CHAPTER 16: CHAPTER 16: HAS SHE REALLY GROWN TIRED OF HIM?

That afternoon, Clara Sterling finished one exam and came out of the exam hall, opening WhatsApp to see a message from Silas Sheffield.

[The transfer arrangements have been made.]

Below were two photos of her mother lying on a hospital bed at Veridian Hospital, surrounded by a circle of doctors and nurses.

Judging by the photos, it was a single room, fully furnished with a good environment, presumably a VIP room.

He had spent a lot again.

Clara felt a bit embarrassed and truly troubled Silas.

Even though they were now legally married, they were not really familiar with each other; she was just helping him deal with his family’s pressure to marry, yet she really enjoyed the benefits Silas provided.

No matter how you look at this deal, Silas definitely got the short end of the stick.

Clara typed a reply: [Thank you, Silas.]

There was no reply from Silas, presumably because he was busy.

Clara walked a few steps with her backpack when Isaac Sutton caught up, "Clara, wait for me."

Clara didn’t stop walking.

"Clara, let’s have dinner together tonight." Isaac walked beside Clara.

Clara replied coolly, "I have plans with my roommates to take food back to the dorm tonight."

Isaac’s voice sounded a bit disappointed, "You’ve been so cold to me these days, are you getting tired of me?"

"No." Clara responded, "I’ve been busy with exams these days."

Isaac then said, "Let’s take some photos together later."

"There’s no time. I need to get food and head back to the dorm, and then I have to study for tomorrow’s exam."

"Taking some photos would just take a few minutes; it won’t delay your studying." Suddenly, Isaac seized Clara’s wrist when she was unprepared, "I won’t let you go back unless we take pictures today."

Clara stopped walking and looked up at Isaac, "Didn’t we take a lot of photos before?"

Isaac appeared a bit guilty, his eyes evasive, stammering, "Before is before; it’s different now."

Being with Isaac for over two years, Clara could tell he was lying in a second.

If she guessed right, those photos were probably gone.

Last time, Quinn Hughes used Isaac’s phone to send photos to provoke her. Considering how much Quinn cared for Isaac, how could she endure those photos? The photos were probably deleted by Quinn.

Seeing Isaac like this, the provocative messages Quinn sent were probably also deleted.

In two years, they had taken hundreds of photos together.

Those photos documented many sweet and romantic moments exclusive to them.

Clara looked up into Isaac’s eyes.

The disappointment and sadness in his eyes were unmistakable, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

She wanted to ask, weren’t you just playing around? What’s there to be sad about if those photos are gone?

In the end, Clara asked nothing.

She was now Silas Sheffield’s wife, and asking these held no meaning.

After the exams, she would leave Crestwood in a few days.

Clara looked at Isaac for a moment, then averted her gaze and refused, "I don’t want to take pictures; I’m in a bad mood today because there were a few questions in the exam I couldn’t answer."

Isaac wasn’t from the same faculty, so he naturally wouldn’t know whether Clara’s exam was difficult or not.

Hearing this, he could only lower his gaze in disappointment, "Alright, let’s take pictures another time."

"Okay."

Isaac followed Clara all the way to the cafeteria for food, and then to the girls’ dormitory building.

They parted ways at the girls’ dormitory building.

Isaac pursed his lips and asked, "Clara, can you give me a kiss? You haven’t kissed me in a long time."

In their two years of dating, the most intimate thing between them was a kiss on the cheek.

Clara lowered her eyes, "There are so many people here. I feel embarrassed. Maybe next time."

Isaac’s shoulders slumped, looking aggrieved, "Don’t you like me as much as you used to?"

"You’re overthinking."

"Does our plan to meet the parents during the winter holiday still stand?"

Clara casually replied, "Yes."

"Then set a date, when exactly?"

Clara pursed her lips, "The fifth day of the Lunar New Year."

Isaac laughed, "Okay, it’s a deal. I’ll make sure to prepare a good gift to make your mom agree to entrust you to me."

Clara allowed a slight smile to lift the corners of her mouth, "Okay."

Isaac, oh Isaac, how do you manage to say these words without laughing?

Just deceive me, don’t end up deceiving yourself as well.

At the moment Clara turned around, the smile on her face vanished instantly, leaving only icy coldness in her eyes.

Isaac watched Clara’s figure from behind, feeling a vague sense of unease.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Clara seemed not to like him as much as before.

Could she really be tired of him?

At the thought of this possibility, Isaac couldn’t help but feel anxious.

She mentioned earlier that her mom was sick, yet he hadn’t visited once.

She was also working three part-time jobs for him, and lately, she had been busy with both exams and taking care of her mom, which was indeed exhausting.

He should care for her more.

His Clara was too tired.

Isaac felt both guilty and heartbroken, deciding to tell Clara his real family situation right after the exams, and then help with her mom’s medical expenses and buy her some expensive gifts to cheer her up.

In over two years of dating, he hadn’t given her any decent gifts before.

Thinking about it, Isaac was overwhelmed with guilt. He immediately opened WhatsApp to contact sales at two luxury brands, ordering a newly-launched handbag and coat for the season.

After doing all this, his guilt eased slightly.

...

On January 4th, a heavy snow fell on Crestwood.

Clara Sterling finished her last exam and walked out of the exam hall, finding the outside world blanketed in white snow.

The red brick walls of the teaching building, covered in snow, looked straight out of a fairy tale.

Clara tightened her scarf, her breath immediately turning into puffs of white mist, disappearing in the clear, crisp air.

She walked past the playground where students were building snowmen and having snowball fights.

Clara took out her phone, ready to call Silas Sheffield and tell him she had finished her exams.

As if sensing it, Silas called just then, and Clara immediately answered.

"Hello, Silas."

"Finished your exams?"

"Yes, just out of the exam hall."

"Sophie is coming back tonight, shall we have dinner together?"

It was only then that Clara remembered Sophie Sheffield was returning to Crestwood today.

So much had happened in the past few days that she had forgotten Sophie was coming back today.

"Sure."

"Tomorrow, the flight to Veridian is at 4:30 PM. Have you packed your things yet?"

"Not yet."

She had been busy revising for exams these days and didn’t have time to pack.

"I’ll arrange for someone to help you pack later."

Clara instinctively wanted to refuse, but considering she had to go out to meet Sophie tonight and fly to Veridian the following afternoon, the time was indeed too tight, and she wouldn’t be able to pack in time alone, so she didn’t refuse.

"Thank you, Silas."

Silas: "I’ll pick you up at school at 7?"

"Okay."