Chapter 292
Even after searching for her for so many years, he never found her again.
The more he longed for that girl, the deeper his regret grew.
Yesterday, he had drunk too much, and all the regret that had been pent up within him burst forth like a flood, overwhelming him.
He didn’t even know how he had ended up at the doorstep of this diner. His mind was consumed by the thought of seeing her-he had to see her.
It was as if laying eyes on her would somehow make him feel better.
And then he did see her-the real her, in the flesh. Her presence kept merging with the image of that young girl from his memories, becoming so intertwined that he could not tell apart the memory and the reality and had acted out of character.
But even though he had been drunk, he still remembered his actions towards her.
If it had been any other woman, he wouldn’t have cared.
But Rosalie was different.
It wasn’t because she was Jonathan’s girlfriend, but because she resembled the girl into whom he had envisioned that young girl growing.
Even if she wasn’t that same girl, he didn’t want her to hold any resentment towards him.
“It wasn’t a big deal. Consider us even,” Rosalie replied with composure, referring to her slapping him last night. Even… Strangely, Calvin found the word a bit grating. “You’re not going to ask me why I behaved that way last night?”
“No need,” she responded. It was his personal matter, and she didn’t want to pry too much. “I just hope, Mr. Gunner, that won’t get drunk again and repeat the same actions towards me. Let’s just pretend last night never happened.”
Calvin self-deprecatingly curled up the corner of his lips. Clearly, she had no interest in him whatsoever.
At the cash register, the sound of the machine signaled, “You have a new order.”
Rosalie knew another delivery order awaited her, and she was about to depart when Calvin suddenly gripped her wrist. Rosalie furrowed her brow and turned to face him. “Mr. Gunner, please release me!”
you
“If you hadn’t known Jonathan, would you be with me?” he abruptly inquired, wanting to know if there was even a chance. Rosalie’s brow furrowed even deeper. What kind of question was this?
“I just need an answer. Why, are hypothetical questions such as this too difficult to answer? Or are you embarrassed to say that it’s possible?” Calvin pressed.
Rosalie pursed her lips and replied in a serious manner, “Impossible! Even if I hadn’t met Jon, I still wouldn’t be with you.” Her response triggered a sudden pang in his heart. “Why?”
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“Because you’ve had too many past relationships, and I don’t want to become one of them. Moreover, you have someone else in your heart, and I don’t want to be a replacement for anyone,” Rosalie stated firmly. She simply wanted to be herself, Rosalie.
Calvin suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly and released her hand. “True. It’s a reason I can’t argue with.” His previous girlfriends had indeed been substitutes he had sought.
Rosalie walked over to the cash register and, in no time, grabbed the delivery order before quickly leaving the diner. And Calvin remained seated, swirling the cup of tea in his hand, lost in thought for a long while.
On a Saturday afternoon, during Rosalie’s break, her friend Lillian dragged her straight to a movie roadshow event.
“Do you
have any idea how tough it was for me to snag these two tickets? Dominic is going to be at today’s roadshow. He should know you. You’ve got to help me strike up a conversation with him, or at least get a photo with him,” Lillian chatted eagerly as if she would go to great lengths to meet Dominic.
Curiously, Rosalie asked, “Why didn’t you invite Callum to join us? His presence would probably be much more effective than mine.”
The corners of Lillian’s mouth stiffened a bit; she had kept this plan hidden from Callum.
If Callum found out she was coming to see Dominic at the movie roadshow, his face would probably fall again.
The last time, because of posters of Dominic, Callum had coerced her into drinking, and she ended up getting tipsy and facing her parents’ wrath.
Of course, Callum only coerced her into that first glass; she actually enjoyed the taste and that was why she drank the rest.
“Let’s forget about Callum. If I bring him along, will I still get a shot at meeting Dominic?” Lillian shook her head.
Rosalie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Is he against you being a fan?”
“You bet! Every time I’m fangirling over someone, he acts like I owe him a massive debt,” Lillian quipped.
“Maybe he’s just a tad jealous,” Rosalie suggested. Like Jon, he would also get a bit green-eyed when she became a fan of Dominic.
Lillian burst into laughter as though she had heard the world’s funniest joke. “Jealous? How could he be jealous? At most, he just doesn’t want me to have another guy in my heart before he gets his revenge.”
Perhaps most guys with egos caring for petty matters would seek retribution over a woman for taking his initiation, Lillian thought to herself.
Rosalie didn’t press the issue further. After all, matters of the heart were best understood by the individuals involved. Rosalie and Lillian made their way into the venue, and Lillian’s seats were in the third row, quite close to the front. Before the movie started, the cast and crew would engage with the audience. And of course, those who bought tickets for roadshows were die-hard fans of the lead actors.
There were even many fans in the audience holding posters or signs with their idols’ names, vying for their idols’ public
attention.
To Rosalie’s surprise, Lillian had also prepared a sign that read “Dominic is the best.”
“What do you think? I had someone make it for me,” Lillian said. She had really gone all out for today’s roadshow.
“It looks great,” Rosalie replied. But this way, they were undoubtedly attention-grabbing.
When the time came, the cast and crew took the stage, including Dominic.
The audience erupted in applause, screams, and cheers. Fans were desperately trying to get their idols’ attention.
Lillian was naturally one of those passionately cheering, vigorously waving her sign.
Watching her friend in action, Rosalie couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. She was more reserved, especially after three years of incarceration, which had turned her into a stagnant pool.
If it weren’t for Jon, perhaps she’d still have no hope for life.
But Lillian was different; she was genuine, expressive, and unafraid to express her likes openly.
At times, Rosalie couldn’t help but envy people like her good friend.
Suddenly, as Rosalie’s friend’s enthusiastic shouts had just died down, the host’s voice broke in, “Now, please welcome our special guest for today’s roadshow-Ms. Loretta Leighton!”
