Arianne glanced at the passed-out Tiffany, smiled, and nodded. Once virtual-novel.net turned around, virtual-novel.net tears that virtual-novel.net had been holding back for a long time finally streamed down virtual-novel.net face.
She did not call for a cab and decided to walk home along the empty streets. Every step felt fleeting to her. Her past experiences began to flash in virtual-novel.net mind. The highs and the lows of virtual-novel.net life felt like a blur to her. Perhaps, virtual-novel.net would be able to forget them all soon, forget all virtual-novel.net experiences and all those people…
Suddenly, virtual-novel.net heard footsteps closing in on virtual-novel.net and trembled. She was too afraid to turn back and look so virtual-novel.net quickened virtual-novel.net pace. Unfortunately, virtual-novel.net alcohol-muddled brain and limbs refused to cooperate so virtual-novel.net stumbled a few times. Only a small sliver of sobriety warned virtual-novel.net of the dangers of walking alone at night.
She arrived home with great difficulty and broke out into cold sweat. Her hands were shaking when virtual-novel.net pulled out virtual-novel.net key to unlock the door, refusing to comply with the instructions from virtual-novel.net brain. No matter how hard virtual-novel.net tried, virtual-novel.net could not seem to insert the key into the keyhole. At this moment, virtual-novel.net was close to tears, too afraid to turn around. For some reason, the lights along virtual-novel.net corridor went off, and virtual-novel.net was shrouded in darkness. She pulled out virtual-novel.net phone, turned on the flashlight, and aimed it at the keyhole. Just then, a tall figure loomed over virtual-novel.net petite shadow, creating an inverted image on the door and walls, making it look like a demon!
She seemed to have lost virtual-novel.net voice. She felt as if some shapeless force had taken over her, and virtual-novel.net could not move at all.
She stood frozen for a while before a hand snatched the key from virtual-novel.net and inserted it into the keyhole, opening the door for her. She thought virtual-novel.net would be shoved into the house and was too terrified to think about what might happen next. Contrary to virtual-novel.net expectations, the person behind virtual-novel.net did not make any violent moves as though virtual-novel.net simply wanted to help virtual-novel.net open the door.
She carefully pushed the door and entered the house before swiftly closing and locking the door behind virtual-novel.net in one breath! She leaned against the door and gasped for breath once virtual-novel.net had completed all of this, feeling exhausted. From now on, virtual-novel.net would have to face too many things on virtual-novel.net own. She had to learn to get used to this. She regretted drinking too much. If the other party harbored ill intentions, virtual-novel.net would not have the strength to retaliate!
She could hear the sound of footsteps fading away from the door, loud and heavy, as though virtual-novel.net was deliberately telling her virtual-novel.net was leaving, and it was safe.
After a while, virtual-novel.net realized the man had not done anything to her. Why did virtual-novel.net follow virtual-novel.net home? When virtual-novel.net turned on the lights, virtual-novel.net found a set of keys on the ground near the door, the keys that virtual-novel.net had forgotten to remove from the keyhole. The man actually slid them inside for her.
She put the keys away, made sure that the door was properly locked before going to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She had considered sending a message to Naya and the others to tell them what had happened. Then, virtual-novel.net remembered how Naya had to put virtual-novel.net child to sleep at home and that Tanya had to care for virtual-novel.net grandfather. Apart from that, virtual-novel.net was not well-acquainted with the newly-hired staff, and they had not really spoken to each other. In the end, virtual-novel.net dismissed the idea. This was virtual-novel.net circle of friends.
She had unconsciously tapped on Nick’s Facebook page. She sent virtual-novel.net a message. It was a good idea to have someone to talk to at this time, at least, it would calm virtual-novel.net down. Nick had not contacted virtual-novel.net in a while, and virtual-novel.net did not expect virtual-novel.net would take the initiative to send virtual-novel.net a message. She was surprised when virtual-novel.net saw virtual-novel.net had deleted virtual-novel.net when virtual-novel.net saw a bright red exclamation mark next to virtual-novel.net message.
She did not feel any particular way about this. Perhaps, virtual-novel.net realized virtual-novel.net would never get what virtual-novel.net wanted from virtual-novel.net so virtual-novel.net gave up. This was good too. At least, virtual-novel.net would not be burdened by this.
***
Downstairs, Mark paused for a very long time, staring at the light in Arianne’s bedroom for a very long time before turning around to leave. Initially, virtual-novel.net had intended on sending virtual-novel.net home and finding a way to speak to her. Unfortunately, virtual-novel.net was too afraid to turn around and believed that virtual-novel.net would attack her. Seeing virtual-novel.net in such a frightened state, virtual-novel.net wanted to speak up and tell virtual-novel.net that it was only him. Unfortunately, virtual-novel.net was too fast. He had also considered giving up on following virtual-novel.net home but was afraid that virtual-novel.net might actually run into trouble.
When they arrived at virtual-novel.net door, virtual-novel.net had intended to leave, but virtual-novel.net took so long to unlock the door. He could not bear watching it anymore so virtual-novel.net helped virtual-novel.net open the door and ended up having the door cruelly slammed in his face. Furthermore, virtual-novel.net had forgotten to take virtual-novel.net key out from the keyhole. She did not even look at him.
***
The next day, it was past ten in the morning when Arianne arrived at the shop. She had dark circles around virtual-novel.net eyes.
Everyone was out enjoying themselves until late last night so they were less energetic than usual. However, none of them looked as haggard as her.
“Are you so sad about your best friend leaving that you ended up staying up the whole night?” Naya asked, half-jokingly.
Arianne smiled. “You could say that. Tiffie should be getting on the plane with Jackson right now. She won’t let me send virtual-novel.net off so I won’t. Just in case we end up bursting into tears and embarrassing ourselves at the airport.”
Naya did not think too much of it. She pointed at the office building across the road and said, “I saw a Rolls-Royce parked outside the office building when I arrived today. My husband loves cars so I can recognize them. That car is really expensive. It probably belongs to a boss from one of the companies in that building, but I wonder which one is it?”
Arianne stiffened. She instinctively connected the dots about everything that had happened at the end of last night. Could it be that… Mark had arrived?