Chapter 3
Not getting the reaction she wanted, Tiffany’s eyes gleamed with a new idea.
“If it weren’t for Edwin, my ankle would’ve swollen up like a balloon! We’re all here anyway–come on, stay for dinner–Take it as my litde deste a
Her playful tone treated a stark contrast to Sylvia’s silent demeanor.
No one bothered asking Sylvia’s opinion before deciding they would all stay for dinner.
After all the dishes were finally served and she took her place at the table, she noticed everything was spicy food
Only Tiffany loved them.
She wasn’t surprised just quietly sat down
at
the table.
Sylvia had gently mentioned to her parents once that her stomach couldn’t handle spicy food, only to be dismissed with an irritated “quit being so dramatic.”
After she got together with Edwin, he had always been attentive to her dietary preferences, even learning to cook stomach–soothing for her.
But now, though sitting beside her, his eyes were fixed solely Tiffany, constantly checking if she needed anything, ready to serve her at a moment’s
notice.
She suddenly remembered whenever Edwin came to the Ellery
supposedly to see her, his gaze would casually drift to Tiffany.
On Tiffany’s birthdays, he would subtly probe ask about Tiffany’s preferences.
Whenever Tiffany had a fever or fell uncomfortable, he always claimed he needed to leave for “urgent business matters.”
Sylvia couldn’t help but smile bitterly. How had she missed Edwin’s obvious attention to Tiffany until now?
But no matter how much he loved Tiffany, he should never have used her. He deceived her with this lifelong lie hurt her more deeply than Matt’s rejection.
Sylvia barely touching her food until the dinner ended. The car ride back was silent. She was mentally planning how to erase all traces of her identity, while he was lost in thoughts of his precious moments with Tiffany.
Finally, Sylvia broke the silence. “I’m not going home. I need to go somewhere else.”
Her voice snapped Edwin out of his thoughts. Hearing her words, he quickly refocused, asking tenderly, “Sylvia, where are you heading? Let me come with you.”
“I’m good,” Sylvia shook her head, brushing off his offer.
He grabbed her hand with gentle persistence. “No way am I letting you go alone. What if something happens?”
Unable to shake him off, she eventually gave in, not spelling out where they were headed but simply showing him the navigation app on her phone.
Traffic was light, and they quickly approached their destination.
Just as they were about to turn in, Edwin’s phone rang.
The moment he answered, her mother’s voice came through. “Edwin, Tiffany’s wound is infected and she’s running a fever. Could you possibly take her to the hospital again?”
“I’ll be right there!” he responded immediately.
He was about to make a U–turn when he suddenly seemed to remember Sylvia sitting beside him. He glanced at her with an awkward expressior
“Sylvia, I…”
He hesitated, struggling to find the right words before she spoke up first.
Chapter 3
“Just go. We’re almost there. I can walk the rest of the way”
She pushed the door open and stepped out.
Seeing she had already exited the cat, his concern for Tiffany ultimately won out. He restarted the engine and drove off
Watching Edwin’s car disappear into traffic, Sylvia stood in silence, swallowing the bitterness rising in her throat.
Edwin, if you had driven just a little further….
You would have seen I was going to erase my identity. You would have noticed the signs I was leaving
But you didn’t. Cause you didn’t care,
Citaper 4
