Chapter 200
I deleted and recomposed my reply many times. In the end, I only sent out one word, Goodnight.”
Matthew didn’t send me more text messages. I stared at my phone screen until it automatically switched off.
While I couldn’t return Matthew’s feelings, hurting him was not my intention. Yet he was hurt both mentally and physically after what had happened.
His birthday fell on Sunday. Helen called and asked if I wanted to attend his birthday party.
She told me that his childhood friends would be there to celebrate the occasion. None of his
family would be there.
For a moment, I was enticed. I wanted to be there to apologize to him. Regardless of what his family had done to me, I couldn’t deny that he had given me his heart.
But as I thought further, I was sure that Matthew had endured much of the grief in the past month. The answer I had given him that night must have plunged him into the depth of
despair. Soon enough, he would begin healing and move on.
Attending his birthday party might give him some false hope. It wasn’t fair to him, and it’d only prolong his suffering. I couldn’t do that.
Therefore, I turned Helen down.
Helen paused for a while before uttering, “Lulu, you’re coldblooded when you’re rational.”
I didn’t refute it. Instead, I hung up silently.
She could chastise me. Everyone could chastise me. After all, I did break Matthew’s heart.
But what about the injustice I experienced? Why couldn’t anyone put themselves in my shoes? What did I do wrong in the whole situation?
I was in a bad mood, so I slept fitfully.
At night, I woke up from a nightmare. I opened my eyes to greet the darkness in my room.
The phone next to my pillow suddenly lit up.
“Sorry.”
It was a message from Matthew.
1/2
+15 BONUS
I looked at the clock on the phone. It was 1:35 am.
I racked
my brain but couldn’t figure out why he apologized.
And because of the sudden message, I no longer felt sleepy. I stared at the scenery outside until dawn broke.
I got up groggily. Helen returned when I was brushing my teeth.
She glanced at me and removed her coat surreptitiously. Then, she threw herself on the bed as if she just had a very long night.
“You came back at this ungodly hour.” I spat out the foam in my mouth and stashed my toothbrush away. Then, I squeezed out a dollop of cleansing cream to wash my face while I asked Helen the question.
She
gave no response.
I saw from the bathroom mirror’s reflection that she was lying motionless on the bed. Thinking that she had fallen asleep, I made sure I proceeded with my business quietly and asked no further questions.
Once I was done, I came out. Helen was up and changing her clothes.
Her flawless back appeared before me. I thought I could admire a masterpiece, but what I saw shocked me.
Helen’s fair back was covered in red spots, from the area under her ears to below her shoulder. Some even had scabs on them.
“Helen, you’re injured?” I asked in disbelief.
But before I could finish my sentence, my body instinctively went to caress the wounds on her back. I wondered what had happened to her.
No wonder she looked exhausted. She was injured.
Yet she swatted my hands away and covered those wounds with a new sweater. She sat on the bed and snarled. “He has agreed to go out with me. I asked him.”
With whom? What was she on about?