"Exactly, but fate can be a mix of good and bad luck," Faith said cheerfully.
Bonnie and Neil meeting each other was definitely a stroke of bad luck, at least in the eyes of Neil's parents.
Faith's response made Bonnie visibly uncomfortable. She lowered her head, avoiding our gaze, lost in her thoughts.
After dinner, Kitty suggested we start eating the cake, and Faith nodded in agreement.
"Neil, I need to talk to you." I said softly. I was not in the mood for cake, and I quickly pulled Neil aside.
"What's up?" Neil asked.
"I have to step out for a bit tonight, so I won't be having cake. Can I borrow your car?" I checked the time on my phone. It was getting late.
Neil quickly sensed something was off. He glanced at the others in the living room and asked me with a puzzled look, "Who was that on the phone earlier? Are you going to meet him?"
Not wanting to waste time, I told him straight up. "It was Oscar, but he didn't say anything. I'm worried something happened to him."
Neil's suspicions didn't fade. He always thought there was something between me and Oscar. Learning that I was going to meet Oscar late at night made him even more suspicious.
I decided to find his car keys myself.
Seeing this, Faith asked, "Irene, what are you looking for?"
"I want to borrow Neil's car." I replied.
"Is it urgent? Let him take you. It's not safe for you to go out alone at this time." Faith was understanding, not forcing me to stay for cake but suggesting Neil should take me.
Ryan also immediately said to Neil, "Yeah, if Irene has something to do, you should take her."
I didn't initially think of having Neil take me, but if something really happened to Oscar, he would be of help.
I looked at Neil, unsure if he was willing to come with me to find Oscar.
It wasn’t just me; Bonnie and Kitty were also looking at him, waiting for his answer.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go." Neil glanced at the others and grabbed his car keys.
"Okay." I bid Ryan, Faith, and the others goodbye and prepared to leave.
Ryan and Faith waved at me. I ignored Bonnie's resentful stare and turned to Kitty, "Do you want to come with me? Neil can drop you off."
Kitty, who initially looked a bit downcast, lit up at my offer. "Sure! I don't feel like taking a taxi home."
Neil glanced at me, then at Kitty, with a complicated expression on his face.
I was looking out for Neil's future. Kitty could very well be the perfect match for him. If he didn't know how to appreciate her yet, then I would help him.
As Kitty was about to leave with us, Bonnie blurted out, "Neil, I..."
Gloria held her back, signaling her to keep quiet.
Bonnie closed her mouth in frustration, watching the three of us leave.
In the garage, I let Kitty sit in the passenger seat and took the backseat myself. Kitty was clearly thrilled, but Neil didn't seem too happy about it.
"Irene, I think I forgot to take my gift!" Kitty suddenly said, sounding a bit nervous.
"Whether you end up with her or not, the way you treat her is different from other women." I said softly, feigning sleep.
Upon hearing that he treated Kitty differently, Neil was irked, "I'll say it again, I have no interest in her!"
I smirked, too lazy to open my eyes, "Really? Then why did you take her to the game room at Sterling Estates? And how did you know where she lives without asking her?"
These two questions left Neil silent. I had to admit that his silence made me a bit sad.
I thought he truly regretted his actions and that he wanted to get back together with me. Even if I didn't accept, I would have felt a bit of vengeful pleasure. So when I heard about his partnership with StarGlow Enterprises and saw Kitty's scarf left in the game room, I felt manipulated again.
Did Neil always have to play games with women's hearts? Couldn't he just pursue and love one woman wholeheartedly?
Well, that was not the case. In my past life, he was actually super loyal. After he got with Bonnie, other women to him were like thin air.
I had seen how he loved someone with all his heart. So, I couldn't stand him messing with me while having a crush on someone else.
While still in painful silence, the car arrived at Oscar's rental building.
The rent was cheap, and there was no property management or security. After I got out of the car, I made a beeline for the apartment building. I began to look for the room number that Oscar once told me.
Neil followed me all the way, still silent.
"What are you doing?" When I was knocking on the door continuously but no one answered, the lady next door poked her head out and said, "This young man moved out a few days ago. No one's in this room now."
I was taken aback, and the uneasiness in my heart was growing stronger.
If Oscar just moved to another city for work, he would never lose contact, unless something unexpected happened to him.
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