Chapter 107
Russel surely was one unlucky dude.
I only knew about his losing battle with Neil in my past life, but I didn’t know that before this competition, he’d already planted the seeds of his own tragedy.
And it all started with Karina
Karina was also a medical student, a classmate of Russel’s. At first, Karina was chasing after Russel, but Russel wasn’t in the mood for romance at that time, so he never gave Karina any response.
Then, at a party, Karina met Neil. Maybe to forget about Russel, she started to flirt with Neil, until both of them caught feelings and started dating.
“Russel, why are you so unlucky?” I felt genuinely sorry for him after hearing his story.
“Unlucky, huh?” Russel asked.
“Isn’t it bad enough?” I blurted out, “The person who loved you ended up falling for Neil, and the person you loved ended up with him too.”
I realized I’d said something I shouldn’t have. How could I tell Russel that Bonnie ended up with Neil?”
This would break his heart!
But luckily, Russel didn’t seem to react much. Maybe he’d accepted the fact that he was always one step behind Neil in the game of love.
“So, you kinda liked Karina back then, didn’t you? But you didn’t fall in love with her. You thought you could let her go without a fuss, so you stepped aside for Neil.“I analyzed
“Yeah, that sounds about right. Russel nodded.
I thought to myself, no wonder they fought so hard over Bonnie later on.
Now I basically understand the whole story. My confusion is gone.
In a few days, I can leave the country without worry, not thinking about these complicated matters anymore.
“I get it now” I took another bite of food, a relaxed smile on my face.
In my past life, Russel never told me about Karina. I guess it was a thorn in his heart. I didn’t know why he would tell me now.
I still thought highly of him. He was a good man with a healthy worldview.
I hoped after I leave the country, he could let go of the issue with Bonnie, not ending up losing both love and money.
After we finished eating, Russel carefully cleaned the table and kitchen, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and even took out the trash.
It was already late. Russel applied some medicine for me, carried me back to bed, and then prepared to go home.
“Russel.” I stopped him, and sincerely told him, “For some things, don’t be too stubborn. Sometimes giving up is also a choice. Especially don’t fight for someone who doesn’t love you. Don’t torture yourself over this.”
A good person should have a peaceful life. May God bless him!
Russel seemed to ponder for a moment, and then finally gave a small smile, “Sure.”
As the sound of the front door closing echoed in the living room, I lay in bed, silently staring at the light on the ceiling.
It’s as if there’s an ocean in my mind, always tiding, never calm.
But after tonight, that ocean disappeared, replaced by a desert. There’s no wind or rain, just quiet and still.
I no longer thought about what Neil was doing, nor did I think about whether Russel could change his fate. I just wanted to sleep.
The next day, my parents picked me up from the apartment.
After a few days of rest at home, my foot was mostly healed. Harold had also bought me a plane ticket to Caladonia.
The night before I left, Stella, Alicia, Barbara and others came to my house, bringing lots of food and drinks to see me off.
‘Rena, don’t worry. We didn’t tell anyone about you leaving. Neil and the others don’t know. Just slip away quietly, and surprise him with a divorce when you come back! Stella, already a bit drunk, said loudly.
“Right! You must bring back a foreign hunk, make him regret!” Alicia suggested.
Barbara, like someone who’s seen through love, said, “Don’t date. Just focus on work. Men are not reliable.”
I thought what they said made a lot of sense, so I frequently nodded in agreement.
It wasn’t until late at night that Stella and the others left.
When dawn arrived, I only brought my passport and some simple luggage. My father drove to pick up Harold and Sarah, and then they all took me to the
airport
Except for Stella and the other friends, no one else knew I was leaving today. I’d told them not to see me off the night before, to avoid getting too emotional
“Rena, are you reluctant to leave?” Sarah asked me on the plane.
1 really miss my parents.” I really do miss them. After all, they only have me as a daughter.
“You can keep in touch with them. After some time, you can come back and help them share some of the pressure in the company” Sarah comforted me.
That’s what I was thinking too. Since I’m having troubles in love, I might as well work harder in my career.
When the plane took off, the feeling of weightlessness made me feel nauseous
I quickly took out a vomit bag and started dry heaving
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Sarah asked with concern.
I dry heaved for a while but didn’t throw up anything, so I put down the vomit bag, patted my chest and said. “I’m fine. I probably drank a bit last night, so my stomachs feeling a bit off”
Sarah said, “You should drink less in the future. It’s not good for your health”
I obediently nodded.
When we arrived in Caladonia and got off the plane, I saw my cousin Orlando Finch. He came to pick us up today..
“Renal” As soon as Orlando saw me, he ruffled my hair and smiled warmly, “Why did you get so thin, like a skeleton?*
We were close when we were kids, always playing together with our cousin Molly Finch. It was only after Harold moved abroad that we didn’t contact
much
“I don’t have a job, can’t eat well, and can’t sleep well, so I lost weight. I came here this time to ask you to save me.” I patted my suitcase, “All my assets are in here.”
He laughed heartily, “Alright, hurry up and come work for me!”
After hopping in, Orlando and I were chit–chatting the whole time. Harold and Sarah were just there, all smiles, listening to our conversation. The vibe in the car was super chill. I could really feel how going abroad made everything back home seem like miles away.
I’m living at Harold’s home for now, but Orlando’s gonna help me find a decent residence. I should be able to move out soon.
In the evening, Harold’s whole family got together. My sister–in–law and niece were also back. Sarah whipped up a feast. We all had a blast over dinner, laughing and eating
There’s no time difference between Caladonia and back home. I checked the time before hitting the sack. It was half past ten in the evening.
On WhatsApp, Stella shot me a message: Good Lord, Bonnie got in a car crash!
I was shocked and hit her back right away: When did this happen?
Stella replied: Happened a few days ago. Just found out today, told you as soon as I could. Let me do the math!
After a bit, Stella texted again: It was the day after the beginning of the year!
