“Which part of North Bankshire do you live in?” It’s no wonder Ethan was so surprised. The main area is known for its luxurious mansions, and he curiously glanced at Aoife. He couldn’t tell that she lived in that area.
Aoife shook her head. “That’s not my home. I’m just staying there.”
Ethan probably knew what kind of people lived in that area, their family background, and status. He didn’t expect that Aoife could know such people in her circle. Was she hiding her true identity, or is she really being supported as rumored?
Both of them fell into an awkward silence.
Ethan didn’t want to pry into someone else’s personal matters. He coughed a few times and said, “It’s late. You should go back, take a hot bath, and rest. Don’t catch a cold.”
“Thank you,” Aoife said, looking out of the car window. Her shadow was faintly reflected in the window. She also wanted to rest and stop, but whenever she tried to calm down, her soul would roar inside her, making it impossible for her to be at peace.
She couldn’t stay in North Bankshire any longer. She was going back tonight just to take her packed luggage. Fortunately, she never hoped to stay by Finn’s side for a lifetime. When she signed the contract initially, the company gave her five hundred thousand, of which she gave half to her family and cut ties, and with the other half, she bought an apartment for herself. It was small, about forty to fifty square meters, narrow, in a remote area with inconvenient transportation, but it was her true home.
There, she didn’t have to worry about being caught in the rain in the dark or being left behind and driven out.
After hesitating for a moment, Aoife spoke again, “Can you keep my stay in North Bankshire a secret?”
“Is that a secret?” Ethan asked.
Aoife nodded earnestly. “Yes, he doesn’t like to be disturbed, and besides… I’m moving out tonight and I don’t want to be involved with that place anymore.”
Who that “he” was, Ethan couldn’t guess. But he thought that the person probably wasn’t a good one. If he truly cared about Aoife, he wouldn’t leave her outside so late, in the rain, with a broken finger, and waiting for a call from him. From the beginning to now, he noticed that Aoife had been looking at her phone all the time. He thought she might be waiting for a call from that person.
“I’ll help you move. Since I’ve brought you here, I might as well take care of all the troubles at once.”
Aoife hesitated and instinctively refused, “It’s too much trouble for you.”
“Not at all. We are colleagues… well, I guess we can consider ourselves friends now. If you really want to thank me, find some time to treat me to a meal, with food you cooked yourself.” Ethan had always remembered the delicious dishes Aoife had made and was getting hungry just thinking about it.
“Have you found a new place?” Ethan asked.
“I have a place to stay,” Aoife replied.
“I was thinking, if you don’t have a place to stay, you can come to my place. I have extra rooms.”
Aoife hesitated and said seriously, “That’s not appropriate.”
Ethan didn’t care. He had a higher status and popularity than her, and he had debuted as an idol. He usually didn’t interact much with the opposite sex. If she got too close to him, it would only affect his career.
With his carefree style, it’s no wonder he’s still clueless after being in the industry for three years.
When they arrived at North Bankshire, Ethan couldn’t drive into the area and had to park outside. “Do you want me to help you with the luggage?” he offered.
“No, my luggage is light, and it’s already packed. I’ll be back in a minute,” Aoife replied.
“Okay, I’ll wait here for you,” Ethan said.
“Thank you.” Aoife had been saying thank you all the way. Each time she said thank you, she would bow slightly.
Fortunately, it wasn’t raining outside, though it was still a bit cold when she got out of the car. But she was covered with a man’s coat, shielding her from the cold wind. Aoife ran back, and the lights were still on beneath the villa.
Was Finn home?
Aoife didn’t have time to think about it in detail. She rang the doorbell, realizing that no one would come to answer her at this late hour. She entered the house by entering the code to unlock the door, pushing it open.
The empty house seemed to echo with a hollow sound. Aoife glanced at the shoes placed at the entrance; Finn’s shoes were still there. That meant he hadn’t come back.
Aoife couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart at that moment. She felt a mix of regret at not seeing him, even the chance for a proper farewell slipped away. But if she did see him… she feared she would embarrass herself again.
After a moment, she realized that since she couldn’t see him anyway, it might be better not to see him.
Aoife went straight to the second-floor bedroom, picked up her old suitcase, and was about to leave when she suddenly looked back at the CCTV camera in the hallway. Without crying or laughing, without sadness in her heart, she calmly murmured, “Mr. Snearl, goodbye.”
In the past, when she saw Finn off, she would say “see you later,” implying they would meet again. But this time, she said goodbye, meaning they could never meet again.
As Aoife dragged her luggage down the stairs, she reflected on how desperate Finn had made her feel. Tears welled up as she remembered the first time she met Finn.
He had helped her get rid of the troublesome guests, stood beside her, stared into her eyes, and said, “Your eyes are as red as a rabbit’s.”
The smiling Finn, the angry Finn, the silent Finn, the mocking Finn, the cruel Finn, the Finn who drove her away. Each one vividly reappeared in her mind, impossible to banish.
Finn had treated her well, but if she didn’t look like Elisa, would he have treated her the same way?
Was she just a substitute? Why did they have to give her, a well-groomed substitute, to another man?
The once beautiful scenes replayed in her mind repeatedly.
Aoife couldn’t understand herself. How low did she have to stoop and how deep did she have to love Finn to keep all of his bad behavior in her memories?
Trying to ease the pain in her heart, Aoife covered her chest, feeling as if there was a sharp thorn piercing it, no matter how hard she tried to push it away.
As she reached the doorway, she bumped into the driver who had taken her to the hotel that evening. He seemed surprised to see her, “Miss Powell, why are you back?”
With a keen eye, the driver noticed a few things were amiss. Aoife was wearing a man’s coat, her clothes were wet, her ankles were red, and her hands were injured.
“I’ve come to collect my luggage. I’m moving out today.”
The driver had been waiting for Aoife’s call all night. He wouldn’t leave unless she called him at the hotel. But he had been waiting all night and hadn’t heard from her. If he hadn’t waited, he might have missed her.
“Don’t you want to say goodbye to Mr. Snearl before you leave?”
“I’ve already said goodbye.” Their farewell had occurred when he asked her to go to the hotel with Hamish for the night.
The driver followed up, “Where are you going now? Have you found a new place? Do you need a ride?”
“No, someone is waiting for me outside.”
Aoife grabbed her suitcase, and with her heart heavy, she quickly said, “Close the door behind me. I’m leaving.”
She didn’t look back, appearing to have no regrets. But only she knew how much effort she had exerted to leave that place.
Poor Aoife, she pitied herself, realizing that a tiny part of her heart was now occupied by someone she couldn’t extract. She had tried to please him for a year, but she could never overcome the final goodbye.
“Mr. Snearl, I am Aoife.”
Coming in was pure, leaving was also pure.
The wheels of her suitcase were broken, making it hard to maneuver. It didn’t look big, but inside were several heavy books.
It should have taken five minutes to walk the distance, but Aoife took a full ten minutes, stopping and walking slowly. When she was close, she saw Ethan’s car still parked where he had left it, with the headlights illuminating her path.
Ethan was standing by the front of his car, looking at his phone. When he heard her approach, he glanced up and walked over to help with her luggage.
“It’s quite heavy. What did you pack?” Ethan asked.
Aoife’s voice was hoarse. “Just a few books.”
Ethan gave her another look. “No wonder it’s heavy.”
He placed the suitcase in the trunk of the car and then opened the driver’s seat. “Get in. I’ll take you home. Which way should I go?”
Aoife gave him the location. Ethan hadn’t heard of that place before, so he had to use the GPS. It would take an hour to get there, as it was in a remote location.
It was Ethan’s first time in such a place, with street stalls everywhere, even at four or five in the morning, and people shouting. It was quite lively.
Since they couldn’t drive into the area, Ethan found a place to park and paid ten dollars for parking.
Aoife went to get her luggage, but Ethan was one step ahead, picking it up. “Your hands are injured, and it’s inconvenient to carry the luggage. Where do you live? I’ll take you up.”
After a pause, Aoife looked at the dimple beside Ethan’s mouth, unsure if his smile had infected her. She felt a little better and said, “You’re really kind-hearted.”
“It’s the first time someone has praised me as kind. It’s a bit strange,” Ethan joked.
Aoife lived in an old apartment building. The street lights inside were broken, so Aoife took out her phone flashlight and led Ethan inside, walking to the fifth floor since there was no elevator.
Ethan was strong and climbed the stairs without breaking a sweat.
“We’re here.” Aoife found her keys in the suitcase and opened the door.
Curious, Ethan entered. The interior was devoid of decoration, very small, it was basically her bedroom.
Although the house was small, it was fully equipped, and Aoife was good at tidying up, so the apartment looked clean and neat, not too difficult to accept.
There was no sofa inside, only a small dining table and chairs.
Aoife moved a chair out, feeling a bit cramped. “Please sit for a while. I’ll go boil some water.” There wasn’t much food at home, and Aoife usually came back to clean up.