After Being Cheating

Janet couldn't even remember for how long she had been so depressed.

She felt even more disgusted at the thought that Daniel and Kate might be out on a date together.

She remembered that Ella had once told her that she was actually the one that sought after Samuel, and that the chase had been, indeed, very painful. And Janet was now in the same position as she was years ago. She also had a crush on Daniel, but she didn't want to swallow her pride and go after him. She loathed doing things she didn't agree with from the start.

But what should she do then?

Touching her aching abdomen, Janet wanted to return to her tent, but she couldn't make a single move forward.

She heard the sound of footsteps coming closely to her and then a man sat down next to her.

He looked into the same direction that Janet was looking, and asked, "Aren't fireflies beautiful?"

Janet nodded and thought to herself that these simple fireflies have a lot more beauty in them than a man carrying just an ugly heart.

"What happened to you these past couple of days? You seem sad!" She looked confused, like a little rabbit which couldn't find its way back home.

She felt more and more morose. She buried her head between her knees, and answered, "I'm OK. Thank you for your concern."

Brian looked at the fireflies and asked, "Janet, do you like Bill?"

"Em? I like Bill because he helps me a lot." Obviously Janet had misunderstood Brian.

Brian pulled up some blades of grass and played with them. After a couple of minutes, he asked Janet straightforward, "Would you like to be my girlfriend?" "Cough." Janet almost choked on her own saliva, and the shock brought by Brian's words even made her forget about her aching stomach.

"Brian, you... we... we've just met each other for a few days. Why would you say that?"

Brian looked her in the eyes, and said, "It takes just a moment to fall in love with a person."

Janet's heart was beating faster.

In such a romantic setting, and after a handsome soldier had just told her that he loved her, it was pretty hard for her to calm down. However, Janet said, "Brian, I seem to have fallen in love with someone."

Janet's words broke Brian's heart.

He was not a little boy anymore, but he had spent most of his time in the army, and seldom had free time to spend with girls.

His father had demanded of him to attend blind dates. He met with several girls, but no matter how pretty they were, he had no attraction or feelings towards them.

He now finally had a crush on a girl, and also didn't mind that she was several years younger than he was. But she refused him, and Brian gave a wry smile.

He sighed, and asked, "You seem to fall in love with someone else... Are you sure of it?"

After all, she was just a little girl.

"No, I'm not sure." Janet wasn't sure whether she loved Daniel or not. Sometimes she wanted to beat him to a pulp, but sometimes her heart beat faster just at the thought of him. She hated his cold and arrogant character.

But she liked the way he kissed her.

"Is questionable love the same as love? Of course not! Does he love you?"

Remembering Kate Song, Janet shook her head, and said in despondency, "He already has a girlfriend."

She didn't know why he kissed her since he hated her.

Did he just play with her?

When thinking of these things, Janet felt even more depressed.

Brian was a little excited, and thought that maybe he still had a chance.

"Since he already has a girlfriend, he doesn't love you for sure. Janet, don't yearn for someone who doesn't love you. You should find a man who loves you and cares about you." Janet knew that Brian was right.

"Brian, do you know what they think of me? That I'm just a spoiled little princess. That I'm over 20 years old now, and that the first money I ever earned were only 5 dollars. I don't cook. I don't do any housework. I only make trouble for those around me."

To tell you the truth, I know all of my disadvantages, and I've never wanted to correct them. No one would fall in love with a girl like me. The only people that love me are my parents." Daniel hated her, and last time they met he didn't even want to stay in the same car with her.

Brian felt pity for her and couldn't help but to comfort her, "Only servants cook and do the housework. You're the spoiled little princess. That means everyone likes you and is willing to spoil you. You're a troublemaker, but I also think you are lovely. Janet, you're not really that bad as you think you are. In my eyes, you're perfect."

Janet looked at Brian, eyes turning red. No one had ever talked to her this way, except for her family and Sven.

Brian was the first person who was willing to comfort her.

She felt Brian's warmth, which was alike Jerry's and Sven's.

But that wasn't the warmth of love.

She had refused Bill before, but he was much better after two days, no matter how sad he was of the news. But Brian and Bill were different characters.

She didn't know Brian at all. "Sorry," she said. She didn't know what else to say.

The man gave a bitter smile, and patted her head, "Don't say you're sorry. You do everything right."

Janet remembered when Bill confessed that he loved her, but didn't know what to do. At that time she had been afraid to tell her mom about it. So she asked Daisy, and Daisy said, "If you don't love him, you should refuse him without more ado. A vague attitude would harm you both."

That's the reason she refused Bill without further ado every time. And now she had to also refuse Bill's cousin, and she didn't feel at all proud of herself this time neither.

She took a deep breath and then looked Brian straight in the eyes, "Brian, what you just said... makes me feel the warmth of a brother instead of a lover. Brian, can we be good friends in the future?"

Brian nodded, "Don't worry about it. Anyway, I couldn't really spend that much time with you after all because I'm busy with the army. But I confessed my true feelings to you, and I hope I haven't upset you because of this. I feel much better now. It's OK, don't worry about it."

It was night outside, and Janet couldn't see the emotions hidden in his eyes by the dark. After hearing Brian's words, Janet felt more relieved.

"It's late. We should be heading back!" Janet stood up from the rock she was sitting on. The night was dark indeed, and she hardly saw the road under her feet. Suddenly, she slipped and fell straight into Brian's arms.

A cry sounded not far away, "I saw nothing." Then, they heard the person run away.

Janet suddenly lost her words. She was now afraid that the gossip about her would never stop, or at least not in the near future. What a lousy misfortune! ☐☐☐☐☐☐