Josie stared in Winston's left direction, momentarily lost in thought. Then, just like every time before, she started cleaning up the mess he left behind when he was in a bad mood. Only this time, she bid farewell to her seven years of devotion.
There was still a lot to do before she entered closed-off training. She didn't have time to wallow in emotions. The medical expenses for Winston's uncle alone would be huge in the coming months.
Seven years ago, an accident had turned Thomas Carter, the man who had once sponsored her education and brought her out of the mountains, into a vegetative state.
Josie had taken on the weight of his medical expenditures for all these years, as well as the living and school expenses of Winston, the only surviving member of the Carters. Now, she no longer had to care for Winston, but she couldn't abandon Thomas.
She had promised Janice three months. So, she had to gather the money before then. Josie calmly threw out four boxes of things belonging to Winston from the past seven years. After packing her belongings, she got ready for a business meeting.
Her business partner, this time, was a notorious playboy and the meeting place was a bar. Before she even stepped inside, she heard a familiar voice. "George, hurry up and take a picture of me and Winston!"
A man's indulgent voice followed. "What? Aren't my pictures good enough?"
Zelda playfully pouted and lightly punched him. "That was a selfie. I need one taken by you to post on my social media."
Josie paused for only a second before politely knocking on the door. The room fell silent. Every gaze turned toward her.
"Well, well, isn't this Winston's long-time girlfriend? Four years together and still not broken up. How enviable." George raised an eyebrow, his tone mocking. Laughter erupted around the room.
Winston's face darkened, shifting from pale to red. He grabbed Josie and dragged her outside. "Why are you here? Didn't I tell you not to bother me when I'm meeting with friends?"
Josie freed her hand, maintaining a professional smile as she handed George a drink. "Mr. George, nice to meet you. I'm Josie Yaeger from Clarion Biotech. I'd like to discuss a business collaboration with you."
George gave Josie a meaningful look before turning his attention to Zelda, leaning against the sofa in a strapless dress. "Oh, so you're here for business? I thought you were just jealous of Zelda and came to cause trouble for Winston."
Right on cue, Zelda let a few tears slip down her cheeks. "Please don't be mad, my sister-in-law. I was just joking yesterday. Who knew you'd take it seriously. Our group always jokes around like this. You wouldn't know since you never join our gatherings."
Josie froze momentarily before instinctively asking, "You … have these gatherings often?"
"Of course! Winston and I come back here once a month. If we don't, won't our bond fade?" Zelda leaned over and clung to Winston's arm, looking smugly at Josie.
A cold smile tugged at Josie's lips and the cracks in her already broken heart widened. So, that's how it was. Their bond had already faded long ago.
Winston had told her he was too busy with his studies abroad and they barely saw each other or even spoke on the phone for three years. He came to this place less than two kilometers away from her every month but was too lazy to send her a message.
Winston didn't notice the abnormality of her expression but felt extremely embarrassed. "Don't call her sister-in-law!" It would be a disgrace to take out such an older woman. It felt like a public slap in the face to call her sister-in-law.
Winston's face was burning. He interrupted the conversation of several people coldly. He handed over a glass of 60-degree liquor as if he had never met Josie. "So, you're here for a business deal, huh? Showing up this late, how insincere."
He leaned close to her ear, his voice low and gritted with resentment. "I already promised to marry you. Yet, you still had to come here and stake your claim. This is the price you pay for being so shameless."
After that, he poured several more glasses and lined them up. "Either drink them all, or get the hell out."
