Chapter 9: The Neighbor
Mia’s words left Chloe feeling slightly embarrassed. It seemed she had made so many mistakes in the past that even her best friend questioned her intentions.
“I really won’t do that anymore,” Chloe reassured her.
Finally convinced, Mia felt at ease and offered to help Chloe with her move, but Chloe declined. She had already arranged everything and just needed to transport her belongings.
The apartment Chloe rented hadn’t been lived in for years, so many things were old and needed replacing But now that Chloe had the means, she spared no expense in making her new space as comfortable as possible.
for at least a year, she wanted to make it feel ordered new furniture. However, since the
The apartment was old, but since she planned to live more like home. She bought paint to refresh the walls apartment was on the sixth floor and the building didn’t have an elevator, she had to carry everything up one step at a time.
There was no way to move everything in one go, so Chloe resigned herself to making multiple trips.
It had been a long time since Chloe had done any physical work. When she had been with Julian, he valued a high quality of life, so tasks like this were always handled by others. The most effort she ever exerted was cooking dinner, even during their toughest times financially.
Now, lifting heavy paint cans and moving them into her new home left her exhausted. As she stood at the entrance, panting heavily and rubbing her back, she realized she had exerted more energy today than she had in the last three years combined.
Just as she was about to bring in the rest of her things, she accidentally kicked over one of the paint cans. Although she reacted quickly, some paint spilled onto the floor. Chloe rushed to move the can aside, trying to clean up the mess.
At that moment, the door to the neighboring apartment opened.
“Sorry… Wyatt?”
Chloe instinctively began to apologize, but when she looked up, she realized it was Wyatt.
Wyatt noticed the spilled paint and Chloe standing by it. He hadn’t expected to run into her here, but seeing the open door to the adjacent apartment and the chaos inside, he quickly pieced it together- Chloe was his new neighbor.
“So, you’re the new neighbor,” he said, surprised.
Chloe was equally astonished by the coincidence. “Yeah, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
When she had chosen the apartment, she had prioritized its proximity to the university. She hadn’t imagined she would end up living next to Wyatt. Given Wyatt’s success, she assumed he would be living somewhere far more upscale, not in an old, rundown building like this.
Wyatt, however, had only recently returned to the country. Like Chloe, he had chosen this apartment for its convenient location near the university and his lab. Other things, like the building’s age, didn’t matter to him.
What puzzled him was why Chloe had chosen this place. It was an old building, with no elevator and poor transportation options–hardly a popular choice for young people, even students.
“I’m really sorry about the paint: I’ll clean it up right away. Are you heading out? Don’t worry, it’ll be
Chappli
spotless by the time you return,” Chloe said, eager to clean the spilled paint before it dried and became even harder to remove.
She also noticed some trash bags nearby and offered, “I’m heading downstairs soon, I can take your trash with me if you’d like.”
Wyatt didn’t refuse. He guessed what Chloe was planning next and quickly disappeared into his apartment, returning with a folding ladder.
“If you’re painting the walls, this might help,” he said, handing her the ladder.
Chloe had been worrying about how to reach the higher parts of the walls due to her height, so she was genuinely grateful for the ladder.
Over the next few hours, Chloe repainted the entire apartment and rearranged the furniture. By the time she was done, it was dark outside. She sat on the sofa, ma
utterly exhausted, but looking at her newly transformed space,
her aching arms and legs. She was felt a deep sense of satisfaction. This
place was truly her own now, from the furniture to the little decorations she had chosen.
She had even bought some green plants to place by the window, which gave the apartment a cozy, fresh feel.
“If you hadn’t told me, I’d never guess this was an old apartment,” Mia said approvingly after seeing the finished result. She was impressed by Chloe’s handiwork.
Chloe smiled. “Of course, I had to make my home comfortable.”
Mia couldn’t help but feel proud of her friend. “I’m so happy for you, Chloe. You’ve found a new goal, and I truly believe you’ll succeed this time. I’ll always be here to support you.”
Knowing Chloe’s new address and seeing the change in her, Mia was confident her friend was really starting fresh this time. The path ahead might be challenging, but Chloe had taken the first step toward something better.
“Thank you,” Chloe said sincerely.
The two chatted a bit more before Mia hung up. Chloe made herself a simple dinner, then tidied up her tools. Before returning the ladder to Wyatt, she packed a sandwich as a thank–you gift.
When she knocked on Wyatt’s door, he was in the middle of revising a paper. Hearing the knock, he guessed it was Chloe.
When Wyatt opened the door, Chloe noticed he was wearing glasses and casual clothes, clearly busy with something. She suddenly felt a bit awkward, wondering if she had disturbed him.
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