Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 46

When | saw Cecilia at the office the next day, the poor girl was as pale as a ghost, with dark. circles under her eyes like she hadn’t slept in a week.

She was naturally on the petite side, with fair skin, but right then, she looked like a frostbitten white rose, all frail and sickly, pitiful as can be.

Wallis stumbled upon Cecilia’s Facebook update and screenshotted it to me.

Alonely silhouette shot with the caption, [Your understanding is just because no one cares about you, right?] Wallis, with that gossip—hungry look, was like, “Bet they had a lovers‘ tiff, huh?”

It got me wondering too.

| mean, Cecilia and Hogan hadn't been an item for that long.

I started to think it might have to do with the love bite on my neck.

Cecilia was in that sorry state until the afternoon.

Just as Wallis was about to ask me if we should go and cheer Cecilia up, the studio door swung

open.

In came Hogan, with afternoon tea in hand.

Everyone greeted him like it was no big deal, and he just nodded hastily before making a beeline for Cecilia's office, looked pretty urgent.

“Hogan, what brings you here all of a sudden?”

Hogan handed her a cup of hot milk and said, “Drink it while it's hot.”

Cecilia replied weakly, “It’s just that time of the month, Hogan. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”

Her office door wasn’t closed properly, so their whole conversation fell on my ears.

Turns out, it was that time of the month.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Soon after, they both emerged from the office. Wallis went up to chit-chat with Hogan, and Cecilia, looking all wan and feeble, started handing out the afternoon tea to everyone.

When she got to me, she said affectionately, “Xaviera, there’s only hot milk left, hope you don’t mind.” Sweet stuff was not really my jam.

“Thanks,” | replied while tapping away at my code, “I’m not much for sweets, keep it for yourself.”

No sooner had | said that than, out of the blue, “Splash!” A warm cup of milk slammed onto my

12-21

laptop!

In an instant, the top blew off and a flood of liquid poured all over my keyboard, drenched my fingertips. It hit me like a bolt from the blue. By the time | came to and reached for a tissue, it was already

too late.

After a few sputtering sounds, my laptop screen went black.

“Xaviera, I’m so sorry, | just wanted to...” Her delicate voice was close to my ear.

“Wanted to what?” | cut her off, my voice involuntarily rising a notch, “Even kids know electronics and water don’t mix.” My hard drive was packed with vital files.

For a coder like me, a laptop was out lifeline.

| just couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Xaviera.” Cecilia’s sobbing voice was breaking, her eyes rimmed red, “I really didn’t mean it.”

The commotion caught everyone's attention.

And Hogan’s, who was still talking to Wallis.

He walked over and, seeing Cecilia's tear—stained face, frowned deeply.

Even Wallis sensed something was off and, spotting my laptop soaked in milk, blurted out, “Who the heck drenched Ms. March’s baby?”

At that, Cecilia’s eyes lowered, and she bit her lip tightly. Wallis gasped and covered her mouth, “Sorry, Director Irwin.” “It's all my fault.” Cecilia sniffled with her head down and then sheepishly glanced at me, “Xaviera, scold me a bit more.”

| was at a loss for words.

What did she mean by ‘scold me a bit more“?

| had just been a bit stern, and in her mouth, it had turned into a scolding.

“It's okay.” Hogan passed a tissue to Cecilia, trying to console her, “It was just an accident, stop crying.”

Her eyes got even redder.

That’s when | realized, compared to Cecilia’s tears, the spilled milk on my laptop was trivial in Hogan’s eyes.

But if he had paid a bit more attention, he would have noticed that the laptop stained with milk was the very gift he once gave me.

12:22 Chapter 46 Perhaps he no longer remembered.

Thinking of this, | felt a sudden chill in my heart, a coldness that shot from my brain to my spine, then | heard Cecilia say, “Xaviera, it’s all because I’m such a klutz, send me the model and I'll buy you a new one.”

She sounded pretty serious, apologizing so earnestly it was as if not forgiving her would be a crime. How could | not appreciate such good intentions, right?

So | replied, “For the model, you might want to ask Mr. Zade, after all, it was a gift from him.” Cecilia clearly choked up a bit, her gaze shifting uncertainly to Hogan.

Hogan probably didn’t expect me to play that card, and his eyes suddenly frosted over, “It’s just

a laptop, Ms. March, do you really need to make such a fuss?”

Just a laptop?

He really didn’t remember, or maybe, he didn’t want to.