Chapter 0239
Abby
Daniel and I fall silent as Bryan and Mr. Thompson suddenly walk into the room, Daniel’s earlier
remarks still ringing in my ears.
But as my eyes flick from Bryan, whose eyes are red-rimmed and swollen, to Mr. Thompson, whose
face is somber, I suddenly find myself forgetting all about my argument with Daniel.
“Bryan, are you okay?” I ask, taking a step forward.
He looks up, his eyes full of an emotion that strikes me instantly. Bryan has been the quiet sort
throughout this entirepetition, focused entirely on his work. But now, he suddenly appears as
though his very soul is slipping out from him, like the rug was just ripped from beneath his feet.
“It’s private, Abby—” Mr. Thompson begins, but Bryan cuts him off.
“No, no, it’s fine,” Bryan says. “It’s just… um…” His voice quivers, and there’s a pause before he finally
takes a deep breath and speaks. “It’s… It’s my mom,” he whispers, the words catching in his throat.
“She passed away. Just now.”
The room tilts a little, my heart dropping to my stomach. Thepetition, the rivalry, the argument with
Daniel—all of it suddenly seems to fade into nothingness.
“Oh, Bryan... I’m so sorry,” I murmur.
He nods. “She wasn’t doing so well, and has been in the hospital for a while. I should have been by her
side, but…” He shakes his head now, clearly regretful. “I was here instead.”
“What now, then?” Daniel asks, his posture stiff. I nce over at him, and there’s a glint in his eyes,
something telling me that he’s only thinking of himself right now. Empathy isn’t in the cards for him; not
today, and maybe not ever.
“I’m dropping out.”
Bryan’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m at a loss for words, my eyes wide, my mouth agape.
Then Mr. Thompson speaks up, his usually jovial demeanor masked by a sense of regret and urgency.
“We’re very sorry to see you go, Bryan,” he says gently. “But it’s your choice. Feel free to go; we’ll
handle your station.”
“And what about the contest?” Daniel blurts out, that glint in his eyes still apparent.
Mr. Thompson turns, his hands sped behind his back, a sure sign that he’s about to switch into his
professional mode. “The final round will proceed with you two, Abby and Daniel.”
Daniel’s eyes narrow. “But the scores—”
“The scores of the second round will not be taken into ount,” Mr. Thompson interrupts, shooting
Daniel a warning look. “Regardless of scores, you are now the two remaining finalists.”
There’s a moment where I feel a bitter sense of relief mingled with guilt, the taste more acrid than that
of my bitter tiramisu. But I push it aside, focusing instead on Bryan, whose world has just crumbled.
“Bryan…” I start, taking a few steps toward him, my own troubles feeling trivial and small now. “I... If
there’s anything—”
But Bryan’s shoulders tremble slightly as I speak, and I can’t just stand here anymore. As if I’m moving
on autopilot, I step forward and wrap my arms around him in a hug. It’s awkward, unexpected—
especially from me, to him, this man I barely know—but in an odd way, I know he needs this right now.
He stiffens, like he’s just been pped. But then, after a few moments, he seems to rx. His arms
tentatively wrap around my shoulders, hiding me back. There’s a sense of surprise in his embrace, as
he was no doubt not expecting aforting hug from one of his opponents.
We stand here for a few moments, locked in this embrace. The room is silent, and I can feel Daniel’s
eyes boring holes into the back of my head—but more than anything, I can feel Bryan’s shoulders
tremble, a silent sob quaking his body. And right now, that’s all that matters.
The hug breaks after a few long moments, and Bryan finally steps back. “Thank you,” he says, his
voice a cracked whisper. “I didn’t expect—”
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“There’s no need,” I whisper, giving his shoulder a squeeze. “Go and be with your family. We’ll be
thinking of you, Bryan.”
He nods, and with ast nce, he turns and walks out of the breakroom, out of thepetition, out of
this chapter of his life. Mr. Thompson follows on his heels, and then the door clicks shut, and Daniel
and I are now engulfed in a silence so profound it practically makes my ears pop.
Then, as if on cue, Karl reappears, his usual quick stride a bit slower, his forehead creased.
“Everything okay here?” he asks, eyes searching the room, as if he could sense the shift in the air.
I push away from the table I’ve been leaning on to steady myself, meeting him halfway in the middle of
the room. “It’s Bryan... he’s out. His mother passed away.” My voice is a whisper, cracked and strained
with abination of surprise and worry.
Karl’s face pales. “Oh no, that’s terrible. Poor guy…”
“And because of that, Mr. Thompson said the second round scores are scrapped. It’s just Daniel and
me in the final now.”
He nods, processing the information. “Right, the final…” His voice trails off, a handing up to rub
the back of his neck.
Silence swells between us, and I can’t help but notice the way his eyes dodge mine. “Hey… Where did
you go earlier?” I ask, curiositycing my tone.
I’m about to dig deeper when Daniel’s voice cuts through the room. I almost forgot he was even there,
still standing in the corner again.
“Family stuff, huh? Must be catching.” There’s a sneer in his voice, and when I turn to him, his eyes are
locked on Karl with a sharpness that sets me on edge.
Karl squares his jaw, the muscle ticking. “Something you want to say, Daniel?”
Daniel just smiles, a cold, humorless curl of his lips. “Not my business. Just interesting timing, that’s
all.”
“All contestants, please return to the stage for the final round.” Updated at Draмаnоvеls.cоm
“What was that about?” I find myself asking, ncing up at Karl with hesitance in my voice.
Karl meets my gaze, and his own gaze has cooled already, betraying nothing.
“Don’t worry about it,” he says, giving my shoulder a squeeze. “You made it to thest round, and that’s
something. Let’s just focus on winning this thing.”
I nod, drawing in a ragged breath. Sure. Winning. It’s not off the table, so long as I y my cards right
in the final round.
I just hope that I won’t get sabotaged this time.