There was Elliott.
He trailed behind me in his car, quietly following wherever I went. He would park outside Conner’s house, waiting for me to leave, only to tail me again, always staying just out of sight.
“Elliott sure has a lot of free time,” Conner commented one day, arms crossed as he looked out the window at the car below.
I responded with a simple “Hmm,” keeping my tone neutral, but didn’t say more.
No matter how much time passed, scars never truly returned to their original state. And no matter what Elliott did, there was no going back to what we once had.
Conner leaned casually against the kitchen doorframe, his eyes fixed on me as I washed the
+25 BONUS
Chapter 9
dishes, a look of quiet fascination on his face. “Candice,” he said, “would you be my girlfriend?
It was the first time Conner had been so direct with me
me
I paused for a moment, then continued washing the dishes as if nothing had happened. “We’re not suited for each other,” I said, my voice distant and cold.
Our differences, in position and identity, were too vast. Both Conner and Elliott were like insurmountable chasms that I could never cross. simply wanted a peaceful, quiet life.
Conner didn’t seem bothered by my rejection. Instead, he walked behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
I tried to push him away, but his grip tightened. I couldn’t break free, no matter how hard I tried. “Is your hand better?” I asked, trying to sound indifferent.
Conner gave me a guilty glance and pulled his hands back.
I shoved him away, my anger rising, and stormed out, slamming the door behind me. ‘Am I just a monkey to both of them?” I muttered under my breath. “I’ve had enough.” As I left his house, I made a decision: I wanted to distance myself from both Conner and Elliott. They were beyond my reach, and I only wanted a simple, quiet life.
I heard about a teaching vacancy in a mountainous area where a friend was working, and I made up my mind. I put my house up for sale through an agent, hoping to sell it quickly. The money should be enough to pay Conner back
I left him a simple note that said “Dr. Wright, thank you for your help.”
And then, I booked a ticket and left the city that very night.
By the time Conner found out, I was already gone.
He shook his head, a light laugh escaping him. “Seems like I really pushed her too far.”
He walked over to Elliott’s car and knocked on the window. “Stop spying,” he said. “Candice’s gone.”
Elliott looked up at Conner, his face full of worry. “Where did she go?”
Conner didn’t answer. He just looked away, speaking to himself. “Where did she go, indeed? I suppose my grandma will start lecturing me about scaring off girls again.”
And so, the days passed quietly.
Later, I would often see Elliott in the gossip columns. The media had even given him a nickname-“The Playboy.” No woman could stay by his side for more than a month.
But despite that, there were always many eager to throw themselves at him.
In the end, Tiffany still didn’t become Elliott’s girlfriend.
One day, a student’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Candice, someone’s looking for you.” I looked up in the direction the student was pointing. To my surprise, it was Conner.
He strolled up to me, wearing that familiar smile “Since I don’t have a wife, my grandma kicked me out.”
“I’m broke now,” he continued with a playful shrug. “I wonder if you would kindly take me in.
I couldn’t help but laugh, amused by his audacity. “Well, I’ve never seen someone beg so confidently.”
Life is short, I thought. Perhaps being brave once more wouldn’t hurt.
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