Chapter 4

Tiffany had never thought that her boyfriend would cheat on her with her best friend. She had always thought that such things were just absurd fiction. Until it happened to her. Tiffany finally understood the phrase "art is a reflection of life". She still remembered the day she had gone into her dorm room and seen William Lewis and Brianna tangled together. The shock and betrayal had cut deep. Brianna had been her best friend, and William had been the person she had relied on the most besides Teresa. Yet, they had hurt her in the dirtiest, sharpest way. "Tiff?" Brianna froze. Tiffany averted her gaze and dragged her suitcase aside. She didn't plan to make small talk. The past was past. She had broken up with William and cut Brianna off too. She didn't want anything more to do with them. Brianna clung to William's arm as they walked in. As the elevator doors closed, Brianna turned to Tiffany. "I heard you got a job. Are you going on a business trip?" Tiffany nodded curtly in response, going along with it. Seeing Tiffany's reaction, Brianna didn't say more. As the elevator reached the ground floor, Tiffany dragged her suitcase out. But to her surprise, one of the wheels got stuck in a gap. Her face reddened, and she tugged on the suitcase. But it wouldn't budge. Just as she was at a loss for what to do, William reached out. With a light push, he freed the wheel. "Thank you," Tiffany mumbled before fleeing with her suitcase. The elevator doors closed, and it continued downward. Brianna glanced at William. "Tiffany seems different. I wonder if she's still mad at us. Do you think I should meet her and apologize properly?" "Is that necessary?" William said flatly. "It is what it is. Will apologizing change anything?" Brianna pouted. "William, are you blaming me?" William didn't respond. Brianna withdrew her hand from his. "William, if you can't move on from Tiffany, I'll explain things to her. It was my fault to begin with, and I can take the blame. Tiffany is soft-hearted. She'll surely forgive you..." The elevator opened to the bright underground parking garage. Brianna ran out of the elevator, crying. She ended up in the way of a speeding car. The horn blared. Brianna froze. She raised a hand feebly in front of her face, forgetting to move. Luckily, William reacted fast and pulled her back just in time. The brakes screeched as the car barely missed them. The driver stuck his head out and cursed at them before driving off. "Are you out of your mind?" William held Brianna's wrist, his voice trembling. That had been too close. One more second, and she would have been hit. Brianna's face was drained of color as tears streamed down. She trembled and collapsed against William, speechless. William sighed and wrapped his arms around her soothingly. "Don't cry." … Tiffany took a cab back to the dormitory. It was the only place she could go now that she had moved out of Teresa's place. The four-person dorm was now empty. Tiffany's roommates had moved out after finding jobs during their final semester. Tiffany didn't stay there usually, but her belongings were still there. Before Tiffany had discovered the cheating incident, only Brianna had lived here. Since she was from out of town and had no internship, she had stayed in the dorm. On that fateful night, Tiffany had returned to the dorm after hearing there had been a power outage there. She had been worried that Brianna would be scared alone, so she had come back to stay with her. Yet, when she had pushed the door open, she had stumbled upon that scene… Brianna no longer lived in the dorm. Rumor had it that William had rented a place for her. Since Tiffany had joined Lewis Group, she had always been busy going to the office early and working late nights. Hence, running into William and Brianna in Teresa's apartment had shocked her. Unexpectedly, the place William had rented for Brianna was not only in Teresa's neighborhood but also in the same building. Tiffany didn't want to dwell on whether it was a coincidence or not anymore. She was convinced that moving out had been the right decision. After all, it would be uncomfortable if she kept running into them. As she finished making her bed, her phone rang. It was a call from Teresa. Her voice was choked up as she asked, "Tiff, what's going on? Why did you leave without telling me? Where are you? I'll come to get you now." Tiffany leaned against the bed frame. "Teri, I moved back to the dorm. After my internship, I can apply for employee housing—" "You have a place at home. Why would you live in an employee accommodation? Just wait there. I'm coming to get you—" "Teri!" Tiffany said firmly. Teresa fell silent. Swallowing her sadness, Tiffany looked up at the ceiling. She tried her best to sound casual. "Teri, I've grown up. I don't want to burden you anymore. I want to be someone you can depend on." Teresa sat on the chair in the foyer, clutching her phone as tears streamed down her face. Wiping her tears away, she said, "Tiff, I don't need to depend on you. I just need you by my side. No matter how old you become, you'll always be my little sister." "Teri, thank you. But this time, I want to be independent. Will you support me?" Teresa's voice choked up. "What if I don't want to? Will you come right back then?" "No, I won't." Tiffany smiled through silent tears. "Ever since I was a child, you've supported me, no matter what. You're the best sister in the world." Teresa remained silent for a while, trying hard to hold back her tears. Yet, Tiffany still heard her soft sobs. "When I earn more money, I'll buy you a big house! I'll open a shop for you too. Then, you and Eric won't have to work so hard anymore." Finally, Teresa laughed. "You silly girl. I don't want a big house or a shop. Eric and I are just ordinary people; we don't want much. "Tiff, just remember this. I don't want anything except for you to be well and happy. That's all I need." "Okay." Tiffany nodded firmly. "Teri, I'll make sure to live a good life!" After hanging up, Tiffany succumbed to the sadness and cried for a long time. Suddenly, she heard a few knocks on the door. Tiffany wiped her tears away and opened it. The bright sky outside had darkened. Vincent's handsome face appeared right in front of her.