"Yes," Larissa said, glancing out of the car window. The rain slid down the glass, blurring the city she had harbored disdain for over two decades. In a way, it was a welcome obstruction. The driver continued to babble on, but she didn't hear a thing he said. Due to the traffic congestion, Larissa had to dash across the airport to make it to her flight. When the plane was about to take off, the air stewardess gently reminded the passengers to turn off their phones. In the end, Larissa succumbed to her desire and sent Kevan a text. "Goodbye. I hope that you'll be happy with her." It was uncertain whether he would ever come across this text—whether he would only see it years later or remain forever unseen. However, Larissa didn't mind. For her, this act held a profound significance. By bidding farewell to him, she could have closure and finally leave her past behind. The long flight had left her feeling drowsy, and the incessant wails of a child in the economy seat gave her a he
The middle-aged man sat on the shuttle bus with Larissa, and after his passionate introduction, Larissa found out his name—Gary Logan. He worked at Blue Star Shipping, an internationally renowned company. Due to work commitments, he had to travel back and forth between Caldor and Aldovia. "Usually, my assistant would be with me; however, he had some family problems, so he couldn't come on this trip. Who would have thought such an incident would happen? Fortunately, you were there," Gary said, still visibly shaken. Then, he asked Larissa for her business card. "I have to deal with some company affairs today. I will treat you to a meal some other day to thank you for saving my life." Larissa smiled apologetically, "I'm here to study. I just arrived." Gary's response was barely audible as he furrowed his brows, saying, "Isn't university registration at the end of August? Why are you here so early?"Larissa lowered her head in embarrassment and explained, "I came over to brush up
"Why are you still as stubborn as you were in the past?" Wendy chuckled, finding Larissa's determination amusing."Why do you still enjoy exposing me like you always did in the past?" Larissa pouted and glared at her.Their eyes met, and both of them couldn't help but laugh."This is great. It feels just like old times," Wendy sighed contentedly. "Yes, it does," Larissa agreed with a nod. Although time had passed and they both had changed, their friendship remained unchanged.In the end, Wendy drove them home. She lived on the outskirts, so there weren't many tall buildings. Every house in this area was a villa with a huge courtyard. It was the same for Wendy's house. Wendy had bought the house in full payment with her savings. "This place cost me about as much as a restroom cubicle in Bartham." Larissa was envious and even more so when she entered Wendy's house and saw her garage, game room, and gym. She could also afford these things but lacked such a big house. "The on
Larissa was caught off guard by her question and instinctively denied it. "Well, I haven't eaten for a day, so it's not unusual to be starving, right?" "That makes sense." Wendy nodded and accepted her explanation. However, the situation persisted into the next day. Larissa once again found herself being pulled out of the bed by Wendy. They had to complete the admission procedures at the language academy, so they had to get up early. Larissa had set the alarm but was so deep in her sleep that she didn't hear it.Wendy couldn't help but complain, "Are you a pig? You were asleep the whole day yesterday. How could you still sleep at night?" Worried that Larissa might be experiencing jet lag, Wendy had planned to stay up all night chatting with her. To her surprise, when she returned from taking a shower, she found Larissa fast asleep in her room. With a sleepy yawn, Larissa admitted, "I might actually be one."Wendy prepared breakfast. There was toast, fried eggs, bacon, and a
In her memory, she had indeed been celibate for a long time. Wendy gripped her hand, her expression slowly getting serious. "Do you want this child?" asked Wendy. "No!" said Larissa without a moment's hesitation. There was no way she could birth this child that had come into her life out of the blue, and she didn't even know who its father was. There was no way she would allow her own tragedy to befall her child. She wasn't Yvette and couldn't bear to do such a cruel thing.Wendy told the doctor Larissa's decision, and the smile on the doctor's face faded into a regretful expression. "I will schedule your surgery as soon as possible," she said, "But you need to undergo a comprehensive pre-surgery examination." After almost an hour of hassle, the doctor said, "You aren't in a fit condition for surgery." She handed Larissa a bunch of medication and said, "Go home and tune yourself back to health and come back for another checkup in a week. I also hope you can reconsider your decisio
Larissa failed to escape because Wendy held her still and quickly pulled her into a chair opposite Barbara. A small, round table separated them, adorned only by a candelabra bearing a lit candle and a thick stack of tarot cards. "This is my best friend, Larissa." Wendy made the introductions."Nice to meet you, Larissa," said Barbara faintly. Every time she spoke, a chill would go through Larissa. "Hi," said Larissa while forcing a smile. Barbara picked up the tarot cards. In the dim candlelight, Larissa saw that Barbara's hands were completely tattooed in weird pictures or, to be more accurate, symbols."What would you like to ask?" asked Barbara. Wendy answered in Larissa's stead, "She came here from Caldor recently, wanting to forget the past and start a new life. Can you help predict if her new life will go smoothly?" "Okay." Barbara nodded and spread the tarot cards across the table, gesturing for Larissa to pick out five cards. Larissa didn't believe in the divine at a
"Larissa, it turns out you're pregnant. Congratulations!" Larissa's initial reaction was to turn to look at Wendy and demand with a glare, "Were you gesturing behind my back?" Wendy batted her hands with a look of innocence. "I didn't do anything! I already told you Barbara's very accurate, and you didn't believe me!" exclaimed Wendy."You will have a bright future and a happy relationship. The child in your belly will be the source of your strength, your motivation to push forward, and the compass that points you in the right direction," said Barbara, not knowing what they were talking about. The fifth card was the death card in reverse. "This card echoes the wheel of fortune. Good luck will return to you soon and give you a 'rebirth.' At the same time, you will reconcile with your old flame, which refers to the man you still love. You and he will end up together."The moment Barbara finished speaking, Larissa got up and left without looking back. "Hey!" shouted Wendy, and she qui
Larissa was stunned, but she also felt guilty. She and Wendy had been best friends for a long time, but Larissa had never seriously paid much attention to Wendy's love life. No doubt, she had no idea that Wendy had planned such a future for herself. "Back then, I gave up my high-paying job and went overseas to study without turning back because I wanted to escape the pressure of my parents rushing me to marry every year." Wendy gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, "They can argue about anything, but studies are the only thing they can agree on." Wendy was a Covenford local and studied at a local university, but she never went home on weekends. During summer break every year, she would be the last person to leave the dormitory and the first person to return.Larissa had asked her out of curiosity before and found out that Wendy's parents had divorced when she was in high school. Each of them had formed a new family and had new children of their own. Larissa guessed that Wendy's de