9
Linda looked up from the computer and smiled.
“You have an American appearance, and you’re fluent in English. It’ll be easier for you to communicate with them.”
I tried to decline the business trip. “But this is such an important task, how can I handle it?”
That country has Rachel and Vivian, and I didn’t want to step into it.
Even if the trip was to New York.
But I had to refuse any chance of running into them.
Linda gave me a reassuring smile. “The trip request has already been submitted. I’ll be going with you, don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
So, I had no choice but to prepare for the trip.
To ensure I wouldn’t run into those two in New York, I opened the mobile phone, which I hadn’t used in a while, and joined a group.
There were about twenty people in the group, usually very lively.
I wasn’t interested in looking through the wealthy lives of the group’s young men and women, so I directly searched for their names.
Over the past two years, Rachel had completely ruined Clint’s reputation, and she hadn’t come out unscathed either.
A year and a half ago, Clint caused a huge scene at the Walton family company, spreading half- true, half–fake rumors about his and Rachel’s personal matters, causing their stock to
fluctuate.
Because of this, Clint and his mother were kicked out by the Koch family.
They left New York and moved to Los Angeles.
But with Rachel and Vivian keeping an eye on them, their lives wouldn’t be easy.
From their conversations, I found out that Rachel was on a business trip in Washington, and Vivian’s whereabouts were unknown.
There was no other useful information, so I logged out of it.
Five days later, I left for New York with Linda and two other colleagues.
The business trip was supposed to last a week. Hopefully, I wouldn’t be unlucky enough to run
into them.
Once in New York, I planned to stay inside unless absolutely necessary.
I would stay in the hotel and wouldn’t step out unless I had to.
The night before I left, I attended a farewell dinner.
It was held at a famous club, and as I walked in, I sensed someone was watching me.
But when I looked around, no one was there.
I felt uneasy.
During the dinner, I excused myself to go to the restroom, planning to slip away quietly.
To be cautious, I took the back door.
The traffic in New York was heavy, and I waited for a car under the shade of a tree.
Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps behind me.
The sound of high heels hitting the ground was familiar,
This time, I felt calm inside.
Until the footsteps stopped behind me, and Rachel’s trembling, cautious voice came.
“Arland, is that you?”
I didn’t turn around. I lowered my head and continued looking at my phone.
Rachel walked around in front of me, staring at me. Slowly, she took a step forward.
“Arland, I know it’s you.”
I looked up, feigning confusion. “Miss, are you calling me?”
Over the past two years, my appearance and fashion style had changed a lot.
My demeanor was completely different now.
Rachel’s eyes were red, tears sparkling in her gaze.
“Arland, I know you’re still angry with me. It was Clint who tricked me, and that’s why I did those things to hurt you.”
“But I regret it now. Arland, I really know I was wrong.”
Clint’s tricks weren’t clever, even lowly.
But she and Vivian had both believed him without question.
I had tried more than once to ease things between us, but all I got in return was Rachel’s increasing humiliation.
The woman I loved, and my real sister, both sided with Clint more and more.
Clint’s mother was the one who ruined my mother’s marriage.
Clint and his mother had always been outsiders to me, but the ones who truly hurt me were Rachel and Vivian.
One was my childhood sweetheart, the other my blood sister.
These two people, however, had no mercy as they raised their daggers and plunged them into
my heart, over and over.
They left me bruised and bleeding.
Nearly two years had passed. My wounds had healed, leaving behind countless scars.
The pain was gone, and the ones who had hurt me no longer stirred anything in my heart.
