Chapter 33
When I saw Cindy the next day, she was as pale as a sheet, and there were dark bruises under her eyes.
She was petite to begin with, and she had very fair skin. At that moment, she looked frail and sick, like a white rose that had been left out in the cold.
She would stirpassion in anyone who looked at her.
Caroline saw her status on social media and sent me a screenshot.
It was a deste picture of her, taken from the back. There was a caption, which said, “You are reasonable and understanding only because no one
cares about you.”
Caroline looked eager for gossip. “Did they have an argument?”
I wondered about it myself.
After all, she and Bruce hadn''t been seeing each other for long.
I wondered if it had anything to do with the hickey on the back of my neck.
Cindy''s condition persisted until after lunch
Just as Caroline asked me on WhatsApp about whether to go andfort her, the door to the office opened.
Bruce had arrived, and he was carrying afternoon tea.
Everyone greeted him without surprise. Bruce answered them distractedly and walked quickly into Cindy''s office.
He looked rather agitated
"What are you doing here all of a sudden, Bruce?”
Bruce handed her some hot chocte and said, “Drink it while it''s hot.”
Cindy said weakly, "I''m only on my period. You''re making too much of a fuss, Bruce."
Her door wasn''t closed firmly, and I heard the entire conversation.
So, she was just on her period.
After a while. the two of them came out from her office. Caroline went up to make small talk with Bruce, while Cindy looked frail and weak as she
handed out afternoon tea to everyone.
When it was my turn. she said sweetly, "Nancy, there''s only hot chocte left. I hope you won''t mind.”
I didn''t like drinks that were too sweet.
"Thank you." I said while I typed. "I don''t have a sweet tooth, so you can keep it."
The moment I finished speaking, a warm cup of hot chocte fell onto myptop without warning!
The cup burst open and liquid poured out in a rush all over my keyboard
It stained my fingertips.
I jumped up as if I had been jolted with electricity, and immediately went to get some paper napkins. It was already toote.
Theptop buzzed weakly, and then the screen turned ck
"I''m sorry, Nancy, I..." Cindy''s weak voice seemed to press against my eardrums. She said. "I just wanted to give you...”
"You wanted to?" I cut her off and raised my voice involuntarily. "Even children know that you should keep liquids away from electronic devices."
There were a lot of important documents stored on my hard drive.
To a programmer, theirptops were their lives.
I couldn''t stop myself.
"Nancy..." Cindy sniffled and said with reddened eyes, "I really didn''t do it on purpose.”
Themotion attracted the others.
It also drew the attention of Bruce, who was talking to Caroline.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.
He walked over and frowned when he saw Cindy''s tearful expression.
Caroline could sense that something
was Wrong, Then, she looked at the
hot chgcte-drenchedptop.< and
said in- surprise, "Who was thes
tactless person who gave Ms.
Fisher’ Ss preciousptop a shower?"
Cindy''s almond-shaped eyes lowered, and she bit her lower lip tightly.
Caroline covered her mouth in shock." I''m sorry, Ms. Lane...”
‘It''s all my fault.” Cindy lowered her.
head and:said I in a choked voice..She
lookecktentatively at me and said,
‘Nanty, just keep scolding me. I
deserve it.” Content belongs” to
I was at loss for words at once.
What did she mean by that?
I had just spoken to her in a stern tone, but now she was saying that I had scolded her.
“It''s alright." Bruce handed her a tissue and saidfortingly, "You just weren''t careful. Don''t cry."
Cindy''s eyes reddened even more.
I finally understood thatpared to Cindy''s emotions, the fact that myptop had been drenched was unimportant in Bruce''s eyes.
If he had been a little more observant. he would have noticed that the drenchedptop was a present that he had given me. Perhaps, he no longer
remembered.
When I thoughtof this, my heart
turned cold IThe i icy chill traveled
from my F head down my spine. Theft,
I heard I Cindy say, "Nancy, it''s mys
fault for I being so clumsy. Whydon''t
yousend me the madel? I''ll buy you
an néw one."
4
She spoke earnestly, and her sincere, repentant attitude would make me seem like a criminal if I didn''t forgive her.
How could I refuse her good intentions?
I replied," You can ask Mr. Harold what model it was. He was the one who gave it to me."