Chapter 39
The hall was filled with laughter and good wishes. Everyone gathered to celebrate Grandma’s birthday. Grandma smiled and thanked everyone for their wishes.
Her eyes were searching the crowd for me, and Shane was doing the same.
I lingered by his side, overhearing Mom mutter under her breath nearby. “Allison is so rude. It’s so late, yet she still hasn’t shown up! She should have made her grandma’s birthday a priority.”
“Mom, Ally must have been held up by something. I can ask my friends in Gildford to see if anyone heard from her,” Amber said.
Mom patted her hand. “You’re always so considerate.”
Elliott approached Shane, nudging him lightly with his elbow, whispering, “You two still haven’t worked things out? Where is she, anyway?”
Shane seemed flustered, unsure how to tell his father we’d lost touch after I disappeared.
“She’s on her way. She will be here soon.”
“Alright. Then go meet her at the entrance. It’ll make a good impression,” his father advised.
“Okay.”
Shane headed to the entrance, noticing Damon having tea in the corner. Their eyes met, but Shane held back his frustration. He walked out without greeting him.
He was convinced I’d been stuck in traffic and wouldn’t miss Grandma’s birthday. He purposely stood under the streetlamp, letting the snow cover him, all to play on my emotions.
If I returned, the first thing I would see was him, covered in snow from waiting to pick me up. Then, I’d be filled with sympathy, leaving no room for anger.
He knew me too well, always knowing exactly how to manipulate my
emotions.
When we’d argued in the past, he’d resort to extreme measures. Once, he even feigned illness to make me rush to his side, taking care of him, forgetting our argument over Amber.
Too bad. This time, his tactics wouldn’t work.
I stood by, watching him to see how long he could last.
Every half minute or so, he would lift his hand to glance at his watch. He’d been standing in the snow for 15 minutes, which was already his limit.
How could he know that the year before, I had braved the harsh snowstorm to get that lucky charm? I had trekked through the deep snow, making prostrations every few steps.
Chapter 39
That day, the wind and snow were so strong they obstructed my vision. Despite being fully dressed, I was frozen to the bone. My face felt like it had been sliced by blades.
I came back that night with a high fever, unbeknownst to him.
I had spent the entire day in the cold, while he only lasted 15 minutes. Unable to withstand the chill, he retreated to the warmth of the hall.
Amber quickly came over to brush off the snow on his coat, but Shane shoved her away. He made sure to keep his distance from her, especially with so many people watching.
The crowd didn’t give much thought to the exchange. Mom glanced at the time, checking on the plan for cutting the cake at 7:00 p.m.
She whispered to Grandma, “Mom, it’s getting late. Why don’t we cut the cake now? Our guests must be getting hungry.”
Grandma scanned the crowd, still not spotting me, and her expression turned somber.
“Let’s wait a bit. Ally promised to come and celebrate with me. She should be here any minute.
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