Chapter 56
Chapter 56 Whether it was Neil or Russel, they were never meant to be in my life, to begin with. Only because of some butterfly effect due to my rebirth we had some unexpected encounters. Now that things were back on track, I could accept that. In the early winter, the chill in the wind was getting stronger. I sat by the window in a white wool coat, watching the falling leaves outside. My phone buzzed. Stella had tagged everyone in the bestie’s chat, “Ladies, it’s snowing! Today’s the first snowfall. Anyone up for a hangout?” Alicia sent a crying face emoji, “I’d love to, but there’s a company celebration in a couple of days, and I’m stuck being the organizer!” Stella said, “Does your dad think you’re his daughter or his laborer? Go protest!” Barbara chimed in, “Alicia, power through, become a boss lady, and take care of us three lazy bums in the future; we’re rooting for you.” Stella said, “Barbara and Rena, come out. Let’s go bar hopping first, see if there are any hotties, maybe invite a few to play escape game, then have some barbecue, get full and drunk, then go home and sleep like logs, perfect!” Her plan sounded pretty good, and I was a little tempted. Staying at home alone was boring anyway, so I replied, “I’m in. Send me the address; I’ll be there ASAP.” Seeing this, Barbara also replied, “Count me in!” –
At this moment, a little sno wflake landed on the window and quickly melted. It really was snowing. I grabbed a beige scarf, put it on, and headed to the bar. As soon as I entered the bar, the temperature rose sharply. Barbara and I arrived almost at the same time, and we found Stella, who was already chatting with some hotties.
“Are you two trying to melt or something? Take off your coats, there’s a dance event later, and the ladies who get up and dance can get a free bottle of wine, and the most popular one even gets a half- year 20% discount coupon!” Stella was all excited, reaching out to grab our coats. What a weird event! I was clueless but still took off my coat and put it aside. Not far away was a colorful stage, with a few sultry women swaying to the music. Below was a crowd of hyper men and women, very noisy. I looked around and saw a familiar face, Oscar. It had been a while since we last contacted or saw each other. After going through heartbreak, he had clearly lost weight, and his aura had become a little gloomy. He seemed to do part-time jobs at various bars, which I could understand. Such places are lax in personnel management and offer higher income. Seeing me, Oscar was stunned for a few seconds, then came over to me, “Irene.” “Working here part-time?” I asked. “Yeah, waiting for next semester’s internship. Then I’ll find a decent company to work for.” Oscar gave a small smile. Stella’s eyes went wide. She looked at the handsome young man, then with her remarkable memory, she remembered Oscar, “Isn’t this the hottie who hit on you at Cielo Nocturno?” I quickly pinched Stella, “What are you talking about? He’s still a student!” Stella quickly covered her mouth. I said to Oscar, “Well if there’s anything you need help with, feel free to find me. You go ahead with your work.” “Irene, can we talk for a bit?” Oscar was staring at me. His gaze made me a little nervous, but I still agreed. Oscar and I went outside the bar. The snow fell lightly on the street, creating a thin layer of white. His nose was a bit red from the cold. He took a deep breath of the cold air and said, “Irene, I know everything.” “What?” I was puzzled.
“Your husband, he’s the one pursuing Bonnie,” Oscar lowered his head, “You knew it all along, didn’t you? With your status, you couldn’t have investigated. I just don’t get it. Don’t you love your husband? Knowing what he’s done, how can you be so indifferent? When you were having dinner with Bonnie and me, didn’t you feel uncomfortable?” 1/2 11.13 That kid was smart. I laughed, “What’s there to be uncomfortable about? I have money to spend, and my husband is not home. Isn’t this the most comfortable life for a modern woman?” “Is it?” Oscar was silent for a few seconds, then continued, “I’ve been in touch with Bonnie recently. She hasrit fully accepted youx husband yet, but she said they’ve talked about a lot of things. It probably includes you. I never thought she’d become a mistress one day.” I rubbed my arm. The thin turtleneck sweater couldn’t keep out the cold. If I continued freezing, I felt like I was going to catch a cold. “People change. You’ll get used to it eventually, Oscar, I’m going back in. It’s too cold” I sniffed and said. “Okay.” Oscar nodded and went back into the bar with me. He continued to work, and I found Barbara. Stella was on stage, wearing a black slip dress, a bl oody red rose in her mouth, dancing to the explosive music. The audience was cheering, and people were throwing roses onto the stage from time to time. Whoever got the most roses was the Goddess of the night. Barbara watched with a grin, then asked me, “Rena, why don’t you go up and dance?” “I’m not going, and I don’t want to make a fool of myself.” I waved my hand. “How could you? I remember you joined a dance club in college. I saw your performance, and it was so good” Barbara encouraged me, “Give it a try. Maybe a hottie will be so smitten with you that he won’t know what fit him. Cradle-sna tching is all the rage now. Aren’t you tempted?” I was about to decline again, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw a few people appear. Mitch He bert
was leading the way, followed by Russel and Cooper Clarke chatting side by side, and finally Neil and Bonnie. Why are they here too? My heart ski pped a beat as they went upstairs and sat down, where they could see the stage below. Neil and Bonnie sat together. Russel, Mitch and Cooper sat on the other side. If Oscar saw this, wouldn’t he be devastated? “Wow! That lady’s dance was super hot. Are there any ladies who want to show off on stage? someone asked loudly. I was eyeing Bonnie, decked out in her pink sweater, looking a bit stiff and nervous. She shook her head when Neil poured her a drink. Neil, on the other hand, was in a black turtleneck, his coat already off and tossed to the side. I don’t know what he said to Bonnie, but it got her to cra ck a smile. And why the hell are my eyes so sharp? I could see all the dirty details, it was like a thorn in my side. I turned and headed for the bar, ordered a bottle of booze, and chu gged down half of it in one go. Then, fueled by the restless energy in my chest, I made my way to the stage. If Bonnie’s playing the innocent card, then I’ll go for the se xy route. When I got on stage, the sound of whistles and cheers filled the air. I glanced at the wild eyes in the crowd, took a deep breath, and waited for the music to kick in.
