Angela and Annie sat in the car, but the latter couldnât stop talking about the subject just now. She pestered Angela with questions, asking. âAngela, tell me about Richard. Is he easy to get along with? Is he handsome at work?â
Angela nodded. âH-Heâs quite easy to get along with, but he seems very busy. I rarely saw him, so | donât know much about him.â
âYeah, thatâs understandable. He left in a hurry before the end of our engagement dinner last time.â Richard was a workaholic in Annieâs mindâs eye.
âAnnic, when will you get married to him? Has the date been finalized?â Angela asked tentatively.
Annieâs face blushed. She replied shyly. âItâs still early for that! We've only met once, after all. But Grandpa said that Richard's grandfather wishes us to get married sooner because he wants to have a great-grandson.â
Angela looked at Annie as emotions surged within her. Her feelings were mixed, but she was also glad that she didnât ruin the latterâs happiness. âCongratulations, Annie.â
âThank you, Angela. By the way, did Richard mention me when you met him? | sent him a lot of text messages, but he didnât reply to any of them. | once suspected that | had the wrong phone number,â Annie said with a bitter expression.
Dumbfounded, Angela looked at her. âHe didnât reply to any of your text messages?â
Annie gave a sigh of disappointment. âThat's right! | sent him almost 50 text messages. | wonder if heâs so busy that he doesnât have time to text me back.â
Angela was suddenly enraged. Like hell he is that busy! He spends lots of time reading over there. But how could he be so cruel as to not reply to any of Annieâs messages? âHow could he do this to you?â she said angrily at once.
Annie comforted her instead, saying, âItâs okay, Angela. | know that heâs busy; perhaps heâs rushed off his feet with lots of stuff to do. Please donât blame him for that.â
Angelaâs chest heaved up and down. She really wanted to tell Annie that Richard wasnât busy at all, and that he had plenty of time and was ignoring her text messages on purpose. She also felt sorry for Annie, whose feelings for Richard werenât reciprocated at all.
âAnnie, arenât you angry about that?â Angela asked while looking at Annie.
Annie shook her head understandingly. âIâm not angry. Iâm happy as long as he saw my messages. Iâm just texting him about my feelings, anyway. Iâm afraid of bothering him, but | canât help wanting to chat with him.â
Angela stretched out her hand and patted Annie on the head while looking at her with sympathy. Itâs too bad that such feelings aren't cherished. She hoped Richard would give Annie a quick answer as soon as possible instead of letting the latter get her hopes up for nothing.
Doesn't he want to break off their engagement? If he really doesnât love Annie, he can do that and stop making a laughingstock of her sacrifice, she thought somewhat indignantly.
Just then, Annie said with a look of envy. âAngela, Iâm so envious of you for being able to see him. If only | were quarantined along with you at the time. That way, I'd be able to see him as well.â
Angelaâs heart stopped. She also wished she could travel back to the day of Annieâs engagement. If only | knew that he was Annieâs fiancé. That way, what happened after that wouldnât have happened.
She knew that she was the origin of all the tragedies between them. âDonât be envious of me. That place is sealed off, so you won't get used to living there.â
âThen how did you manage to get through?â
â4-1 killed time by reading.â Angela pursed her lips, not daring to look Annie in the eye.
âAs long as Iâm able to see him, I'll be happy no matter how bored | feel. Itâs too bad that | didnât know he was the one protecting you at the time. Had | known. it earlier, I'd have gone with you no matter what,â Annie said with a look of regret.