Chapter 127
Valeria’s phone buzzed.
It was a message from Sebastian on WhatsApp. “So, when a man helps you, your response is to buy him dinner?”
“What else would I do?” Valeria replied, typing five simple words.
She unlocked the door and walked inside.
In the kitchen, she poured the strawberries into a bowl and filled it with water to rinse them.
Just then, another message came through. “Is this your standard playbook when dealing with men? He drives you home, and you treat him to dinner at the ravioli shop right outside your building?”
There were just a few lines of text on the screen. Valeria had no idea that, on the other side, Sebastian was clenching his teeth as he typed.
“What else would I do?” she responded again, genuinely asking.
Sebastian pulled up at the intersection, staring at those calm, indifferent words.
He picked up the apple and took a bite.
It hadn’t been washed, and there was a bruise where it had hit the ground.
“Your husband isn’t home. If you’re that lonely in your marriage and looking for an affair, at least aim for better quality.”
Valeria stared at the message. The word “affair” jumped out at her, making her brow twitch.
She lifted a hand and rubbed it.
She almost blocked him right then and there but held back.
Sebastian was becoming more and more unhinged. Before, even when he acted out, it was limited to the bedroom. Now, he was just…
A call came in from Beatrice at the ravioli shop, breaking her train of thought. She told Valeria
that Sebastian had taken ten boxes of ravioli and put them on her tab.
Valeria bit into a strawberry. Then, she paid Beatrice through Venmo.
She couldn’t hold it in anymore and sent Sebastian a message. “Are you a pig?”
Ten minutes later, he replied, “You’re a pig too.”
Chapter 127
It was January in Slate City, and the temperature dropped sharply.
At noon, the sun blazed strangely bright. However, the mornings and evenings were bitterly
cold.
Valeria had scheduled her daughter’s surgery for the 18th of next month.
At 10:00 am, after the company’s weekly meeting, Valeria was in an excellent mood. She had surpassed her performance targets for the year. It was a significant achievement. The entire day felt lighter because of it.
That afternoon, she gave Lucy a call, asking if she was free that evening to help pick up Selena.
Lucy said she was. She had been on a losing streak in games these past few days and eagerly agreed. She was glad for an excuse to escape a few persistent boardgame buddies.
“Go do what you need to do,” she said.
Valeria had received the highest year–end bonus in her entire team and was treating everyone
to a celebratory meal.
They went to a buffet–style restaurant that cost 108 dollars per person.
Halfway through the meal, Valeria’s phone rang. She returned to her seat and glanced down. It was an unfamiliar number.
She was about to call back when a few coworkers raised their glasses to toast her. Valeria stood up to join them.
The second call came about ten minutes later. This time, Valeria answered.
She had one hand holding the phone, and the other lifting a pitcher to pour water for the colleagues around her.
On the other end, the voice was urgent, mixed with background noise and chaos.
At the same time, a coworker nearby was reading aloud from her phone.
“Oh my gosh! There was a car accident during school dismissal at Salmade Primary School on Flagstone Road. Over 20 elementary students were injured. The driver’s been detained. It turns out they had a history of mental illness.”
