Chapter 3

Callie rarely went out and usually spent most of her time tucked away in her art studio. But even in this blizzard, she had to venture out, which piqued Talulah's curiosity. "Callie, you don't have a boyfriend. What are you doing going out in this weather?" Callie didn't know how to explain, so she simply answered, "I'm just running some errands." They'd probably figure it out once the car arrived at the visa office anyway. Talulah didn't press further. She turned back to Spencer and chatted animatedly about their plans for the day. The two of them were so caught up in their conversation that it seemed they forgot Callie was in the back seat. At a red light, Talulah pulled out a lipstick and asked Spencer to help her reapply it. He didn't hesitate as he cupped her face with gentle, attentive hands. When they leaned closer, Callie looked away to watch the snow swirl outside the window. Just as they were nearing her destination, Talulah suddenly mentioned wanting to go back home to grab a coat. They were less than a mile away, but Spencer immediately told Callie to grab a different ride. Callie gave a wry smile and got out of the car alone. The black Cayenne sped off, kicking up a flurry of snow in its wake. The streets were empty, not a soul or a car in sight. Callie trudged through the snow for almost a mile to the visa office and handed in all her documents. When she exited, she ran into her old high school teacher, Angeline Webb. They exchanged pleasantries for a bit, and when Angeline learned Callie was moving abroad, she looked surprised. "You're not coming back? Did your uncle agree to this?" Callie wasn't sure why Angeline suddenly brought up Spencer, so she fibbed a little. "He agreed. We're not related by blood, and I'm an adult now. I can't rely on him forever. It's good for me to go abroad and learn to be independent." Angeline sighed and nodded, a flood of emotions crossing her face. "Even though you two are not related, Mr. Blair has really done a lot for you. I still remember the time you were accused of plagiarism in the competition. Even though your uncle had just gotten off the operating table for an appendectomy, he rushed to the venue to defend you. "Or the time when you fell at school, and he left a multi-million-dollar business deal just to take you to the hospital. Also don't forget the time those thugs harassed you. Your uncle made sure they got the punishment they deserved." As Angeline recounted these memories, Callie couldn't help but be pulled back to the past. By the end, Angeline held her hand tightly and earnestly reminded her to never forget Spencer's kindness and to repay him well. Callie nodded silently. She had already made up her mind. Before leaving, she'd repay everything Spencer had done for her over the years. For him, the best repayment would probably be her departure. That way, he wouldn't have to worry that she would cling to him relentlessly anymore. When Callie got home, she changed out of her snow-soaked clothes and sat at her desk to start going over her finances. She'd been living with the Blair family for so many years and had always kept a mental note of her monthly and yearly expenses. She quickly estimated a total. There were also some hidden costs she couldn't quite calculate, so she decided to repay Spencer three times what she estimated. Earlier that morning, she had gathered up all the gifts Spencer had ever given her and listed them on a resale website. Then, she contacted a real estate company and put her old family home up for sale. Once everything was done, a sense of relief washed over Callie, and she collapsed onto her bed. Her phone buzzed with a few notifications. It was from Talulah. The latter had sent over a dozen photos and a single message. "Callie, Spencer and I are going to Mayfair for a few days. Behave while we're gone, okay?" Without even opening the photos, Callie already knew they were more of Talulah and Spencer showing off their relationship. Ever since they went public, Talulah had made a habit of posting photos from each of their dates. Before, seeing those photos would have kept Callie up at night, crying until her eyes were red and swollen. But now, after deciding to see Spencer as nothing more than family, she wasn't bothered by Talulah's flaunting anymore. Whether Talulah was doing it on purpose or not, Callie no longer cared. Calmly, she sent back a message. "Okay, have fun."