Chapter 27
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“Kid.” The voice on the other end was deep and resonant. It felt both familiar and distant.
A face flashed in my mind, and I called out, “Miles…”
I had thought changing my number would keep me out of the Mercers‘ reach. But I never expected Miles to know this number, let alone use it to contact me.
“I see you’ve saved my number and haven’t forgotten me,” Miles said with a teasing tone.
He was only two years older than Logan and had looked after me before he went abroad. He always liked to call me “kid.”
I didn’t know how to respond. To me, his words carried a subtle undercurrent of resentment.
In the first couple of years after he left, I occasionally reached out to ask about his life. But over time, we gradually lost touch.
Miles wasn’t the type to initiate contact. He rarely called his family, let alone me. His sudden call now had to be about the canceled marriage between Logan and me.
Even though Miles didn’t often communicate with his family, they still kept each other informed about important matters.
“How did you get this number?” I asked directly, unwilling to beat around the bush.
“You borrowed money from me once to pay the phone bill.”
His answer left me momentarily stunned. He had remembered this number for ten years simply because he helped pay a bill once.
After my parents‘ accident, my dad’s phone became a cherished keepsake. When I realized it was out of service, I wanted to top up the balance. But had no money and was too embarrassed to ask Logan‘ parents, so I
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borrowed money from Miles.
Mery
He had been worried I’d use the money for something else. When he asked what it was for, I told him, but he didn’t believe me. So, he went with me.
In the end, Miles paid for the phone bill himself and remembered the number all these years.
I had forgotten to repay him for it. Now, with his sudden call, I jokingly asked, “Are you calling to collect a debt, Miles?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
I knew he wasn’t serious, but I played along. “Alright, I’ll transfer the money to you right now…”
“Elaine…” Miles interrupted.
I tightened my grip on the phone, but I didn’t speak. Neither did he, for a
brief moment.
Then, his voice came again. “My parents are worried about you. They’re very anxious because they can’t find you. My mom… fainted from the
stress.”
My heart skipped a beat. I had expected his parents to worry, but I didn’t think it would be this serious. Guilt and concern gripped me, making it hard to breathe. “Is Tessa alright?”
“She’s fine. She just has high blood pressure from the anxiety,” Miles reassured me.
After a pause, he added, “Elaine, did Logan do something wrong?”
There it was again–the question I couldn’t escape. Everyone who knew about our situation would ask me this eventually. The thought of it gave me a headache. I rubbed my temples, which had started to ache.
“Didn’t you ask him? Shouldn’t you ask him first about something like this?” I replied.
“I did. He said he doesn’t know.” Miles’s answer made me want to laugh.
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“Did he also say I was being unreasonable and throwing a tantrum?” I asked with a faint smile.
Miles didn’t respond directly but said, “You liked him so much. You were determined to marry him. But now, you’ve suddenly changed your mind. He must have done something to betray you, right?”
His words struck a nerve, sending a sharp pang through my heart. Even though Miles had been abroad for years, he understood my feelings for Logan better than anyone–better even than Nora.
After all, we had once shared meals and lived under the same roof. Miles had witnessed my love for Logan firsthand.
The candies I saved for Logan, the chicken wings I set aside for him, the watermelons I hid, and the diary entries I secretly wrote… Miles had seen them all.
