Falling for Him Head over Heels(4)

10

Everyone at the banquet was silent. While dozens of people were looking at me, Cruz on the other side of the phone changed his tone.

"Sis, are you in trouble?"

I said as I walked out, "Which hospital are you in? I'll be right there!"

Only after reaching the door did I turn my head and say, “Mr. Zachery, I have to go now. My dad had a car accident and was in the hospital for emergency treatment."

I didn't relax until I went downstairs and walked into the parking lot amid the cool evening breeze.

As soon as I got into the car, there were no more noises. Only Cruz's voice could be clearly heard.

He asked anxiously, "Chloe, are you safe now?"

"Yes," I said, "my company just had a dinner party."

"You have to drink?"

"I didn't drink." I took a few breaths and started the car, adding, "So I have to go now, or I'll have to drink later."

I hadn't contacted Cruz for several days. I thought we would become distant and have nothing to talk about.

The evening breeze made me relax. Naturally, I gradually put the past behind me.

"There are still five days left before the end of the military training. At that time, it will be the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Will you come to school to pick me up?"

"I'm not sure. But I will if I can ask for leave."

On the other end of the line, he sneered and said, "Sis, you're so heartless."

The last time he said so was after that night, during which I considered everything happening absurd and exciting.

For some reason, my ears were burning, so I changed the subject, asking, "Do you know that your father and my mother are getting married?"

Over the phone, he suddenly fell silent. After a long time, he repeated in a cold tone, "Are they getting married?"

I was stunned, asking, "Didn't your dad tell you?"

Instead of answering, he asked me, "What do you mean by telling me this now? Sis, do you want to end it with me?"

I didn't know why I suddenly mentioned it.

In the midst of the chaotic mood, his subconscious reaction made me feel an inexplicable stabbing pain.

I answered flatly, "You can think of it that way."

After a moment of silence, he hung up the phone without saying a word.

I drove the car downstairs and rolled down the window. Lighting a cigarette, I looked at the moon through the curling gray smoke.

My mind was in a mess.

After returning home, my mother was sorting out the guest list for the Thanksgiving banquet.

Few relatives of the Chow Family would show up. So she called my grandmother and uncles over, and the banquet was set at the Chow Family's house.

The day before the banquet, I asked for leave from my company in advance and went to school to pick up Cruz.

This was the first time I saw him standing among his peers. The last time was in a restaurant with dim lights, so I didn't see him clearly.

Bathing in the warm autumn sun, he wore a simple white T-shirt and stood against the light.

Pursing his lips, he looked expressionless. His skin was fair and pale. The military training under the scorching sun hadn't affected him in the slightest.

With many people surrounding him, he looked the most outstanding among them.

A little girl in a white shirt and plaid skirt bent down to talk to him, looking at him attentively.

I swore with certainty that she was definitely interested in him.

I stopped the car in front of Cruz, rolled down the window, and motioned for him to get in.

The little girl became vigilant, asking, "Cruz, this is..."

Before he spoke, I concluded that I was his sister.

It wasn't until the car door closed and we drove for a long time that Cruz, who was resting in the passenger seat, opened his eyes and asked me indifferently, "Are you my sister?"

"Of course, your father and my mother are going to set the wedding date today. If I'm not your sister, then what am I to you?"

"The sister who sneaks into my room every night?"

"Cruz Chow!"

After slamming on the brakes in front of the red light, I turned to look at him with a hint of warning.

He had an inexplicable look in his eyes. Then he went back to himself.

After a long time, he snorted and leaned back in his chair, saying, "Chloe Keith, don't regret it."

11

By the time I went upstairs with Cruz, my grandma and uncles had arrived.

Sitting on the sofa, they were chatting with a few relatives of the Chow Family. They seemed to get along with each other.

My mother was busy in the kitchen, but Rory was nowhere to be seen.

I walked over and asked softly, "Where is Rory?"

She turned to look at me before wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"Something is going on in the company. He's busy in the study. He'll be out for the meal later."

"Okay!" I then stayed by the pool to help her wash the vegetables.

It was not until noon that my mother finally served a table of dishes and asked everyone to sit down.

Rory came out of the study and glanced around.

I didn't know if it was an illusion, but when he looked at me, there seemed to be an unknown emotion in his eyes.

After drinking for a while, my mother looked at Rory nervously.

...

Rory paused, stood up with a glass of wine in his hand, and said solemnly, "I invited everyone here today to announce a piece of good news. Daisy and I... "

Before he could finish his words, the sound of a machine starting suddenly came from the side.

Turning around, I saw that the projection screen hanging on the wall of the living room was slowly unfolding.

"Hey, who unfolded it?"

Before my mother could finish her words, a photo suddenly appeared on the screen.

In the dimly lit entrance, Cruz leaned against the entrance cabinet and looked up at me. He seemed to be drunk.

Holding his chin with one hand and clasping his waist with the other, I was kissing him attentively.

Anyone with discernment could tell at a glance who had taken the initiative and who had been forced.

...

Someone cried out in surprise, "Oh, why do the ones in the photo look like Cruz and Chloe?"

I was stunned on the spot. I opened my mouth, but I couldn't say anything.

Subconsciously, I turned to look at Cruz across from me. He looked at me with an unfathomable expression. I couldn't tell his emotions while looking into his cold eyes.

Everyone, who was originally lively and happy, went all silent.

I looked away, inch by inch. Everyone at the table looked at each other in dismay, feeling speechless for a moment, but they all looked at me in the same way.

They looked at me in surprise, disgust, or hatred.

I didn't even dare to look at my mother.

She had been thinking of me as a hardworking, sensible, and obedient kid.

However, I was too introverted and had never been in a relationship in my life.

She didn't know that deep inside, I was frivolous, unrestrained, and unscrupulous.

Now, I, whom she had never known about, ruined her happy life with my own hands.

What happened next couldn't be more natural.

Maintaining their last dignity, my mother and Rory sent away their relatives. After that, they stood in the living room and looked at each other in silence.

...

After a while, my mother finally said, with difficulty, "Rory, I'll move out with Chloe today. Let's not contact each other in the future."

Rory, who had always been gentle and easygoing, sighed and reached out to pat her on the shoulder.

"Daisy, don't take it to heart. It's not your fault."

Surely, my mother did nothing wrong.

I was the culprit instead.

Rory turned around and went back to the study. I bit the tip of my tongue and went upstairs to pack up.

It was as if I had expected that I would have to move out one day. I had never opened the luggage I brought with me.

As I pulled out the few clothes in the wardrobe and folded them, the past came to mind.

When I was eight years old, my father cheated and brought the mistress home. I found out, and my mother divorced him.

To get divorced as soon as possible, she didn't take anything with her but me.

For so many years, she had pursuers, but she didn't agree to be with any of them out of consideration for me.

Only once did she bring a man home for dinner. After that, she never interacted with him again.

That weekend, I hid in my bedroom and listened to her make a phone call in the narrow living room.

"Why did he look at Chloe that way? Does he think I don't know? That's my daughter!"

After going to college, I began dating.

Fortunately, I was good-looking. Pretending to be innocent, I looked naive and pitiful, so I had a lot of boyfriends. I even enjoyed the pleasure of being in a seemingly passive position to manipulate my boyfriends.

I always kept my mother in the dark.

I would rather be innocent and ignorant in her heart than let her find out my true colors. Deep inside, I was unscrupulous and unrestrained.

I burst out crying, and tears dripped on the folded skirt.

After wiping my tears away forcefully, I dragged my suitcase to the door.

Upon taking a step, I stopped.

Standing at the door, Cruz looked at me without saying a word.

Perhaps due to the light, I could not see his expression clearly for a moment. I could only hear him call out in a low voice, "Chloe."

I calmed myself down and continued to walk out with my suitcase.

While passing by him, I stopped and said, "This is why you told me not to regret it, right?

"Cruz Chow, I underestimated you."