Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 46

When I saw Cecilia at the office the next day, the poor girl was as pale as a ghost, with dark. circles under her eyes like she hadn’t slept in a week.

She was naturally on the petite side, with fair skin, but right then, she looked like a frostbitten white rose, all frail and sickly, pitiful as can be.

Wallis stumbled upon Cecilia’s Facebook update and screenshotted it to me.

A lonely silhouette shot with the caption, [Your understanding is just because no one cares about you, right?]

Wallis, with that gossip–hungry look, was like, “Bet they had a lovers‘ tiff, huh?”

It got me wondering too.

I mean, Cecilia and Hogan hadn’t been an item for that long.

I started to think it might have to do with the love bite on my neck.

Cecilia was in that sorry state until the afternoon.

Just as Wallis was about to ask me if we should go and cheer Cecilia up, the studio door swung

open.

In came Hogan, with afternoon tea in hand.

Everyone greeted him like it was no big deal, and he just nodded hastily before making a beeline for Cecilia’s office, looked pretty urgent.

“Hogan, what brings you here all of a sudden?”

Hogan handed her a cup of hot milk and said, “Drink it while it’s hot.”

Cecilia replied weakly, “It’s just that time of the month, Hogan. You’re making a mountain out of

a molehill.”

closed properly, so their whole conversation

out, it was that time of the month.

from the office. Wallis went up to chit–chat with Hogan, and Cecilia, looking all

“Xaviera, there’s only hot

was not really my

replied while tapping away at my code, “I’m not much for sweets, keep it for yourself.”

than, out of the blue, “Splash!” A warm cup of milk

1/3

12-21

Chapter 46

laptop!

instant, the top blew off and a flood of liquid poured all over my keyboard, drenched

the time I came to and reached for a tissue, it was

too late.

few sputtering sounds, my laptop screen

I just wanted to…” Her delicate voice

what?” I cut her off, my voice involuntarily rising a notch,

drive was packed with vital files.

a coder like me, a laptop was our lifeline.

hold back anymore.

was breaking, her eyes rimmed

commotion caught everyone’s attention.

was still

over and, seeing Cecilia’s tear–stained

sensed something was off and, spotting my laptop soaked in

and she

her mouth, “Sorry, Director

my fault.” Cecilia sniffled with her head down and then sheepishly glanced at me, “Xaviera, scold me a bit more.”

at a loss for