Chapter 212

I was about to drag my suitcase when Kimberly appeared, grabbing my arm and exclaiming enthusiastically, “Reynaldo and I are going to dinner; come with us.”

“No need,” I said, pushing her hand away with disgust and attempting to leave.

She feigned kindness, saying, “Let Reynaldo help you; it’s not good for you to drag your suitcase, right?”

She paused, her eyes flickering as if remembering something. She exclaimed, “Oh no, this won’t do. You haven’t found a place to stay yet, have you? In that case, Reynaldo and I will accompany you to find somewhere first, okay?”

She then enthusiastically moved to pull my suitcase. A surge of uncontrollable irritability and disgust welled up in my heart. I waved her away, shouting, “No need!”

This woman was truly annoying.

As soon as I shouted, Kimberly looked at Reynaldo with teary eyes. Reynaldo squinted at me, his gaze cold and terrifying. My heart skipped a beat as I coldly replied, “It was her annoyance. I said ‘no need,’ but she insisted on bothering me. Only you men enjoy this false kindness.”

“What do you mean?” Reynaldo asked coldly.

I didn’t want to elaborate, simply stating, “The literal meaning.”

“Esmeralda!”

“Reynaldo…” Kimberly hurried to comfort him, speaking softly and gently, tears still glistening in her eyes. “Don’t be angry. After all, Ms. Dufly used to be a wealthy young lady, so it’s normal for her to be proud. It’s all my fault for not understanding and constantly bothering her.”

“Miss Rich and Spoiled?” Reynaldo sneered, a mocking glint in his eyes. “Some people still haven’t accepted reality.”

I hated their condescending duet. They acted as if they were blameless.

I took a deep breath and said softly, “I’m in a hurry, so I’ll leave first.”

After speaking, I dragged my suitcase and walked around the back of his car toward the road.

Kimberly’s affected concern followed: “Ms. Duffy has been dragging her suitcase all day, surely because she hasn’t found a place to stay yet. Look, it’s getting dark; I’m worried about her…”

“Some people don’t know their place; if something really happened, it would be her own fault,” Reynaldo’s indifferent voice, carried on the cool autumn breeze, chilled me to the bone.

I unconsciously stroked my flat belly, feeling a sourness in my nose. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the roadside neon lights. Baby, would you be sad if you heard your dad say such words?

A cool breeze mixed with fine raindrops arrived. I stood by the roadside, watching the fallen leaves swirl in the wind. For the first time, I truly understood autumn's desolation.

What had I been doing last autumn? I’d been to the bar with Lavonne, gone on an autumn outing with Lavonne, visited the hot springs with my family, and played pranks on Reynaldo, bullying and bossing him around.

A black business van drove past. The man’s cold profile flashed by, carrying those past memories, gradually fading.

The sour melancholy in my heart intensified. I took a deep breath and hailed a taxi.

This was rush hour; taxis were plentiful, but the roads were congested. I asked the driver to take me to a lively, affordable neighborhood, preferably within a half-hour bus ride.

He furrowed his brow, before remembering a place. I watched the time. The traffic was heavy; it took almost an hour to reach the destination. Normally, without traffic, the trip should take less than half an hour.

The driver, seeing my suitcase, probably guessed I was house-hunting. He pointed in several directions, saying, “Those are residential buildings, with many houses for rent. Across the street is the vegetable market, with night and morning markets nearby. This area is bustling.”