Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 296
But to be honest, Caroline had thought that, because of this, she would be happy with him for a while. If she had been able to foolishly enjoy her happiness to the fullest and then been blindsided, she wouldnât have had such complicated feelings. She might have even found it satisfying.
Caroline was abandoned by Christian. No, Cecilia knew that wasnât just a simple breakup. From the beginning, the reason Caroline was able to meet Christian again was clear.
âŚBetrayal. She was betrayed.
Even though she resented her older sister very much, when she saw Carolineâs face after returning, betrayed by Christian, her heart tightened painfully.
That day, the past self she so desperately wanted to shake off was vividly reflected on her sisterâs face. It was as painful as looking into a mirror and seeing her unchanged self inside.
âCaroline, you werenât loved to the end either. In truth, you too were craving love more than anyone. And yet, in the end⌠neither of us became a winner.â
Ceciliaâs very existence was something that scraped at Carolineâs personality and shook her own sense of self. Because of that, she spent her whole life resenting and hating her younger sister.
What meaning is there in lives spent hating each other? What is left? We just bury the real culprit and, as little sparks, fight among ourselves, trying to extinguish each other.
âHow laughableâŚâ
âPardon? What is?â
âNothing. Itâs just suffocating. Letâs go for a walk.â
âYes, where shall I wait this time?â
ââŚItâll be just a walk.â
Mary looked oddly disappointed. She probably wasnât the type who enjoyed thrills, just regretting that she wouldnât be getting another coin for accompanying a risky adventure.
âLooks like itâs going to rain soon, seeing how gloomy it is. Keep things simple.â
âShall I bring an umbrella?â
Rain showers in Caswick are short and intense. In this season, an umbrella is a more common accessory than a parasol. But today, she only planned to walk around the estate lightly and come right back. She didnât feel like going out farther, nor did she have the energy. Cecilia shook her head.
âJust bring a rain cloak, thatâll be enough.â
* * *
Cecilia stood beneath a beech tree thick with leaves and looked up at the sky. Rain poured down as if the heavens themselves had opened a hole. She was starting to worry about Mary, who had run off to get an umbrella, leaving Cecilia under the tree.
âI could just get wetâŚâ
Getting soaked in the rain used to seem like such a miserable thing, but for some reason, she didnât really dislike it anymore.
Raindrops falling through the leaves struck her head, one after another. Though her rain cloak, draped over her like a cape, blocked some of it, the rainâs force made it sting. Cecilia took off her gloves and lifted her hand to shake out the water pooled on her hat.
Her heart felt a bit lighter now that her hand was already wet. Maybe she had gotten her hand wet for exactly that reason.
She stretched out her wet hand and opened her palm. Watching the raindrops hit the lines of her hand, pool like a muddy puddle, then trickle away. It wasnât a bad feeling.
Like a child, she blankly lost herself in the moment. In the distance, a human silhouette wavered vaguely. Was it Mary? No. Mary wasnât that tall, nor that dark.
A man holding a black long umbrella strode directly toward her. His frock coat, falling straight to his knees, fit his well-built lower body like it was tailored for him.
Cecilia focused her eyes and stared at him. The torrential rain hid his face, but it was a face she couldnât possibly mistake. Too beautiful to turn away from, too sharp-featured to be distracted by.
Soon the man entered beneath the treeâinto her spaceâand held out the umbrella. Instantly, the sensation of rain beating on her head disappeared.
In that brief moment, as she looked up to meet his gaze, all kinds of thoughts flashed through and vanished.
How long had it been since she last saw Logan? Just about a month? No, it had been longer⌠No, it really had only been about a month? âŚWas that all?
It hadnât actually been that long.
Heâs probably still handsome. Heâs probably still unruffled and relaxed as always.
Does he still smoke? Even though heâd come this close, there was no smell of cigarettes. Had he quit?
Countless thoughts flickered by, and finally, her mouth opened.
ââŚI didnât think youâd really come.â
Usually, at a time like this, the Logan of this life would give a sly smile. He was a man who knew all too well that his smile was a weapon.
But right now, he wasnât smiling.
His eyes were anxious, his lips set in a firm, determined line.
That expression⌠Iâve seen it before.
In my previous life, you confessed your hatred to me with exactly that same face.
