“Those photos… Luigi said I looked good in those gowns, so I just tried them on, that’s all. Don’t get the wrong idea.
“Besides, haven’t you always wanted me to try on wedding gowns?
“And… his sister passed away. He said he wanted to see what she would’ve looked like in a wedding gown.”
She pouted and leaned into me, wrapping her arms around me, and pressing her face close.
“You’re not mad… right? I’m sorry, okay?”
I silently listened to her poor excuse.
Maisie, Eugene’s sister, was a friend of Zelda.
At the time, Zelda was at a critical stage in starting her business and encountered difficulties.
Maisie was bringing her flash drive, but she got into a traffic accident on the way.
Not long after being taken to the hospital, she passed away.
Before she died, she asked Zelda to take care of her young brother Eugene.
Zelda kept her promise and took great care of him.
At first, she kept her distance, restrained and formal. But over time, she even started involving herself in the small details of his daily life.
I let out a soft sigh, thinking about how I’d be leaving in just a few days.
Might as well lay everything out in the open and save us both some time.
“We never really figured things out between us… but honestly, if you and Eugene got married, that wouldn’t be such a bad—”
Before I could finish my sentence, Zelda looked up and slapped me across the face. A stinging sound rang through the air.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Luigi only sees me as a sister! Do you think he’s as careless as you?”
The side of my face burned with pain.
Yeah. Eugene wasn’t like me. He wasn’t careless.
I had always tolerated everything Zelda did, letting go of past grudges like they never existed.
My eyes burned. My fists clenched tight.
She must’ve noticed my reaction because her expression shifted. A flicker of panic crossed her face before she softened her tone.
“I didn’t mean it like that… I’m sorry, okay?”
For a second, I almost found the courage to tell her everything.
“Zelda, in a few days, I’m actually getting—”
But I was cut off by her phone ringing.
Zelda answered the call.
The voice on the other end echoed through the quiet bedroom.
“Zee, I had a nightmare… I dreamed that my sister got into a car accident… I woke up, and suddenly, I just really wanted to see you. Can you come over?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right there,” Zelda answered urgently.