Chapter 6
He said he didn’t know how to deal with her enthusiasm.
She didn’t get it, but Harlan understood it immediately.
Harlan yelped, “Seriously? Cedrick, don’t tell me you haven’t slept with her.”
Cedrick fell silent.
That was the truth.
Cedrick never made love to her.
She had dropped hints and even made bold and shameless moves, but he always turned her down with various reasons.
For example, “You aren’t in good shape.”
“I’m too tired.”
She was not a fool. Gradually, it dawned on her that Cedrick wouldn’t touch her because he didn’t love her.
Every time she heard him say it out loud, her heart throbbed with pain, and she struggled to draw a breath.
Then, Harlan asked him, half–joking, “Cedrick, how did she not turn you on? For what it’s worth, I think she looks quite beautiful.”
Cedrick’s answer was like a blade lodged in her chest. Every time she remembered it, it twisted deeper toward her heart.
Cedrick admitted, “I tried. I wanted a normal sex life with her, but the moment I saw her leg, I lost all desire.”
That would explain it.
Her leg, which she had sacrificed to save him with, was, in his eyes, disgusting, off–putting, and utterly unappealing.
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She didn’t knock on the office door. In the end, she tossed the snacks in the trash.
Henceforth, she never went back to his office.
From that moment on, she buried herself in books.
She didn’t think much then. She just wanted to find a purpose in her meaningless life, and with a task to do, she wouldn’t be down in the dumps whenever those words returned to her
mind.
Who could imagine that those books had become her redemption?
She needed to nail the test tomorrow.
She yearned to leave this place, to run as far away as possible.
Just thinking about it hurt so much inside.
She couldn’t tell whether the pain stemmed from him or the five years that she wasted on him.
But it didn’t matter now. She refused to let herself wallow in those sorrows.
Even knowing this hurt would last for a long time, she was determined to save herself.
She ordered a light dinner and a set of fresh clothes.
She called the front desk and requested a wake–up service for the next day.
Then she forced herself to sleep.
Probably because she hadn’t slept at all last night, she hit the bed and was out like a light.
The next day, she got up as planned and turned her phone on.
Her phone kept buzzing with texts flooding in. They were all from Cedrick.
She didn’t read the texts, for fear that they would affect her performance.
She had breakfast at the hotel. With everything set, she headed toward the exam center.
The hotel was near the center. It would likely take her five minutes to walk there.
Just outside the hotel, her phone buzzed again.
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Cedrick was calling.
She panicked, almost dropping her phone. She hurriedly declined the call and powered her phone off once more.
When she came out of the exam center, her heart was still racing.
It was because of pure joy.
She brought her A–game.
Throughout the speaking test, the examiner had a smile on his face. She understood almost everything in listening and finished reading and writing with ease.
She didn’t dare to predict her scores, but at least she had completed everything.
She wasn’t totally useless!
Head down, she strolled alone on the sidewalk, lost in thoughts about her exam. Then, out of nowhere, a pair of leather shoes appeared and blocked her path. Before she could react, she bumped straight into them.
&
If he hadn’t caught her, she would have fallen to the ground.
And he was the last person she wanted to see.
Cedrick.
“Lucille!”
She could tell he was seething, but he forced himself to restrain his anger.
“Lucille, why didn’t you come home?” Gripping her shoulder, he asked softly, calm and gentle as usual.
Lucille wondered how he could not know the reason.
But now, she didn’t have time to argue. Because of the collision, her bag hit the ground, and the flap flung open with her test pen peeking out.
She didn’t want him to know she took the Porilinese Test.
She shook off his hand, crouched down, swiftly tucked the pen into her bag, and fastened it.
“What’s that?” he asked, his eyes fixated on her bag.
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“Nothing. Just a pen.” She feigned composure, but she gripped her bag so tightly that her
fingers turned pale.
“Show me,” he demanded.
No. She couldn’t let him see it.
She clutched her bag even tighter. “What do you want the pen for?”
“Give me your phone,” he asked.
Hesitating for a moment, Lucille reached into her bag and handed him her phone.
It was switched off.
He only took a glance before returning it. “I’ve called and texted you so many times. Why didn’t you reply? Are you still mad?”
She held her phone, relieved that he hadn’t looked through it and discovered the Porilinese Test email.
If only this were the only problem…..
She thought it over and decided not to get angry.
She just wanted to leave this place.