Chapter 327
My car was parked nearby, so there was no need to hitch a ride. The moment I saw Neil’s car pull up, I headed straight for mine.
Neil got out of his car and didn’t even glance my way; his eyes were glued to Bonnie.
His smitten look made my mood sour even more.
Ignoring them, I hopped into my car and zoomed off as fast as I could.
But in my rear-view mirror, I still saw Bonnie, who looked extremely happy, and it irked the hell out of me.
Could it be that I hadn’t completely forgotten about Neil? Even though I knew he was just putting on a show.
Thinking of this possibility, a phrase popped into my head, “human weakness.”
Back at Sapphire River Community, I checked my phone, no messages or calls. Neil must have seen me but didn’t reach out or explain.
Did he need to explain? It was clearly part of our plan.
But he used to explain to me. I sat alone in the living room for a long time with these mixed feelings.
Until my mom came down.
“Rena, why are you still up? Just got back?” My mom asked with concern as she sat down next to me.
“Yeah, I had a function tonight. Just got back. Mom, why are you still up?” I countered.
It was already late. My mom needed to rest. She usually went to bed early.
My mom sighed as she said, “Rena, don’t lie to me. Is something wrong with your dad?”
Her question took me aback. Did Hannah fail to keep up the pretense?
I forced a smile and said, “Mom, what are you talking about? Dad’s on a trip abroad now. I didn’t even tell him you woke up. I’m afraid he’d cut his trip short. He’s been busy all his life. You should rest.”
“Don’t lie to me. I’ve been married to your dad for so many years. I know him like the back of my hand. He wouldn’t go abroad for so long. What happened to him? Tell me.” My mom’s face was serious.
Her stern look startled me. I knew she would find out sooner or later, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon.
After some hesitation, I told my mom the truth about my dad.
Maybe she had been mentally prepared these past few days and sensed something was off. So when I spilled the beans, she didn’t react much other than her face turning a bit pale..
Her eyes widened as she said, “Your dad has always been honest and fair. I can’t believe this happened to him.”
“Mom, don’t worry. I’ll get Dad out of this. He’s been framed.” I made a firm promise to my mom.
“Your father would never do such a thing, Rena. If there’s any news about your dad, you must tell me right away. Don’t keep me in the dark, okay?” My mom pleaded.
I felt guilty, and my eyes moistened as I said, “Okay, I will.”
My mom must be feeling down. She didn’t talk to me for long and went upstairs to rest.
I checked my phone again. Still no messages.
What were Neil and Bonnie doing at this moment? If he was sacrificing himself for my sake, how should I treat him?
This absurd thought made me restless.
Of course, I knew Neil wouldn’t make such a sacrifice unless he truly cared for Bonnie. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair to his status.
But in my past life, he did love Bonnie deeply. Now that they had a chance to reconnect, could there be new feelings?
I felt like was going crazy, just like my past self.
To regain my sanity, I hurried upstairs to take a shower.
When I came out of the bathroom, I glanced out the window. My room faced the neighbor’s, so I could see the lights on in Neil’s villa.
I was taken aback. Was Neil back?
But why didn’t he come to see me? Not even a call or a text.
I felt a sinking feeling, unspeakable. I silently pulled the curtains shut and went to bed.
Just as I was zoning out, my phone suddenly rang, startling me a little.
When I saw Neil’s name on the incoming call, my heart skipped a beat. This excited feeling was both strange and familiar.
I deliberately didn’t answer. Neil called a second time, then a third, and a fourth. I finally picked up on the fifth call.
“Are you asleep?” Neil’s voice came through but didn’t sound as gentle as when he spoke to Bonnie.
“Yep, I’m asleep. What’s up?” My voice was frosty.
“I saw your lights go out. Did you go to bed so early?” Neil asked, disbelieving.
“I’m tired, so I went to bed early.” I answered offhand.
Perhaps sensing my coldness, Neil tentatively asked, “What’s wrong? Are you upset? I’m at Sapphire River Community now. Wanna go for a walk?”
The weather had been nice these past few days, and the nights were still warm, but I didn’t want to go out.
“No need. You should get some rest. I declined.
“Then tell me why you’re upset.” Neil seemed determined to get to the bottom of it.
Of course, I didn’t want to tell him. I didn’t want to admit that I was jealous of his tenderness towards Bonnie, because he would gloat if he knew.
I wasn’t speaking, so Neil quickly followed up and said, “I saw you when I went to pick up Bonnie today. Why did you leave so quickly? We haven’t seen each other for days. Don’t you want to see me more?”
He was blaming me now. I scoffed internally.
“I don’t care if you noticed me or not. As long as Bonnie sees you, that’s enough.” I didn’t even realize my voice was tinged with jealousy when I said this.
Neil was silent for a moment on the other end. Then he started laughing. His laughter was pleasant to the ear, “Irene, you’re jealous, aren’t you?”
“I’m not. I know you and Bonnie are just acting. Why would I be jealous?” I tried to defend myself.
“I haven’t been in touch much lately, and when Bonnie picked up my call, you were there, weren’t you? You were jealous, right?” Neil’s tone was full of amusement.
Caught red-handed, I felt super awkward and kept denying it. “I wasn’t! I’m just exhausted today and want to hit the sack early.”
Laughing, Neil said, “Come down and see me for a bit, will you? Do you know how hard it was for me to keep cool when I saw you today? I didn’t even dare to look at you directly, afraid I’d lose it and rush over to hug you.
