Initially, Ian detested Elaine for being a very clumsy intern. He couldn’t stand her at all.
However, she was a bubbly person who seemed incapable of getting upset. She would always hover around him and pepper him with questions.
Ian looked stern when he didn’t smile, so whenever he ended up making her cry, I was the one who comforted her.
I even foolishly introduced Elaine to Cameron, and when they first met, she specifically brought him a gift.
It was a model car, which was a favorite of his. She had heard me mention it before, so she bought one specifically for him.
However, Cameron tossed it into the trash and held me close as he declared, “I will only accept gifts from Belle. We’re childhood sweethearts. I won’t let anyone else into my life.”
That day, Elaine left in the rain with her eyes red, but I didn’t miss the slight flicker of remorse in Cameron’s eyes when I looked back at him.
Elaine didn’t give up, and I continued my efforts to help them get along—until the day I realized that Cameron and Ian would constantly bring up her name.
Initially, Ian would express his annoyance at her stupidity, but as time went on, he would always have a smile on his face whenever he mentioned her.
Later on, I found the model car Cameron had thrown away in his bedroom.
I slowly realized that I could no longer participate in their conversations, for all they talked about was Elaine.
Later on, I bought us tickets to Southsea, but Cameron and Ian declined to come with me. Ian said he was too busy with work, and Cameron said he needed to keep an eye on his business.
However, I saw Elaine’s Instagram update and saw a picture of her by the beach. The two figures in the distance were impossibly familiar to me.
Cameron and Ian had rejected my invitation and hid the fact that they were accompanying Elaine to the beach for a holiday.
It was then that I felt as if someone was choking me by the neck. I drowned in the sense of betrayal and abandonment that washed over me.
My chest started heaving, and I could scarcely breathe. My nose prickled, and my tears fell uncontrollably.
