Carter remained silent, revealing a chilling smile.
“Carter!” I pounded on the iron gate.
He turned around, leaning on his cane, and slowly walked away.
In the empty courtyard, there was only his solitary figure.
The apartment also had its locks changed, and I had nowhere to go for the moment.
Luckily, Holly took me in. Her place wasn’t big, but at least it gave me a temporary place to stay.
On the day we moved my belongings, she smiled apologetically, “My place isn’t the best, you’ll have to sleep in this small room for now. I hope you don’t mind…”
“Don’t say that, Holly, I’m already grateful for you giving me a place to stay.”
“Do you know my dream?” she said, smiling with anticipation as she sorted through my boxes. “I really hope that one day my Gnote magazine can thrive, make lots and lots of money, enough for me to buy a flat in the best part of the city center! And then have some left over to travel the world!”
I smiled, it was indeed a great dream.
“Are you mocking me?” she teased, pinching me. “You’ve been living a life of luxury at The Lynch Family, you can’t understand the struggles of us working-class folks!”
“What are you talking about?” I pushed her playfully. “Are you mocking me? My days of luxury at The Lynch Family ended long ago.”
“Holly, I really understand you,” I looked at her. “Our desires are the same, I also want to make lots and lots of money and buy a house of my own. Before at The Lynch Family, I was just a dependent, the hardships of which outsiders may not understand.”
“So, a woman should prioritize economics first, and then other things. With money in hand, you can fearlessly travel the world!”
“Exactly!” I smiled back at her.
Being with her for so long, I was also influenced by her strong-willed mindset as a woman.
I should have my own place, a space that belongs to me alone, not the apartment Cameron gave me, not the wedding Carter arranged, not everything handed to me by The Lynch Family. It should be something I’ve worked hard for on my own, which would be the best.
After leaving The Lynch Family, I worked even harder.
After the recent turmoil, the magazine has lost several employees, and it’s been a challenge for Holly and me to keep it going.
I juggled multiple roles, writing articles and securing advertisements, sometimes having to attend social events in the evenings.
I now understood the difficulties women face when working outside. This battlefield has always belonged to men, and I had to work even harder than them to secure a place.
When I was too tired, I would think of Cameron, reminisce about our past, but before I could dwell on anything, I had to throw myself back into work.
I was being pushed forward by time entirely.
…
One day.
I had just returned home, and Holly was back too.
“Hey, have you heard? There’s going to be a war in Alcostan!” she exclaimed as soon as she entered the door.
She immediately opened her computer, begun searching for information online.
“What’s going on?” I asked, leaning over her shoulder.
“There’s going to be a war,” she said, eyes glued to the screen. “The situation in Alcostan is tense, and war could break out at any moment.”
“Oh,” I felt a sudden unease in my heart.
“The United Nations has sent peacekeeping forces,” Holly continued. “Journalists from various countries are also preparing to go.”
“Are you saying…”
“I don’t want to miss this opportunity,” she said.
Her idea resonated with me immediately.
If the magazine could have someone reporting in real-time and providing commentary, it could definitely help erase the negative impact from before.
“Let me go,” I told her. “I’ll get ready right away!”
“Laura?” she looked surprised. “You?”
“Yes, I’m the most suitable candidate. You can’t go; the magazine still needs you to coordinate and organize things, so it has to be me on the frontline! Besides, I also really want to experience these things and discuss topics like war and peace… Let me go, I promise to send back firsthand information every day!”
Holly looked at me, hesitating.
“Do you really want to go, or are you trying to escape?” she asked.
I froze, feeling a pang of discomfort in my chest.
I looked down, unable to meet her eyes.
Was I really that bad at hiding it, that even she could tell how hard I’ve been struggling lately?
“Laura, if you want to escape from Cameron, I advise you not to use this method,” she said.
“Who said that?” I stood up. “I’ve almost forgotten that name if you hadn’t mentioned it! I’m not trying to escape anything; I just want to make a difference.”
“You want a change of scenery,” she said. “I can transfer you to H City, I’m planning to establish a branch there…”
“No need! I want to go to Alcostan!”
“Laura!” Holly’s expression turned serious. “War is not a game!”
“This event will surely attract a large number of media. I’ve inquired, and most other outlets are sending male journalists. I plan to send Brian too. I don’t think women can’t do it; it’s just that in this situation, it’s more convenient for men to go!”
“I must go! Last time was my fault, but this time I will definitely perform well! Holly, think about Brian, okay? His parents are old, and he’s about to get married. If you let him go to such an unstable situation, what if something happens? How will his family cope?”
“But I’m different.” Suddenly, a sense of sadness surged within me. “I… I have no attachments, no ties, it doesn’t matter where I go.”
Holly remained silent.
That night we stayed in our respective rooms, without exchanging much.
The next morning, she went to work early. I had a day off and slept until noon.
When I went downstairs, I saw a familiar car parked at the entrance of the neighborhood… My heart pounded fiercely, the closer I got, the harder it was to move my steps.
Then a force hit me suddenly, and before I could react, I was dragged into the car.
Cameron looked at me silently, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.
I remained silent for a while, a bitter taste lingering on my tongue. What should I say? Long time no see, how have you been?
Those false pleasantries didn’t apply to us.
The most suitable thing for us was to sit quietly like this, not discussing the past, not talking about the future, quietly enjoying the moment in front of us.
Because the next moment would be our parting.
Suddenly, Cameron’s low voice sounded, “I heard you’re going to Alcostan, is it true?”
I looked at him, as if there were a thousand words I wanted to say, but I couldn’t utter a single one. How did he find out so quickly?
He drove fast, rushing all the way to the mountaintop.
In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, the mountain was lush with green trees, and the air was cool and pleasant.
With the convertible, the quiet mountaintop, the air filled with the fragrance of flowers, and the handsome guy sitting next to me.
If I were at the age of falling in love, I would definitely be captivated by this scenery.
But now my heart was in turmoil.
“Are you really going to Alcostan?” Cameron asked again.
“Do you still care?” I smiled. “Does it matter where I go? Haven’t you already kicked me out long ago?”
“I’m asking you a question, you just need to answer!” Cameron’s tone was as firm as ever.
I sighed, paused for a moment, and could only say, “Yes.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Who told you about this, Holly?” I was getting impatient. “I’m telling you the truth, this time I’m definitely going. I’m a journalist, this is my job!”
“Many journalists sit obediently in their offices working,” he raised his voice. “You insist on being a hero? You have to go to such a place? It’s a war zone, Laura! Do you think bullets flying around will care about your journalist identity?”
“I don’t care about that. I just want to get first-hand information on the front lines! Many domestic media outlets have already taken action, and we can’t fall behind. Last time, the magazine was almost shut down, it was my responsibility. This time, I have to do something for the magazine.”
“You’re out of your mind!”
Cameron suddenly slammed the steering wheel, then banged on the car door again.
Then he glared at me, turned his head away, and sulked. His chest heaved, breathing heavily.
I felt a kind of indescribable sadness in my heart.
Why did we always end up like this every time we met? It was either yelling and arguing or one of us getting hurt…