Perhaps because she valued him too much, whenever he treated her a little better, she felt rewarded. But if he treated her a bit worse, she would doubt herself, wondering what she had done wrong.
She constantly adjusted to him, leading to a state of perpetual anxiety.
He never understood these feelings because she was not someone he cherished.
For the past few days, she had been waiting for Jaquan’s call, but only received an invitation from Tobias.
In the revolving restaurant on the top floor, Callie followed the directions to her seat and saw Tobias’s back. Feeling reassured, she walked closer. As she approached, she realized something was off. Taking a few more steps, she saw a girl sitting across from Tobias.
Callie stopped in her tracks.
The girl was petite, with a small face and a shy smile. She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.
Callie’s gaze turned distant.
This was her best friend from college, Aimee.
Aimee wasn’t from Ylosea; after graduation, she returned to her hometown. Over time, they lost touch amidst the busyness of adult life.
The woman bit her straw and looked up, spotting her long-lost friend standing there. She softly called out, “Callie?”
Callie closed her eyes to ease the dryness and walked over just as Tobias stood up. He looked at her apologetically, “Callie, I noticed you haven’t been well lately. I found a message from your friend in your QQ space and asked her to come see you. I hope you don’t mind.”
He meant well.
Callie smiled, “I’m not angry.”
“Callie,” the girl called again, cautiously.
Callie turned back with a sincere smile, “Aimee, long time no see.”
She sat beside her and adjusted her hair. “What brings you to Ylosea? Are you alone?”
Aimee glanced at Tobias, seemingly hesitant. “Yes, I’m now a teacher at a university… but not in Ylosea.” She clarified.
Callie exclaimed, “A teacher?”
Aimee smiled and explained, “I later decided to study hard… but I’m still far behind compared to you all. Our mentor always reminisces about your past glories.”
The glories of college days were long gone.
Callie sighed inwardly. Aimee seemed to have moved on; at least she could speak of those days calmly now.
They talked about their current lives. When Callie mentioned being accused of plagiarism recently, Aimee almost jumped up, slamming the table. “How dare they mess with my friend!”
Callie smiled warmly.
Tobias was pleased with his decision.
The waiter served the dishes. Tobias naturally picked up Callie’s bowl and scooped some sweet soup for her. “You don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell?”
Tobias’s voice had a calming effect. Callie’s irritation eased a bit as she lazily replied, “Yes, a little.”
Tobias frowned, “What’s wrong?”
Callie lowered her eyes.
Tobias’s frown deepened. “Callie, I want to know why your mood changes so quickly. Did something happen?”
Callie remained silent; she didn’t want to elaborate.
“Oh well, let’s not talk about it. Let’s eat.”
Halfway through the meal, Aimee sensed something was wrong and took Callie to the restroom under the pretense of needing to go herself.