Hiding Behind Her Superficiality by Kyla Olson

Early the next day, Elspeth was woken up by a call.

She rubbed her eyes, then reached out and felt for her phone below her pillow. Then, she answered the call.

Her eyes were swollen from the grogginess. It was already 10.00PM last night when she was done entertaining the guests. By the time she washed up and lay in bed, it was already past midnight.

The voice coming from the other end of the line was familiar and cold. The man’s hoarse voice sounded. “Elspeth.”

The woman woke with a start. She sat up on the bed, and the sunlight from the window coincidentally shone in her eyes. She hastily covered her eyes as she said, “Are you back, Gilbert?”

“Hm, I thought I told them to inform you yesterday. Are you still in bed right now? Are you slacking off because I haven’t trained you in a while?”

Gilbert’s voice was low and crisp, and it sounded especially nice in the morning when he was still half-asleep.

“Of course not! How could I possibly slack off? I woke up at 5.00AM and went for a jog, then went home for a nap. I never slack off.”

Elspeth lied, her eyes darting around as she did so.

When she saw that the quartz clock on the milky white wall showed noon, her face turned pale.

“That’s quite a long nap you took.”

Gilbert couldn’t be bothered to expose her. He was pulling his luggage behind him while he walked, and the wheels were rumbling on the ground.

“Where are you now? Shall I go fetch you?” Elspeth propped her phone between her ear and shoulder as she began rummaging through her closet. “Or just tell me your location, and I’ll go find you.”

When Gilbert heard the crashing noises on the other end of the line, he knew that Elspeth was probably bustling about again. He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “It’s okay, you don’t have to come and get me. I’m already at the rented house.”

“What?” Elspeth was slightly stunned. “It’s not like you’re lacking money; why would you stay at a rented house?”

As they spoke, Gilbert had already arrived at a slightly worn-down residential building. He proceeded to open the door with a key. It wasn’t a huge room, but other than the thin layer of dust, it looked clean and tidy.

“Before I was 18, I stubbornly moved out and started working. This is the very house I lived in back then, but sadly…” Gilbert narrowed his eyes as he began to reminisce. “Sadly, my parents passed away after that, and I never came back.”

Elspeth knew this incident had always bothered him, so she didn’t say much about it as she changed the topic. “Well, Harper and I will visit you tonight after 6.00PM. Let’s get some drinks.”

the couch, propping his feet up. “Oh, what’s this? Is Mr. Winthrop willing to let his

more, Harper

realized she had said something

whatever you’re supposed to do.” Gilbert

she

was

on her door. The sound was very light and

His lips were pursed, and there was

you going

opened her mouth, but she couldn’t say

must have heard their

going out tonight to celebrate Gilbert’s

was as normal as could be, but Elspeth saw a look of disappointment flitting across

matter?”

as he shook his head and

not jealous, are

can I not be

didn’t say those words

back to the corridor, then leaned

great effort, he took out his phone and watched as photos were

with each other. They visited the amusement park, went on

end, he received a photo of a yellowed

was signed

heart seemed to

photo transfer was finally complete, and Arthur’s name blinked on the

know that Elspeth liked someone when

her mentor. They spent their happiest

about love. That love letter was written so well that even I found it

has Elspeth ever treated

and that was the last message in the

his gaze, his long eyelashes