7
I was actually quite surprised. I thought I had already burned that bridge with him, yet he still dared to come.
That day, I had just gotten off work and was in the underground parking garage when I saw him standing next to my car.
He was holding a huge strawberry teddy bear dressed casually in clean crisp clothes instead of a suit. He smiled showing off his nearly
11:48 AM J
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“Cora, I’m here to pick you up from work,” he called out.
Seeing me frozen by the elevator, he came over and shoved the strawberry bear into my arms.
I found it a bit amusing. This guy really did know what I liked.
But he was no longer the vigorous young man from years ago, with muscles toned from playing basketball.
Looking at his barely concealed potbelly and no–longer–clear eyes, I shook my head in disgust.
I quickly handed the strawberry bear back to him.
Without a sideways glance, I swiftly got in my car, closed the door, and drove off in one smooth motion.
Leaving him to eat my exhaust fumes, I patted my chest in relief. Good – he was eroding what little nostalgia I had left for him.
I had just gotten home and parked when I received a call from Mrs. Brown.
“Cora, could you please come over to Phoenix’s place? I know I shouldn’t bother you, but Phoenix… he’s threatening to jump off the building. I really don’t know what to do. Please help me,” she sobbed into the phone, sounding both helpless and guilty.
I let out a long sigh and headed over.
Phoenix really was redefining my understanding of him. Had he suddenly gone crazy? How could a grown man do something like this?
His apartment was in a high–rise, with the roof on the 22nd floor.
When I arrived, firefighters were already trying to talk him down, but he stubbornly refused to come back inside.
I finally understood the situation after I got there.
It turned out Phoenix still wanted to win me back. He had fired Lydia, thinking to show his loyalty to me.
Fall
He and Lydia had gotten into an argument. After Lydia called him some choice names like “loser” and “you brought this on yourself, he climbed up to the roof.
I couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation. If he was claiming to be fragile and vulnerable, I was more inclined to believe he was using this method to force my hand.
Mrs. Brown was crying non–stop, while Mr. Brown kept sighing and slapping his thigh.
Lydia, on the other hand, was oddly quiet off to the side.
When Phoenix saw me, his eyes immediately reddened. He asked, “Cora, if I jump, will you forgive me?”
So this was what he had been waiting for.
“No, Phoenix, don’t do this! What am I supposed to do if you do this?” Mrs. Brown was terrified and quickly tried to dissuade him through her
tears.
But Phoenix’s burning gaze remained fixed on me.
Mrs. Brown hurriedly tried to persuade me too: “Cora, agree to his request. I’m begging you. I’ll get on my knees if I have to.”
I quickly steadied Mrs. Brown,
“Alright, I forgive you, I said. It didn’t matter anymore. Holding onto anger and resentment would just be a waste of emotion at this point.
Just then, Lydia, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up.
“You believe that? As long as you’re alive, she’ll never forgive you. You have nothing now no career, and she doesn’t want you either. What’s the point of living?” she said viciously.
D
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Damn, this woman had a ruthless heart. She really wanted Phoenix to die!
Lydia’s face was contorted with rage. Her outburst was so sudden that no one had time to react.
The firefighters quickly covered her mouth.
Phoenix’s eyes were bloodshot. Hearing those words, he really did start inching towards the edge.
I hurriedly called out to him: “Phoenix, do you know why I didn’t let you do the projects anymore?”
Phoenix’s eyes were unfocused, but he did turn his head: “Because I cheated with Lydia. I was wrong.”
I shook my head, signaling to the firefighters with my eyes.
“I don’t hate you that much. If it was just because of that, I would only break up with you, not cut off your source of income. You are capable. If you work hard, your company will definitely get better and better.”
“The reason I did this was because of Lydia. She leaked confidential information from your company. If we had continued with the projects, we could all have been implicated.”
Phoenix’s attention was fully on me now. He glared furiously at Lydia and shouted, “It was Lydia? You deliberately got close to me to harm me?!”
Lydia wanted to refute this, but she was still being restrained by the firefighters. She could only shake her head vehemently in denial.
At that moment, the firefighters who had been waiting for an opportunity finally sprang into action. They swiftly pulled Phoenix, whose attention was diverted, back to safety.
Mrs. Brown’s legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground.
Mr. Brown hurried to support her.
Phoenix seemed dazed and clearly not in his right mind. He was carried downstairs to be taken to the hospital.
I followed behind them, intending to leave as well.
The firefighters also released Lydia.
Lydia’s eyes were filled with surging hatred as she looked at me. Suddenly, she lunged at me.
“Cora, you bitch! It’s all because of you. I have nothing left now. Go to hell!” she screamed.
