The next second, his video came through. I opened it. The video began with a scan of the entire venue, with Edward’s voice in the background, presumably updating his girlfriend, saying it was quite lively and asking if she wanted to join.
Shortly after, the camera froze. Someone approached Rod and joked with him–the same person I’d bumped into earlier. He said: “Rod, I think I just saw Hulda with some guy. Pretty handsome dude.”
He said it casually, and everyone at the venue started gossiping. Edward probably found it interesting too, saying in the video: “Rod broke up with his girlfriend before, and everyone’s happy to hear when their ex finds someone good. Now he can finally smile about it, right?”
That’s what I thought too. But in the next moment, I heard Rod’s voice, chillingly cold to the bone.
“She’s the one who said we were together, and she’s the one who broke it off. Since when do things work out that nicely?”
My hand froze. I exited the video, feeling unsettled. What did Rod mean by that? Since when do things work out that nicely?
Edward’s voice came through again: “Did you watch it? Rod’s furious right now. Could you come over? Please, I’m begging you.”
chapter 5
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I suddenly felt exhausted: “You have so many people there. What’s going to happen to him–get sold or eaten? If it’s really that bad, isn’t Afra coming back tomorrow? Just wait for her to go over. Once she arrives, Mr. Arnold’s anger will naturally disappear.”
Edward made a confused sound, seeming a bit lost: “No, you… well, how about I come pick-”
His words cut off midway. I heard a rustling sound in my ear, followed by soft breathing. A moment later, someone scoffed lightly, their voice slightly hoarse: “Hulda. Let’s talk.”
Honestly, I didn’t think Rod and I had anything left to discuss. After considering it, I was about to refuse.
He repeated himself, his tone flat: “Let’s talk. You know me— sometimes I won’t stop until I get what I want. If you don’t agree now, Hulda, I can’t guarantee I won’t do something drastic.”
I was shocked that Rod would say such a thing. This version of him felt somewhat unfamiliar. Yet it also seemed fitting- perhaps this was who he truly was all along.
I took a deep breath: “Fine. What do you want to talk about?”
His voice was cold, almost indiscernible in the night. “Break up with him. Let’s get back together.”
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Almost instantly, I understood. He must have misunderstood. He thought Earl was the man I was going to marry.
I rubbed my forehead, finding the situation absurd. Wasn’t he the one who never went back to an ex? Holding my phone, I remembered that painting, the breakup payment that cost a fortune, and all those things his friends had told me. Was it fun to play with me like this, to use me for entertainment?
I suppressed my irritation, cleared my throat-“Have you lost your mind?”
After saying that, I hung up before he could react. Then I
blocked Edward too. I’d been generous enough not to hold his coldness and deception against him, and now he had the nerve to say these ridiculous things to me.
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Gifts
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chapter 6
