up.
I picked up his phone.
His password used to be my birthday. I entered it, but it didn't unlock.
With stiff fingers, I tried his birthday, but that was wrong too.
Finally, I went into Eliz's shopping account and found her birthday.
I entered the password, and then John's lock screen unlocked.
- Writer
