Chapter 59
Chapter 59 “Childish.” Neil said coldly, changing into a black down jacket and a matching knit beanie before heading out. I followed him outside, wrapping my scarf tight around my neck before I started rolling snowballs. The snow was freezing and my hands quickly turned red. A ser vant brought me some gloves which I wore as I continued my snowball craft. Neil, on the other hand, just stood there. “I asked you to build a snowman with me, not watch me do it,” I said unhappily. “Do you still see yourself as a three year old?” Neil shot back, clearly annoyed. “You’re too old for this childishness, why build a snowman?” Did he also complain when he was building snowmen with Bonnie in my past life? I angrily picked up a chunk of snow and smashed it mercilessly on Neil. He brushed off the snow and returned fire. Our snowball fight had begun. But Neil was stronger and had better aim than me. I kept missing while he always hit his mark. I was a sore loser. While Neil was bending down to gather snow, I threw a snowball that hit him square on the head. He grunted and glared at me, “Irene!” “Come hit me then!” I provoked him, laughing triumphantly. Neil picked up a basketball-sized snowball and was about to throw it at me when I rushed towards him and clung to his waist, looking up at him. “Go on, kill me so you can marry Bonnie.” Sno wflakes fell on my face, my eyelashes, and the ends of Neil’s hair. He looked at me, his eyes piercingly beautiful. The atmosphere seemed to freeze. Although I had loved Neil for ten years and we had made love, this kind of innocent teasing was a first. I wasn’t sure if I purposely acted before Bonnie could, or if I was trying to make up for my pitiful past self. “Cheater,” Neil finally looked away, looking slightly uncomfortable. He dropped the snowball and I quickly let go of him.
Neil went back to the room, leaving me lost in thought in the freezing outside. It took me a while to snap out of it and prepare to continue building a snowman, but I gave up after a short while.
I was so cold that I had to take a hot bath to warm up. Lying in bed, I checked the security footage on my phone, looking at the recording of Neil and I having a snowball fight. Under the dim light, amidst the falling snow, I was wearing a white sweater, a black scarf, looking up at Neil with my arms around his waist. He was holding a snowball above his head, looking down at me. If I hadn’t already died once, I would have been completely smitten by this romantic scene. What was he thinking at that time? Was he wishing that it was Bonnie in his arms and not me? I couldn’t help but take a screenshot and set it as my lock screen wallpaper. I eventually drifted into a deep sleep, not even noticing Russell’s phone call. It wasn’t until the next day when I woke up and saw the missed call that I quickly returned it. “I need your help,” Russel said. “What kind of help?” I was still a bit groggy, my voice sounding lazy. “Let’s talk in person.” Russel arranged a meeting place and time in a very assertive manner, then hung up the phone on me. Confused, I got up and looked out of the window. There was a thick layer of snow on the balcony railing, reflecting the sunlight. Was he kidding? It was so snowy, what if I get into an accident on the way? As I was wondering, my eyes suddenly caught sight of a well-made snowman on the lawn downstairs. It looked really beautiful, and I was pleasantly surprised. I quickly changed my clothes and rushed downstairs. I asked a ser vant who was shoveling snow nearby, “Did you guys build the snowman?” “No, madam, Mr. Whitmore did,” the ser vant replied. My heart ski pped a beat. I wasn’t sure how to feel about Neil’s sudden kindness towards me. It was like winning ten dollars from a lottery ticket that was bought ten years ago. Neil must have been thinking about how childish I was when he was building the snowman. I smiled and ran to the kitchen to get two black beans and a carrot for the snowman’s eyes and nose. I also took off my scarf and put it around the snowman. “What a good boy,” I patted the snowman’s head, then happily went back inside to have breakfast.
After that, I got Bailey to drive me to meet Russel. Russel lived alone in a high-end apartment not too far from the hospital. It was my first time visiting his house. I had initially 1/2 11:14 Chapter 59 thought that a man as aloof as him, being a doctor and all, would have a decor style that leaned towards a minimalist and cool aesthetic, with shades of black, gray, and white dominating the design. However, as soon as I stepped inside, I was greeted by hardwood floors and walls painted in a warm shade of yellow. The interior was incredibly inviting and cozy, emitting a subtle and pleasant fragrance. “Make yourself at home.” Russel pulled out a suitcase and put it in the living room. He then made me a cup of black tea and brought out a plate of golden biscuits. “I baked these biscuits. Try some.” After saying that, he called out, and a beautiful ragdoll cat came running out. Its large tail dragged along the ground as it meekly mewed, leaping into his arms. He stroked the cat and said to me, “I’ll be away for about two weeks for an exchange program. Can you take Boomer back with you and take care of him for a while?” I almost dropped the biscuit I was holding. He called me over to cat-sit. “I don’t know how to take care of cats.” I shook my head. “He’s a good boy. Just feed him and play with him,” Russel walked over and pushed the cat into my arms. The cat nuzzled against me. He was indeed well-behaved. Russel then brought out another box full of cat food and toys. “Let’s go downstairs.” With no other option, I carried Boomer downstairs. Russel drove to the hospital while I got into my car with my cat in my arms as Bailey drove me back to Sterling Estates. Pets were excellent companions. With Boomer’s company, I found a new source of fun. In just a day, he had warmed up to my home. When I played the piano in the music room, he would sit quietly and listen. I couldn’t help but take a picture of Boomer and post it on Facebook, only to see Bonnie’s latest
post. Since she added me, all her posts had been hidden from me, with only the last three days visible, creating a blank space on her page. A photo of a hand reaching out to catch the snow, along with a line of text: “Am I anything special in your heart?” I knew these words well, they were lyrics from a song I used to love. The next line went, “I’m afraid you’ve never realized, I’m still by your side.” I used to think this song perfectly described how I felt about Neil, and now it was Bonnie’s turn to use it as a metaphor for her feelings towards Neil?
