I disciplined myself all year round, both in terms of sleep and diet, and it helped. My girlfriend was eight years younger than me, so how could I age so fast?
But now, I thought that getting old wasn't such a big deal.
People who would appreciate flowers had stopped caring about how delicate they were.
Stella brought Charlie Scott home, and she was surprised to see me passed out on a liquor cabinet.
That was right. She got a room with Charlie behind my back, thinking I didn't know about it yet, and I would have been on my way to work at the research center at a normal hour.
I smiled with tears in my eyes, "It's been a long time, Charlie."
Charlie looked flustered. "Long time no see, Mr. Harrington."
It was great. These two people of the same age stood together like a perfect match.
Charlie and Stella were high school classmates, and they were in love for two years, but Charlie went abroad, so they broke up naturally.
At that time, as a college professor, I went to their school to give a lecture, and that was where I met Stella.
Her experience was much like mine, with high academic achievement but poverty, and her family couldn't provide the funds for her to go to college.
I thought we were the same kind of people.
It seemed that I was overthinking it.
Stella's expression was complicated with a hint of guilt in her eyes. "Honey, Charlie has just returned home and has no place to sleep."
How ridiculous! Charlie had no place to sleep, so Stella brought him home to sleep.
They coaxed me as if I were a fool, and I couldn't help but sneer.
"You can chat here, and I'm going to work." I propped myself up dizzily and nearly fell over as Stella rushed over to help me.
I glanced at her and withdrew my hand as Stella froze in place.
"Honey, did you misunderstand me? Nothing happened between Charlie and me. We've been together for so long, but don't you trust me?"
I turned my back on her with sadness filled my mind.
Trust? The person who betrayed me first told me to trust her, and it was surely the biggest joke in the world.
"I have to go to work. Stella, let's have a talk this afternoon."
Stella grabbed my hand again. I frowned at her, feeling that she was being extremely hypocritical.
"Stella, Charlie is a guest, and you should take good care of our guest. Don't keep him waiting, okay?"