Paid in Blood for a Lie

Any gift from Noelle—the girl she loved—was enough to make Bridget smile.

However, that was in the past.

I closed the lid and handed the box back.

“You should give this to Mom in person when you have the chance.”

Noelle furrowed her brows.

Usually, I would act the way she expected me to.

However, my distant yet courteous behavior felt alien to her.

With uneasiness rising within her, she clutched my hands.

“Bridget’s health…”

Charles showed up and wrapped his arm around Noelle’s shoulders.

“I call dips on this room, Noelle.”

He pointed at my bedroom.

“That room is taken.”

Noelle turned to me and explained, “He’s a friend of mine. He needs a place to stay for work.”

She stared intently at me, as if expecting me to put my foot down.

To her dismay, I nodded and agreed without hesitation.

“He can have the room. I’m going to my mother’s.”

Noelle was taken aback. Not giving me a chance to change my mind, Charles bolted into the room.

It was then she took notice of the suitcases in my hands.

Pursing her lips, she gripped my hands and refused to let go.

Guilt loomed heavily over her eyes.

As Charles pressed on, Noelle said, “I’ll drop by to check on Bridget tomorrow.”

…

With my luggage in tow, I went to Bridget’s residence.

The plan was to gather the last of her belongings.

However, I couldn’t help but shed tears when I looked around her place.

The huge space could fit a lot of things.

Yet, her house was tiny enough to hold nothing but bits and pieces of my life with Noelle.

Photos of Noelle and me hung all over the walls.

On the table sat the cheap duck plushies that Noelle and I had given her.

A stash of milk cartons sat in the corner, untouched.

Bridget saved the drinks for Noelle and me instead.

She had kept the bracelet from Noelle in a box, buffed to a brilliant shine.

Everything else she had were endless handcrafted parts, embroidery she could never finish, and a huge pile of leather handbags.

All of these were for paying Noelle’s debts and making sure I could have a happy future.

I tore the photos into pieces and destroyed the plushies.

The only thing I spared was the photo of Noelle and me hand-in-hand with Bridget.

I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Tucking the photo in a trunk, I cleared out the space.

I returned to the office to wrap up the last of my responsibilities.

Upon stepping into the office, I saw Charles at my desk.

My colleagues looked at us in silence.

They probably saw the confrontation as a showdown between the childhood friend and the lover.

No one could get away unscathed once pulled into the drama.

As I drew close, Charles crossed her legs and flicked a check at me.

“Here’s ten million bucks for this seat.”

Faced with his aggression, I took the check with composure.

“Alright. I’ll pack my things.”

The office assumed I had sold my dignity for a payday.

Their opinions couldn’t get to me, though. I simply collected my belongings and walked away.

Noelle walked into the scene, noticing that I was holding a box.

Tension rang along her jawline.

“Where are you going?”

“I—”

Charles was one step ahead of me in responding to Noelle’s question.

“I paid him for this spot.”

Noelle glanced at me with a frown while I raised the check in my hand.

“I took the money. It’s ten million dollars.”

Noelle was stunned.

Cocking her head back, Noelle observed Charles’ smug face. He seemed proud of himself.

Her hard grimace drew tension in the room.

She said nothing, as if accepting the situation as it was.

Once I was out of the office, Noelle threw Charles’ arm off her shoulders.

She struck Charles right in the face before the entire office and said chillingly, “Don’t ever humiliate him, do you hear me?”

Outside the office building, I received a text message from Noelle.

“The specialists I hired have arrived. I’m sending them to Bridget’s ward.

“We should visit her tonight.

“I miss your cooking.”

I smiled wryly.

‘Goodbye, Noelle.’ I thought to myself.

I headed to the airport with my luggage.

Just as I boarded the flight, my phone exploded with messages from Noelle.

“The specialists couldn’t find Bridget’s ward at the hospital, Gab.”

“Where is Bridget, Gab?”

“What happened to Bridget?”