Chapter 6
Her entire presence radiated cheerful energy. Her eyes curved into gentle crescents, and her smile was soft and warm. She looked just like the girl from school–the one who hadn’t yet grown up, the one who still needed constant care and protection.
Rosent, who had been in a hurry to get to work, found himself frozen in place, patiently waiting. His gaze was fixed on her, filled with a tenderness so deep it almost seemed to overflow.
“It’s good to have you back. It’s been worth the wait–having you return after all these years,” he said softly.
I straightened up, forcing a smile, and met Rosent’s gaze with a calm expression.
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“Eidora, don’t say things like that…” Rosent stepped closer, almost as though he were worried I might hurt Semond. He positioned himself between us, a protective gesture.
- “I’m not saying anything wrong! For all these years, I’ve just been going along with it. But now that the real one is back, I should have the decency to step aside!”
Rosent’s face suddenly darkened, and I caught a flash of embarrassment on Semond’s face.
“Eidora, you saw my phone…” Rosent’s voice trembled, filled with hurt. He pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes full of disappointment, as if I had done something unforgivable.
“Don’t misunderstand me. I’ve been in a bad
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place lately. That’s why I drank too much…”
“Eidora, Rosent and I are over now. Trust
me…
”
“The message I sent him last night, it was ⚫ just me acting out while drunk. Nothing
happened between us except for that one night when…”
Semond’s voice grew increasingly anxious as she tried to explain, but the more she spoke, the more flustered she became. In her panic, she let something slip.
She quickly covered her mouth and glanced at me apologetically before looking toward Rosent, silently pleading for his help.
But Rosent didn’t even look at Semond. He stood motionless, a quiet sorrow emanating from him.
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I turned my gaze to Rosent, feeling a sharp, bitter irony. Wiping the tears from my face, I choked on my words. “Rosent, let’s end this here.”
⚫ I rented an apartment across from the office
as quickly as I could.
Kafir picked me up for dinner as soon as her shift ended. On the way there, she seemed torn, hesitating to speak several times.
“I’ve separated from Rosent, and I’ve already rented a place. When you have time, could you help me move?”
I said it calmly, but Kafir immediately slammed her spoon down and stood up abruptly.
The sound of the spoon clattering to the
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Chapter 6
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floor was sharp and jarring. My heart felt like those scattered pieces–shattered.
“Are you out of your mind, Lushya?” Kafir’s voice mixed anger with disbelief. “Just when Rosent’s career is taking off, when everything seems to be going well, you pull this? Are you crazy?”
“It’s just because Semond’s back. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it? Don’t forget–when she left all those years ago, Rosent was a wreck for over a year. He couldn’t function. He didn’t eat. He didn’t drink. He nearly killed himself! His parents didn’t care, but you stayed by his side. You kept him going!”
“Remember when he ended up in the hospital because of his drinking? You were the one who stayed by his bed, caring for him when no one else would…”
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“Men are all the same! They only want to use you when it’s convenient–like they can’t get enough of you. But once they’re done, they just toss you aside, heartless bastards!”
- Kafir’s voice broke, and tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes.
I knew she was genuinely hurt for me.
Seeing her like this, seeing her pain, all the hurt I’d been holding in for so long came pouring out.
“The canola flower painting in my living room–Semond painted that herself. Every time I think about how Rosent looks at that painting, it makes me sick to my stomach.”
“He was in such a rush that day to get me to cook because Semond had her period, and
he gave her the steak…
“Kafir, if Semond hadn’t come back, we might have already been married.”
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