I didn’t respond. I had already given up on him.
It didn’t matter.
I just had to endure a little longer. In a few days, I would be gone.
The entire drive, Alfie was restless, like a man on the verge of losing his mind.
Soon, his phone rang. The moment he saw Shirley’s name, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.
He picked up immediately and panickedly asked, “Shirley! Where are you?”
On the other end, Shirley sobbed into the receiver. “I got lost. I don’t know what to do.”
Alfie’s voice softened in an instant. “Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you. Don’t run around, okay?”
I sat there, numb.
Years ago, he used to speak to me like that.
Now, it was for someone else.
Not long after, we found Shirley waiting at the side of the road. The moment she saw Alfie, she ran straight into his arms.
For a second, he looked guilty and glanced at my way. But then he seemed to remember that I was blind, and his hesitation disappeared.
He wrapped his arms around Shirley without a care.
She sniffled, wiping away nonexistent tears before turning toward me. “I’m so sorry, Clarissa. I was just scared… I didn’t mean to hold onto Alfie like that. I hope you don’t mind.”
She wanted me to know exactly how much Alfie cared about her. But I no longer had the energy to play this game.
When I didn’t react, she wasn’t satisfied. “Clarissa, I’m really sorry. This is my fault. I should just leave. I don’t want to be in your way.”
Alfie’s face twisted in distress. He turned to me and said, “Clarissa, just take a taxi home. I’ll drop Shirley off first. She’s a little afraid of you.”
Afraid? Huh!
Even so, I smiled faintly. “Alright.”
Alfie seemed surprised by my calmness, like he had expected me to fight back. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.
He helped Shirley into the car, and without looking back, they drove away.
I stood there for a long time, my fingers and toes numb from the cold.
At some point, my phone rang. It was Alfie.
But when I answered, what I heard wasn’t his voice.
It was a low, muffled groan.
And Shirley’s breathy, exaggerated cries.
She wanted to make sure I knew exactly what they were doing.
Clarissa's POV
I slowly put my phone down, feeling nothing but emptiness inside. Without a second thought, I called for a cab and headed straight to the hospital.