Chapter 2
After I gave Chris my confirmation, she immediately sent me the address.
Luckily, Chris wasn't part of the filming crew—she stayed at the base, in charge of the post-editing team.
All thanks to her, I could do what I hadn't done in my old timeline.
I checked online, realizing that I had to set off half a month in advance if I wanted to join her by the 15th.
So, I had 15 days to get ready.
The first day of the next month was the day I began my journey.
However, my wedding was also on that day.
Looking at the calendar I bought for the wedding, I thought for a while and circled the 30th.
15 days later, I could leave this shithole and go after my dream of being a photographer.
Just thinking about the day when my name might appear in the credits of a Global Geographic documentary got me all pumped.
Before I knew it, I was smiling at the calendar on the wall.
And as I was lost in thought, my hand suddenly reached out and drew a circle around the 1st.
Then came Yelena's sweet, gracious voice.
"Shania, if I were the one marrying Channing," she said, "I'd be counting down the days too. So, don't feel shy."
What she said snapped me back to reality. I then realized Yelena completely got me wrong. She thought I had circled the date one day early to hide my impatient excitement about marrying Channing. However, I only did that to avoid being forced into bone marrow extraction.
I told myself not to take her seriously.
After all, it was pointless explaining myself to people who didn't care.
Even so, I still failed to keep a smile on my face.
Channing, without telling me, brought Yelena home again.
Yet I didn't plan to make a fuss about this. After all, he was the one who bought this house. And I was like a guest here.
Realizing this, I suddenly felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
Provoked by my silence, Yelena shot Channing a pitiful, pleading look.
"Shania, Yelena was talking to you," Channing scolded. "Where are your manners? At least give her a reply, okay?"
His face darkened with displeasure.
Reply?
She wanted to see me get jealous as I had done in my timeline?
"I see no reason to do that," I replied coldly, then turned and headed straight to my room.
The moment I entered my room, I shut the door and put on my headphones.
They separated me from the outside world.
Wildlife photography was not only a test of skills but also a test of physical endurance.
To build up my stamina, I once bought some dumbbells and sandbags and even got myself a gym membership.
So, I decided to pick it up again, working out while listening to music.
Dripping with sweat, I suddenly noticed Channing's angry face appeared on the balcony.
His lips moved rapidly, spouting something I couldn't make out.
I took off my headphones, trying to hear what he was saying.
Yet Channing had already broken into my room.
He snatched the dumbbells out of my hands and hurled them violently onto my bed.
"Shania, can't you be more mature?" Channing scolded. "Yelena's been worried sick about you, and here you are, lifting weights and listening to music."
He flung the door open in anger as he spoke.
"See? I told you she would be fine," Channing said. "You were worried about nothing. Asking me to climb her window and check on her is totally unnecessary."
Looking at the laptop on my bed, I realized it was broken by the dumbbells Channing threw. He was acting like he didn't see it at all.
My heart was just like that poor laptop, broken.
Tears rolled in my eyes, but they didn't drip down my cheeks because of my stubbornness.
After what felt like an eternity, I turned my head and saw Yelena lowering her head and looking at me provocatively.
She was doing it again, making things up to make Channing hate me for no reason.
The old me might be furious about this, but the new me would not.
All I cared about was my $3,000 laptop.
"You still refuse to apologize?" Channing asked me.
Looking at my face, he continued, "Why did you close the door? Why did you refuse to answer the phone? We thought you were going to commit suicide. That's why Yelena was so worried about you."
Why would she worry about me? Even if she didn't lie, it was leukemia bothering her, not heart disease. It was not like she would die worrying about me.
No need to mention she never had leukemia.
Finally, I decided to keep those words to myself.
What I was going to do was wait and leave Channing a big surprise before I set off.
"How could you be so heartless? Yelena was worried sick about you, and this is how you respond to her kindness?" Channing looked at me in disappointment as if I'd just committed some unforgivable crime.
"Channing," Yelena said, "just forget it. Maybe Shania closed the door because she didn't want me to stay."
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Then she sobbed, "Channing, maybe... I should just go back.
"Yelena, I'm so sorry. I won't come to bother you again. But please, don't ever lock your door again. That's really dangerous. What if you faint and nobody knows? I had a close call like that when I was little."