Chapter 26
“What’s the use of missing them? Focus on what you’re going to do next,” Nora said, noticing the pain in my eyes and deliberately changing the
subject.
“Since you broke up with Logan, are you still going to work for him?” Nora
asked.
The water boiled, so I made two cups of instant coffee. “I’ve already sent the handover materials to the respective people. I’ve written my resignation letter. Once the amusement park inspection is done, I’ll resign.”
“Good choice. The idea of staying friends after a breakup is nonsense. Only distance helps you move on.” Nora fully supported my decision.
I nodded.
Nora, worried I might feel sad, didn’t linger on the subject. She glanced around my house and said, “You should get some new appliances here- maybe a fully automatic washing machine, a coffee machine, and a robot.
vacuum.”
“I’ll do it once I get back,” I replied.
Nora, sipping her coffee, looked at me curiously. “Where are you going?”
It took me four hours to reach Amaty by high–speed rail. The city lights were just coming on. It wasn’t as bustling as Hilcord, but it was still brightly lit, with the charm of a small town. Nora’s call came right on time. “Are you there yet? Have you found a place to stay?” she asked.
She hadn’t expected me to leave so quickly. When she’d asked earlier where I was going, I gave her the address and the time of my train ticket.
Nora thought I was leaving in such a hurry to avoid Logan, assuming I was afraid he’d try to cling to me.
I told her she was wrong–Logan wouldn’t do that. He was probably still angry. After all, I’d stood him up.
0 09:30
8.71%
< Chapter 26
And now, it seemed I was right. Since the time he’d called to ask why I didn’t show up to register for our marriage, he hadn’t texted or called me
once.
I came here so suddenly because I’d always wanted to visit this place. I also didn’t want to be pestered–not by Logan, but by Tessa and Ethan. They’d definitely try to find me and convince me to change my mind.
But my decision was final. Trying to persuade me would only waste their energy and exhaust me. So, it was better to leave quickly and not give them
the chance.
I even put my frequently used number on airplane mode. Nora was calling my secondary number now–a number Logan didn’t know. It was my dad’s old number, one I’d kept in the other slot of my phone for ten years. It had rarely rung until now.
“Not yet. But I’m not in a rush,” I said, glancing around the unfamiliar city. Everything seemed to slow down.
“Why not? It’s getting late. You should find a good hotel in a safe area. Check the closet and under the bed before you sleep. Make sure you lock
the windows and door,” Nora instructed.
I laughed softly, touched by her concern. “Alright, I will. I promise.”
Nora sighed in relief. “Elaine, you must take good care of yourself, no
matter what.”
“This is my hometown, Nora,” I said. “My mom and dad went through so much here. Even though I didn’t grow up here, I feel an unbreakable bond with this place.”
I opened the photo album on my phone and found a picture of my dad’s handwriting–a note with an address from his old diary. I handed the driver my phone and said, “Please take me to this place.”
The driver glanced at the screen, then looked up at me. I couldn’t help but look at him too, and I was a little surprised by his expression.
The man looked rough and somewhat intimidating. Over the years, the men,
0 09:31
8.79%2
< Chapter 25
I had interacted with were always meticulously groomed, usually dressed in suits and ties.
This man, however, gave the impression of someone who had just been released from prison.
Instinctively, I tightened my grip on my backpack. Nora had slipped a pepper spray and a folding knife into it before I left.
But before I could reach for them, the man had already started the car without saying a word.
What was that look he had given me?
I didn’t understand. My heart, which had felt calm after arriving in this city, started racing erratically. Distracted by my wariness, I didn’t even notice the scenery outside the car window.
When the car finally stopped, I paid and got out. Watching the vehicle drive away, I felt my nerves begin to relax.
It was already 10:00 p.m. Coming here at this hour had been reckless. I could’ve waited until the morning to look for my parents‘ old home. But now that I was here, there was no point in second–guessing my decision.
The neighborhood looked very old. The walls were crumbling, the uneven ground was full of potholes, and puddles dotted the road. My suitcase couldn’t be pulled along this street, so I had to carry it instead.
The address I was looking for was 42 Old Alley. I followed the house numbers along the street until I found it. There was even a “For Rent” sign on the door.
Could anyone really rent this place? Only a fool would rent a house here.
I scoffed as I stepped inside. It was a small courtyard, surrounded by rooms on all sides, with a tree standing in the middle. It was too dark to tell what kind of tree it was.
But I already knew–it was a honey locust. It had been there since my dad’s childhood.
09:31
8.87%
- Chapter 25
“Are you looking for someone or a place to stay?” an ddefy voice skard
I turned to see an old woman with gray hair, leaning on a thin cane, scrutinizing me.
*… I want to rent a room,” I said, pointing to the easternmost room. I want to stay there.”
My dad had once told me this courtyard had three rooms. The middle one was a living room for entertaining guests and watching TV, and the easternmost one was the bedroom.
My parents had sold this place when they left, and it had been renovated since then. Though the original traces of their life here were gone, I still wanted to stay in the room where they had once slept.
“That room’s taken,” the old lady said. “But you can stay in this one.” She pointed to the adjacent room.
I hesitated, still wanting the room I had chosen.
Sensing my reluctance, the old lady explained, “That room is old. The one I’m offering you is newer and more suitable for a young lady like you. Let me show you.” She opened the door to reveal a room with fresh white walls
and a clean interior.
“It looks nice, but I still want that room,” I said stubbornly.
The old lady gave me a look. “How about you wait for the tenant of that room to come back and see if they’re willing to switch with you?”
“Okay,” I agreed.
Whether or not I got that room didn’t matter in the end. I simply wanted to stay here, close to the honey locust tree that still stood in the courtyard.
When I went to pay the old lady, I learned her name was Chloe Sutton. Afterward, I took the pot of hot water she had boiled and carried it back to
my room.
Just then, my phone rang. I assumed it was Nora checking in about my accommodations, but I was surprised to see the caller ID.
09:31
< Chapter 26
Menu
It was someone I hadn’t spoken to in years, calling the number that hadn’t been dialed in over a decade.
09:31
