Why is he so sure that someone has called me earlier?
Susan’s mind went blank for a few seconds.
Ian took the opportunity to get her phone to check her call and text history himself.
Susan blanched. “No!”
She wanted to get her phone back.
Alas, she was no match for the tall and strong Ian. He managed to unlock her phone easily and click into her history.
Susan: I hate this. He keeps badgering me nonstop, and I’m afraid I might suffocate one day.
Poppy: Then what are you going to do? If you can’t stand it anymore, make a decision as soon as possible. Some people can be really shameless, so you’ll have to be straightforward for him to stop.
Susan: Yeah, I got it.
Despite not knowing what her reaction was when she typed out the last message, he could feel her hatred and indifference.
Ian stiffened.
He stared at the chat history blankly as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head, freezing him from head to toe.
Badger her? Shameless?
Slowly, he turned at his shoulder and pinned her with a withering look. One look from him was enough to send shivers down Susan’s spine.
She parted her lips but no words came out.
She wanted to explain that she wasn’t complaining about him. Back in the bus station, she was utterly frustrated and started chatting with her best friend, Poppy Slate, about the person who kept her on a tight leash.
Fury and hatred had overwhelmed her entire being then.
“Am I badgering you?” Ian asked.
“Yes,” came her soft reply.
“Am I annoying you? And suffocating you?”
After a pause, she answered, “Yes.”
Susan balled her fists so hard that her nails dug into her skin, drawing blood. Her palm was soon sticky with blood, but she didn’t even realize that.
Yes, I’ll just admit to everything.
Slowly, she lowered her head. The sparkle and hope in her eyes disappeared without a trace, and she could hear nothing but a word.
“Yes.”
No matter what he said, she would reply numbly, “Yes.”
Ian had left.
He didn’t even say a word or react violently. All he did was walk past her and head to the bus station.
Susan was dumbstruck.
Right that moment, she whipped around to stare at his back. His departure was like an iron shard stabbing straight into her heart, and the pain turned her inside out. She could barely stand on her feet.
I’m sorry, Ian.
She trudged back home slowly, looking like a lost soul.
That afternoon, she received a text telling her that Ian had arrived safely and that she didn’t have to worry about him anymore.
After reading the text, she left her phone aside. That day, she sat in her spot for the entire afternoon until night fell.
In reality, she had never had a boyfriend.
Susan was a brilliant student, and there were many boys who had a crush on her on campus.
However, she had never fallen in love with anyone else. She wanted to focus on her studies and develop her career before finding a partner for life.
When did I start to care for him? I went against the social norms and fell in love with him.
She reckoned it was because they had grown up together. He used to be an introvert. The Jadeson family was a big family, and there were plenty of kids of his age.
However, he was only close to his siblings and her.
Later, she became accustomed to his presence, while he got used to her concerns for him.
What happened next was how her identity had undergone a change, so it was normal for their relationship to change swiftly as they grew closer to each other. Yasmin was right. I was head over heels in love with him without realizing it.
Just like that, Susan didn’t move an inch the entire night.
The next day, a member of the Villagers’ Committee came up to her as they were worried something had happened to her.
“Susan, I heard that you fought with your nephew at the market yesterday. Is that right?”
“No,” Susan refuted stiffly.
The committee member immediately added, “But the villagers saw your nephew flying into a fit of rage at the bus station. Not only did he destroy the bus station, but he also smashed someone’s car windshield.”
Susan gasped in disbelief upon hearing that.
Overwhelmed with shock, she spun on her heels and dashed out of the house.
Oh, dear. Why didn’t I think of that? I only focused on being harsh on him and didn’t stop to think whether he could bear it. The only reason why I’d been so careful and protective of him was that I didn’t want to hurt his feelings!
Susan ran out and got a villager to give her a ride to the market on his motorcycle.
When she arrived at the market, she dashed all the way to the bus station and saw some people repairing the chairs and windows inside. There were also some window shards outside in the parking lot.
“Sir, what did you do to the young man who kicked up a fuss here? Where is he?” she asked as her voice choked up.
At the sight of a puddle of dried-up blood on the ground, she couldn’t stop the fear from clawing up her throat.
