Chapter 7
He hesitated for a few seconds before answering. Gianna’s voice came through the phone, tearful and delicate, “Zachary, I accidentally twisted my ankle just now. It hurts so much; I’m really scared being alone. Can you come to my place?”
I said. “Mr. Cooper, can you let go of my hand now?”
He looked at me for a moment before finally releasing me.
I deleted and blocked all of Zachary’s messages and calls, bought a ticket to a random city,
and prepared to spend the last of my days with the savings I’d accumulated from
working—150,000, enough to get me through the remaining time I had left.
The airport was bustling, with people flowing past in a constant stream. Planes carried
countless people’s love and hopes from one city to another. Everyone had a place to return to, but I didn’t.
As I was passing through security, a hurried traveler bumped my shoulder, causing my phone to drop. Just as I bent to pick it up, another hand reached out first, handing it to me.
Instinctively, I said, “Thank you.”
“Camila? Is it really you?”
I looked up at the young man in front of me, handsome and vaguely familiar, but couldn’t place him.
He introduced himself simply, “I’m Zack’s friend, Hector.”
Hearing that name again made a sharp pang rise in my chest. Hector’s expression softened with a hint of sadness as he mentioned him. “When we were in summer camp together, he’d talk about you all the time. It’s a shame about what happened…”
I lowered my eyes, hiding the sadness in them.
Perhaps because of the memories of Zack that we shared, Hector and I quickly became friends. He even helped me find a place to live, so when he asked me to accompany him as a date to a banquet, I agreed without hesitation.
14:32
Fake Wedding. True Pain
99%
These days less had worn me down. I’d lost weight, my cheeks slightly hollowed, and
my old dresses no longer fit. Looking at my thin, gaunt reflection in the mirror, I regretted accepting Hector’s invitation.
I never expected to see Zachary here. Wherever he went, he naturally became the center of anention, with many people approaching to curry favor. I noticed Gianna there as well, though unlike before, she wasn’t glued to Zachary’s side. Instead, she stood in a corner, gazing at him with a forlorn expression.
mcument Zachary saw me, his eyes narrowed, and he strode over, gripping my shoulder tightly, almost frantically demanding, “Where have you been these past two months? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”
The pain in my shoulder made me wince, and I pushed his hand away. “Mr. Cooper, if I’m not mistaken, we no longer have any relationship.”
Zachary faltered, his gaze turbulent. After a moment, he finally spoke, “I regret it. Only after you completely disappeared from my life did I realize how important you are to me. Camila, I think I’m in love with you.”
How ironic. He had allowed Gianna to insult and trample on me, belittling my dignity time and again, and now he claimed to love me. Such love felt utterly cheap. I cut him off. “But I
don’t love you”
His face darkened, as if he hadn’t anticipated my rejection of his “love.” It seemed that, in
his mind, I should be grateful for the affection he was now offering.
At that moment, Hector approached, glancing briefly at Zachary, surprised for an instant before regaining his composure. “Camila, who’s this gentleman?”
Zachary’s gaze shifted back and forth between us, and something seemed to click in his mind. With a sneer, he asked, “Found someone new so quickly? What’s the matter? Does he also look like your first love? Are you that desperate for a man?”
Though they looked alike, Zack had cherished me, while Zachary had only ever hurt me with his cruelest words. Now I realized that aside from their appearance, they were nothing
alike.
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
