I picked up the call, Russel said, “Oscar Morse is looking for you, did you block him?”
“Yeah, what does he want from me?” I sat on the couch, eyes closed, resting.
I blocked Oscar when I went abroad. I used to try to find emotional balance through him, but then I realized he was innocent too, dragged into emotional drama at such a young age. So, I blocked all his contacts.
“Don’t you think it’s heartless to ghost people when you’re done using them?” Russel said, but his tone was laced with amusement.
I couldn’t tell he was calling me heartless.
“I feel guilty,” I sighed. “At first, I did use people for emotional comfort. But as time went by, I realized that the boy was actually pretty decent. I didn’t want to treat him like that anymore, so I ghosted him. That proves I still have a conscience.”
“Yeah, you could say you have a conscience,” Russel chuckled at my explanation.
Then he asked, “So, what should I tell him if he comes looking for me?”
Wait, Oscar actually tried to get in touch with Russel for information about me?
I didn’t expect him to care so much.
Feeling even more guilty, I thought for a moment before answering, “Just teil him I went abroad for work after my divorce from Neil and won’t be back for a few years. If he needs help with work in the future, he can turn to you.”
Russel seemed taken aback. “He’s turning to me for work issues? Is he a med student?”
“No, but you’re capable of helping him with his work issues. Dr. Russel, doctors are known for being compassionate. You should lend him a hand” My words left him in silence.
He was probably mulling over how being a kind doctor correlates with helping others find work.
“Don’t worry,” I quickly added, “you can think of it as taking care of a younger brother for me. If you help him, I’ll owe you one.”
I wouldn’t mind owing him one.
“And how do you plan to repay me?” Russel finally asked.
“By helping you pursue Bonnie?” Remembering today’s incident, I quickly backtracked. “No, forget it, Dr. Russel. Bonnie’s too fake. Marrying the wrong woman can ruin your life, so maybe you should let Neil have this opportunity.”
Russel chuckled on the other end of the line, seemingly amused.
Was he mocking me?
If Russel was set on pursuing Bonnie, then I wouldn’t try to dissuade him anymore. I’d respect his choice.
“Irene, I’ve always been curious, who told you I liked Bonnie? Why are you so certain that I’d fall for her? Russel inquired.
“Don’t you like her?” I had a hunch that something was off about Russel, but another part of me was convinced that it was only a matter of time before he fell for Bonnie, just like he did in my past life.
“I don’t like her,” Russel stated.
I was taken aback. “But didn’t you tell me before that you fell for someone you couldn’t pursue because of certain circumstances? Wasn’t that person
Bonnie?”
Russel’s voice suddenly turned serious. “Why does it have to be Bonnie? Couldn’t it be you?”
My mind went blank. What on earth was Russel saying?!
Was he referring to my marital status with Neil when he mentioned ‘certain circumstances‘?
I suddenly remembered what Stella had once said. She had suspected that Russel treated me differently. At the time, I was a bit puzzled, but I still believed everything would pan out like it did in my past life, with Russel eventually falling for Bonnie.
Why did my rebirth mess up all emotional lines?
I was full of questions and didn’t know how to continue the conversation.
“Scared you, didn’t I? Russel chuckled. “I was just making a point. There are other women out there besides Bonnie. Why must I like her? There are too many unsuitable women for me.”
“You scared me,” I finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But deep down, I wondered if Russel had noticed my awkwardness and intentionally offered this explanation to soothe me
“I just hope you von’t lump me together with Bonnie in the future. She’s her, I’m me. I have no interest in her,” Russel seemed to sigh.
My omniscient perspective must have troubled him a lot. But I also realized that my omnipotent viewpoint wasn’t absolute. Many details were gradually changing.
So I should respect Russel’s present thoughts, not bind him with what might happen in the future.
“Okay, I’m sorry I misunderstood you, I apologized sincerely.
“It’s fine. Just take care of yourself and watch your diet, Russel reminded me
After chatting for a while, I hung up. Just then, I received a notification from the hospital about prenatal checkups.
I calculated the time. Almost a month had passed since my last checkup Time flew without my noticing.
The prenatal care process here was different from that in my home country, which I learned from occasional comparisons with Stella.
Around two months in, I had a blood test and found out that the baby I was carrying was a girl.
Next up was a detailed ultrasound
was so relieved it was a girl I would faint from anger if I had a boy like Neil.
You gotta make your mom proud, sweetheart Grow up to look more like me! I patted my belly I was naturally slim and early in my pregnancy, so my belly was still flat. You couldn’t tell I was pregnant when I was dressed.
The doctor had mentioned my physique and advised me to pay more attention to my nutritional intake. If the mother was too weak, the child would also be malnourished.
Thinking of this, I immediately went to the kitchen and made myself a simple yet nutritious dinner.
Just as I finished eating, Stella video–called me. She was currently at the Hebert family’s place, lounging on the sofa like a queen while Mitch fed her nuts. “Rena, did you know Neil has a project in Caladonia?” Stella pushed Mitch’s hand away and asked me.
“When did that happen?” I asked, puzzled.
“It must have been around the time that Bonnie Bitch went abroad. Now he’s remotely managing the Zion Chemical Plant project here. To think he’s willing to go to such lengths for that slut! Stella started ranting
Mitch must have told her all this.
I laughed it off, saying, “It doesn’t matter. We’re divorced now. Whatever he does has nothing to do with me anymore. I even bumped into him today”
“What’s going on?” Stella asked curiously.
I hadn’t told Stella and the others about Karina and Kate yet. After a bit of thought, I said, “I’ll fill you in on the group chat.”
After hanging up the phone, I immediately typed up a long message and sent out all the things about two Aaron’s sisters in our group chat.
As soon as I hit send, the group chat blew up. It was just four of us, but it felt like a thousand people were chatting.
Stella sent a voice message saying, “This is way too dramatic! I had no clue about this Karina, and Bonnie is just her stand–in? And what about Rena? Has she been the punching bag for five years?”
