Chapter 69
No one saw it coming that Yolanda would run into trouble, let alone vanish off the face of the earth for nearly two decades without a peep.
For years, Yolanda has been a thorn in the family’s side. It didn’t matter who it was, if there was even a whisper about her, they’d bolt across the globe without missing a beat to check it out.
That was the case for him, for Louis, and even for their folks.
“Take care, watch yourself on the road, and give me a ring when you get there.” Unable to stop him, nor having the right to, Martin could only nag the person on the other end of the line, then thought to give Louis a heads-up, “She might have changed a bit since she was a kid.”
“Come on, you’ve changed a whole lot since you were a kid. What’s the big deal?” Louis cut him off before he could finish, “Alright, enough chit-chat, gotta go, I need to hustle and get Nell to help me pack.”
Without waiting for Martin to respond, he hung up.
Listening to the “beep beep” busy tone on the phone, Martin shook his head with a wry smile, his mind replaying the scenes from when he first met Marian. Yolanda’s temperament had indeed taken a different turn from her younger years, but since they had just met and hadn’t spent much time together, it was hard to judge objectively.
He glanced at his watch, estimating the time it would take to reach the school in time to catch Marian after class.
With that, Martin flagged down a cab.
The classroom was still in session.
The teacher was lecturing about structural mechanics at the podium, flipping through PowerPoint slides, throwing out questions now and then, with the students too scared to let their minds wander.
Sophia was all ears, taking notes, her rollercoaster emotions gradually settling down as the class went on, but she was still somewhat distracted. The sudden encounter with Martin in the elevator kept replaying in her mind, followed by the image of Martin’s shocked face when he first saw Marian and his outburst as he grabbed her arm asking, “Where did you get this bracelet?” Then, the memory of almost bumping into Marian and Brandon getting lost in thought at the sight of the bracelet, one scene after another, stirred up a mess in Sophia’s head.
The ring of the bell signaling the end of class found her still tangled in these chaotic images.
Sophia couldn’t fathom why she was so hung up on all this. It was a strange sensation. She was supposed to be an outsider, and none. of this should have mattered to her. Yet, out of the blue, she found herself in the thick of it, like a side character watching the protagonist slowly become the center of attention.
She didn’t enjoy this feeling one bit.
Not that she had anything against Marian, but as she watched Marian gradually morph into Yolanda, there was a resistance inside her.
Sophia wondered if it was their similar life experiences that made her feel a sense of kinship and desolation, or if it was because the name “Yolanda’ had held a different significance in her marriage. She never should have had to deal with any of this.
She was already divorced from Brandon, had willingly let go of everything related to him. If it weren’t for this unexpected pregnancy, she probably would never cross paths with Brandon again or have to face anything related to Yolanda.
Her hand instinctively rested on her belly.
The decision about whether to keep the baby, which she hadn’t had the chance to think about these past few days, resurfaced.
Sophia knew full well that by giving up the child, all her problems and worries would dissolve.
Her life would reset to its original state.
If only she could make up her mind.
If only she could.
“Hey.” A sudden hand on her shoulder snapped Sophia out of her reverie.
She turned around to find Marian’s pretty face up close.
“Daydreaming much?” Marian asked, casually taking a seat next to her.
*Just school stuff,” Sophia replied with a smile, then glanced at the bracelet on Marian’s wrist as she sat down.
Sophia’s gaze inevitably landed on the bracelet, and that familiar sense of bewilderment washed over her again.
Marian noticed where her eyes had fixed and asked with a puzzled look, “What’s up?”
She shook the bracelet slightly, “You recognize this, huh?”
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10:39
Sophia hesitated before shaking her head, “No.”
But the bracelet seemed to have a magnetic pull, keeping her eyes glued to it, stirring an urge to take a closer look.
For some reason, Sophia felt compelled to ask, even before her mind could catch up, “This bracelet. Can I take a closer look?” Marian looked at her curiously but readily slipped off the bracelet and handed it over, “Sure thing.”
Then she passed it to Sophia,.”Here you go.”
Sophia’s hand opened hesitantly, and as Marian let go, the bracelet landed softly in her palm. The cool touch of the jade against her skin made Sophia pause, her gaze slowly shifting to the bracelet. She stared at it for a while before tentatively picking it up and gently rubbing the figure on it. The feeling of emptiness grew stronger, her fingers seeming to move on their own, pausing at the third bead where a small bell was cunningly inserted. The youthful engraving of “SY” came into view, causing another jolt of surprise. Her fingers touched the letters, recoiling as if burned, her expression utterly hollow.
Marian, oblivious to Sophia’s odd reaction, was surprised, “Huh, how did you know there were initials here? I only found them by chance when I got older.”
Just as Brandon stepped into the classroom doorway, Marian’s surprise fell word for word on his ears.
He stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on Sophia, who was lost in thought over the bracelet.
