The work of the reporters at the newsroom is always busy in the last months of the year. Donna had just finished the interview and returned to the headquarters when it was already three o'clock in the afternoon.
As soon as she stepped through the door, she saw the former president of LE Bank and his wife approaching her.
“Are you Donna?” Linda asked.
“Yes, it's me.” Donna politely replied.
“Can we have a moment to talk with you?” Emery spoke up.
“Then please come to the coffee shop across the street.”
Donna said and stepped forward, Emery and his wife quickly followed her. For months, he had hired a few people to follow Daniel and knew that his son would come here every four o'clock in the afternoon, sit quietly in the car and watch this girl get off work, then secretly follow her to the apartment complex where she lived before returning home. Except when he was busy and couldn't go, he was here almost every day.
“Do you two need me for something?”
Donna asked as she reached into her bag to turn off the phone. Emery took a sip of coffee, his dark eyebrows slightly furrowed. Linda saw this and spoke up because she knew it was difficult for her husband to speak.
“Donna, we came here today to talk about you and Daniel…”
“He and I have no more contact, please rest assured.”
“That's why I can't rest assured. Donna, I'm very sorry about what happened, it's all our fault. Daniel couldn't testify because he felt guilty towards Rosalind.”
“Madam, I already said I forgave him, so please don't mention it again.”
“But he still loves you very much. As a mother, seeing my child suffer like this, I really can't bear it. If you have forgiven him, please come back to him, okay?”
Donna bowed her head and did not answer. At this time, some employees from the editorial office just entered, and when they realized that Emery and his wife were sitting with her, they furtively looked at them and whispered to each other.
They all knew that Donna used to be an employee of Global Group, but they didn't expect her to have such a close relationship with the banking tycoon and his wife that she could sit and drink coffee with them.
Linda saw Donna's silence and was worried that the girl would refuse, so she quickly spoke up to tell Donna to think carefully before deciding, then stood up with Emery to say goodbye and leave.
During this time, Donna buried herself in work and the pain in her heart had also temporarily subsided. Now, suddenly, Daniel's parents appeared, causing those sad memories to return.
The yellow leaf swayed in the wind and fell onto the table, next to the coffee cup. Donna reached out to pick it up, her eyes looking far away out the window, where the pale sunlight hung on the porch.
Her love for Daniel blossomed and withered like a confederate rose, leaving only an endless regret, no less miserable than Nancy's.
The moment of transition between autumn and winter brings with it anxiety and exhaustion. The cool breeze blows through her loose hair. The sun hides behind the blue clouds of the afternoon, the gentle sky looks exactly like winter.
Walking alone on the deserted road with two rows of golden ginkgo trees, Nancy was nostalgic, searching for the echoes of the short-lived love on the old path of love.
The street corner, the sidewalk, the leaves dancing high above like swan legs and the carpet of brittle leaves breaking with the rhythm of her footsteps made her longing surge even more, suffocating her heart.
Perhaps this was the last time she set foot on this road of memories. Even though she wanted to hold on to the autumn of the year when he returned to her, she couldn't.
Although she now knew that his feelings for her were consistent, she still had no courage to face him, let alone share a bed with him and be with him for the rest of her life.
So, she chose to leave, disappear from his sight forever. She hoped that he would quickly forget her and soon find new happiness. But before leaving, she wanted to see him one last time.
Leaving the yellow street, Nancy took a taxi to the fashion shop and chose a new dress and high heels. Although the exhibition lasted a week, she would go on the opening day because according to Mina, Dylan would also come on that day.
On an autumn night, the space in the small alley was quiet and peaceful, not as noisy and bustling as on the big street. Nancy and Jolie sat hugging their knees in front of the balcony, recalling memories from the old days until now.
Although Jolie was very sad when her friend decided to go to country Y, she still supported Nancy because she believed that there, Nancy would forget all the sadness here.
“Nancy, when you first started working with me, we were at restaurants and bars every night, right?” Jolie said wistfully.
“Yeah. Why are we like superheroes? My stomach is full of beer and wine.” Nancy chuckled.
“Do you remember the old director of ELV company?”
“The old man who got drunk and spilled porridge everywhere?”
“Yes, the other day he even tried to seduce me to be his concubine, telling me not to go out to meet clients, just stay home and let him take care of me. But I said that recently we have been taking on projects for the Global Group, so he kept quiet. Nancy, is it true that any man with a little money and power will be unfaithful?”
“No, Dylan… no, Mason isn’t like that, he only knows you. Except when he’s at the construction site, he’s always with his wife and kids.”
“Right.”
They both chuckled and looked up. There were not many electric lights in the suburbs, so they could see many stars twinkling in the dark sky. Somewhere below, on the dark street, a lonely hawker's cry rang out. Nancy felt her heart sink, her heart was calling out someone's name.
The sun rose and set, night followed day. For several days, Nancy did not leave the house, she took advantage of the time to collect her belongings, pack everything, and wait for the opening day of the exhibition.
Although she had only been here for less than a year, when she thought about having to leave, she couldn't help but feel sad. She reached out to touch every corner of the room, tears streaming down her face. If only she could stay in one place forever. Every time she left, she felt sad.
The fountain pen on the bookshelf fell from the box when Jolie's voice called her to come out for lunch came from outside. She quickly bent down to pick it up, conveniently put it in her bag, and hurriedly wiped her face dry.
The atmosphere of the meal was quiet with only the two of them because Mason had not returned from the construction site yet. Jolie silently picked up food and added it to Nancy's bowl.
The time they spent together was getting shorter, only until the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, her best friend would board the plane and leave this place, not knowing when they would see each other again. Thinking of that, Jolie burst into tears.
“What's wrong? I told you I would contact you when I got there.” Nancy spoke in a small voice.
“I know that, but video calling is not like talking like this, right?”
“Jolie, when things calm down, I will come back. As long as he gets married to someone, I will come back. Old men cannot wait for a woman forever, he will understand soon.”
Jolie tried to regain her smile and nodded slightly. She had heard Nancy confide in her about the past. Although she really wanted Nancy to be able to return to Dylan's side, she also understood the pain in her friend's heart. If it were her, she would have made the same decision. If Nancy felt so guilty, how could she face Dylan every day?
Although Nancy knew that the exhibition would open at nine in the morning, she couldn't sleep all night, she was so eager to see Dylan.
When she had just laid down on the bed, Stephen had called to ask about this and that, she had answered normally and had not told him that she was leaving S City. According to Stephen, he would be back in three days and he had even asked her to have dinner together.
After tossing and turning, she got up, got out of bed, continued to turn on the computer to write a novel until morning, then prepared to go to the Imperial Hotel. She wanted to arrive early so she could see Dylan a little longer.