* Chapter 17
Am I good or is he good?” He asked fiercely, but his voice was gentler, as if he was really seeking,
my opinion.
I clenched my teeth tightly, feeling like a small boat in a storm, being carried away by the wind and
waves.
“Speak,” Neil said, propping himself up and gripping my cheeks with one hand.
He curled his lips and said, “Are you getting back together with him?”
I couldn’t bear it anymore and cried out in despair, “You are amazing!”
“I won’t get back together with him!”
“Good boy,” he tidied up my sweaty forehead, like a satisfied owner praising his possessions.
“Can we take a break?”
I pleaded, “I have to open the store tomorrow. The customers are still waiting for me, I can’t…”
He did not speak and bent down.
The moonlight fell on his back, outlining his muscles.
It was clearly a predator, relentlessly enjoying its prey.
Youth is truly terrifying.
Before losing consciousness, this was my last thought.
I was not with Neil.
The next morning when he woke up and asked me for a commitment but didn’t get it, I felt like he wanted to devour me with his eyes.
But I was really afraid of the promises made by young boys.
I was afraid that one day Neil and I would also reach that point, and I couldn’t bear it anymore.
We agreed on a three–year deadline.
If he still liked me after three years and decided to choose me, we would be together.
As time passed, my restaurant became a famous internet–famous restaurant, with a full flow of
customers every day. I opened two more branches one after another, expanding the size of the
store.
I changed the name from Scott Diner to Scott Restaurant.
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I thoroughly studied all the old recipes, and I started to experiment with new dishes, to my surprise, they were also well received.
Everything seemed to be getting better, and the past events gradually dissipated like smoke.
I rarely think about it anymore, only occasionally hearing a sentence or two about their situation
from acquaintances.
The incident between Lucas and Kelly caused quite a stir before, but later I found out that Kelly was
never pregnant.
She didn’t want to break up with Lucas, so she thought of using the child as a means to pressure
him, planning to deceive him by pretending to be pregnant after they got back together.
The result unexpectedly led to the death of Judith, completely severing the last bit of affection
between Lucas and her.
I heard that the Krueger family sought revenge on her, and she was cheated out of all her money
and developed a gambling addiction. In the end, she had to sell herself to pay off her gambling debts
and wandered in various low–end establishments, contracting various diseases.
Now, it is not known where he has wandered to, whether he is still alive or not.
And then I heard Lucas‘ news, a friend called me on the phone.
She said Lucas had to undergo surgery because he had a stomach perforation from drinking
alcohol.
After you left, he kept drinking heavily. He ended up in the hospital several times, directly spitting blood at work. The doctor said it was too severe this time, and there might be a need to remove a part of his stomach.
She sighed with a hint of sadness, “After all these years, can you really bear to see him like this?”
She sent a video.
Lucas lay on the hospital bed, looking much thinner, and his eyelashes trembled gently when his eyes were closed.
The past vitality has completely disappeared, leaving only a state of decadence.
I didn’t say anything and hung up the phone.
I wanted to send a message to Lucas, but then I thought about it and put down my phone.
This was his choice, and also his destiny. I don’t want to interfere anymore, nor do I want to bear it
anymore.
That’s it, the deep affection of our youth eventually led to mutual disgust, and it’s actually quite good that we ended up having nothing to do with each other.
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***
The seaside on summer nights was cool and refreshing. Neil and I would often go for a walk by the sea after sunset.
The moonlight was shining brightly, and he kicked the water onto my lower leg, causing a never–ending commotion.
I reached out to grab him, but he grabbed my hand instead.
Something cold wrapped around my finger.
I lowered my head and saw a ring, with the diamond shimmering faintly in the moonlight. I was
stunned.
Neil knelt down on one knee and looked up at me.
The starlight gathered in his eyes, and I saw myself reflected in his eyes.
“I liked you, Helen.”
I blushed and said, “Why so sudden?”
He used to say he liked me every day, but I didn’t pay much attention to it even though my ears were
almost calloused from hearing it. I never expected this sudden turn of events today.
“My point is…”
He said earnestly, “Helen, three years have passed, and I still like you very much, even more than
before.”
“I have realized my true feelings, let’s get married.”
I didn’t speak, I just looked at him.
He tilted his head and said, “Helen?”
I laughed, pulled him up, and stood on tiptoe.
A slightly cool kiss landed in the evening breeze.
