My aunt, who had just come downstairs to meet me, caught sight of them and was about to ask something when I quickly cut her off.
“The stuff my mom bought for you is here. Make sure you check the expiration dates so nothing goes bad,” I said without looking at Jason once.
This time, Jason was the one to speak up, trying to explain himself.
“Don’t get the wrong idea. Her old place wasn’t safe, so I helped her find a new one. I didn’t expect Auntie to be living here, though. Why’d you buy so much stuff?”
As I signaled the driver to bring the packages upstairs, I shrugged and replied casually, “You don’t need to worry about explaining your work to me. My mom bought all of it. She doesn’t know when she’ll be able to visit next, so she bought extras.”
Jason seemed relieved that I wasn’t misinterpreting anything.
“It’s fine. The north suburbs aren’t far. Just let me know when you want to visit.”
He still didn’t know I was planning to leave, and I wasn’t about to tell him.
My aunt opened her mouth, likely to say something, but her words died in her throat as she watched Jason carefully take care of Yvonne. Her face darkened in response.
After a few awkward seconds of silence, Yvonne finally broke it by claiming she was tired.
Jason immediately told the driver to pause unloading the bags and, with groceries in hand, asked if he could use the elevator first.
Seeing that he was juggling a load, I stepped aside to let him go ahead. His eyes flickered with surprise, but he quickly stepped into the elevator.
As the doors closed, I couldn’t help but see a reflection of my past self in Yvonne.
When my aunt first moved out, Jason had been just as attentive. He’d run errands, taken care of everything, even moved all my things into his place with that warm smile of his, saying, “Welcome to your future home, future lady of the house.”
My aunt stood quietly next to me, a hint of regret crossing her face.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to talk to him? It would be such a shame if you two broke up over some misunderstanding after all these years.”
I shook my head, determined. “No need. There’s no misunderstanding. If he hasn’t explained by now, that’s your answer.”
In reality, Jason and Yvonne didn’t have much to move at all. They could’ve easily handled everything in one trip.
But after I finished helping my aunt and said my goodbyes, I still hadn’t seen them downstairs.
Out of courtesy, I pulled out my phone and shot Jason a text asking when he’d be back.
He responded almost instantly with a voice message.
When I played it, however, I heard Yvonne’s overly sweet voice.
“Rachel, Jason’s just helping me with the wiring at my new apartment. There’s a lot to do since it hasn’t been lived in yet. You should just head back. Don’t waste your time waiting!”
Just as I was about to close the app and call an Uber, another message popped up.
“Rachel, please don’t misunderstand! Jason’s only helping me out. He feels bad that I’m living alone in the city. That’s all…”
I thought about my own parents, who had been separated for years due to work, and swallowed back the words I wanted to say. I closed the chat window.
Once in the car, I stared out the window, lost in thought. That’s when Jason called.
“Why were you so rude to Yvonne? She’s my subordinate. What’s wrong with me helping her find a place? The company doesn’t provide housing yet, so of course, I should help. Right?”
“Rachel, what’s up with you? At the birthday party, you were all cold, saying you weren’t feeling well and wanted to leave. We never had a chance to talk about that. And now, you’re making a scene again?”
I could hear Yvonne’s muffled sobs through the phone.
Her sweet and innocent act she put on in front of me was nothing like what I was hearing now.
I took a deep breath, finally realizing her little game.
But at that point, I couldn’t be bothered to explain myself anymore.
“Yeah, my bad. I was just asking. You’re busy, so don’t worry about it. I’ve already left. I didn’t wait for you.”
