Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Eden lowered his head, took a deep breath, and walked out as well.
I was waiting in a pavilion outside the bamboo grove.
Elma suddenly slowed her pace and looked up at me.
She nodded, acknowledging me, and then hurriedly left.
Seeing that Eden was about to come out too, I walked forward.
dn’t want to see Eden again.
Seeing him would remind me of that absurd relationship.
Lewis Titus noticed my pale face and took me out from the dining table.
“What’s wrong?”
I shook my head.
“Feeling down? Let me take you home.”
“No, there are so many people waiting for you…”
My mother–in–law also got up from the table.
“Since Rita isn’t feeling well, just take her home.”
I awkwardly scratched my head. “Mom, I’m fine… it’s just that there are so many people…”
“Don’t worry about them. The Titus family doesn’t need to care about their opinions. You two should head home.”
Lewis waved to his assistant.
セ
The assistant immediately came over to drive.
Lewis wrapped his arm around me, reeking of alcohol.
I pushed him away, grimacing.
“You smell terrible.”
“Once we get home, you can wash me up yourself.”
Eden’s Perspective
I lost the person who loved me the most and the person I loved the most.
It seemed I couldn’t hold onto either Rita or Elma.
My life felt like it had been spent in a void.
I hadn’t seen others clearly, nor had I seen myself.
In a daze, it felt like I was back where I started.
Rita seemed to never want to see me again.
I also couldn’t find Elma anywhere.
Fully immersed in work, I didn’t have the courage to face another relationship.
11:48
Photos, Lies, and Fire
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Chapter 6
That New Year’s Eve, I spent alone.
A plate of frozen dumplings, a bottle of red wine.
The skyscrapers outside reflected the countdown to the New Year.
As the countdown ended,
I received a message from an unknown number.
[Eden, you will never see us again.]
I scrolled up to find a photo of Elma.
Jay weakly on a hospital bed, and beside her was a child-
more precisely, a newborn baby.
The alcohol left me in an instant.
I stood up, only to find that the photo had been retracted.
I called her, but Elma had already blocked me.
She had always been soft–hearted.
I thought that with time, she would relent.
But once again, I miscalculated.
Ten years passed,
and I hadn’t heard a thing.
I even began to doubt whether that night I had drunk too much.
Did I misjudge the situation?
It felt as if nothing had ever happened.
The news still reported on Lewis’s joyous arrival of a son.
On the television, Rita looked radiant, bathed in sunlight.
Time had left no trace on her face.
She smiled brightly.
I reached out toward the TV,
only to let my hand fall slowly.
Alone in the room, I drank.
Eventually, my assistant came to see me.
“Are you done with the painting?”
I pointed toward the living room absentmindedly.
“Are you feeling alright lately?”
I didn’t respond.
“Prepare a gift for me to send to the Titus family.”
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Chapter 6
The assigfant looked confused, then glanced at the television, falling silent.
“The Titus family won’t accept it”
“Even if it ends up in the trash, it has to be sent.”
“Alright”
Before leaving, the assistant placed an order list at the door.
“This is your order for the next quarter,”
I pressed my right hand down. “Just cancel it; it’s cold, and my hand is shaking a bit.”
assistant looked at me, hesitating to speak.
After he left, he returned with takeout.
“You ordered more alcohol? Drink less; the doctor said your hand isn’t suited for drinking,”
I took a couple of sips and lay down on the carpet.
I didn’t hear what the assistant said last.
I just watched him mouth words, shaking his head and sighing as he left.
My life felt like trudging through mud.
