Chapter 4
I stepped slightly to the side, but I did not invite Jeremy in. "There's no need to apologize.
"I just hope what happened today won't happen again."
My voice came out cold. I was not angry at him. I was angry at his family behind him.
Jeremy looked up and gave a small, sad smile. "Please don't worry. I promise it won't happen again.
"My parents aren't bad people.
"They just lost too much money this time. They lost all of their retirement savings. It really shook them."
He held out the bag of fruit. "I hope you can accept this. It's just a small gesture to make up for what they did."
I looked at the neatly packed fruit but did not reach for it. "I appreciate it, but please take it back."
"Belle, are you still upset with us?" His eyes turned slightly red. "I really feel ashamed.
"I just graduated not long ago, and I only started working recently. I don't have much saved. If I did, I would find a way to make it up to you."
His voice trembled, like he was holding back tears.
He was only in his early twenties, standing there in front of me with his head lowered.
If this was an act, it was a very convincing one.
I felt my guard start to slip.
"I'm not angry at you," I said. "This has nothing to do with you.
"But what your parents did caused me a lot of trouble. I hope you understand that."
"I understand. I really do." Jeremy nodded quickly, as if he was afraid I might doubt him. "I scolded them a lot when I got home today.
"They know they were wrong. They feel terrible now.
"It's just that my mom cares too much about her image. She can't bring herself to apologize in person, so she asked me to come."
Everything he said sounded reasonable.
He explained his parents' behavior as the result of losing money, and he placed himself in the role of the sensible son who knew right from wrong.
I looked at him in silence.
His eyes were clear and sincere, and his face looked a little pale from guilt.
For a moment, I thought maybe he really didn't know everything. Maybe he really was a decent person.
My guard dropped a little more. "Alright, I understand.
"Take the fruit back. Give it to your parents. Maybe it'll help them feel a little better.
"As long as they don't bother me again, I'll treat today like it never happened."
That was the most I was willing to give.
Relief finally showed on Jeremy's face. "Thank you, Belle. You're a really kind person. Thank you for this."
He bowed again, then turned and walked away.
I watched him go into the apartment across the hall. A mix of emotions settled in my chest.
I closed the door and leaned against it.
It felt like everything had ended in a decent way.
Even though the whole thing was pretty unpleasant, at least the outcome wasn't bad.
That young man, Jeremy, had smoothed things over.
For a moment, I even wondered if I had been too guarded.
I thought maybe Tiffany and her husband had just lost control for a while.
Maybe we really could live as peaceful neighbors from now on.
I picked up my glass and took a sip of water.
I felt myself slowly calming down.
I told myself tomorrow would be a fresh start.
Just as I was about to take a shower, my phone chimed.
It was a WhatsApp friend request.
I opened it. Jeremy's profile picture and name showed up on my screen.
The message read: [Belle, it's Jeremy. Please add me so we can stay in touch in case anything comes up.]
I paused for a moment, then accepted.
Almost right away, another message came in. [Belle, thank you so much for today. To show how sorry I am, can I take you out to dinner this weekend?]
I frowned slightly as I read it.
Before I could reply, a second message followed. [Think of it as me making up for my parents.]
I stared at the screen for a long moment. In the end, I refused. [No need for dinner. This matter is over.]
After sending that, I set my phone down.
I did not want any more contact with their family, whether they were being kind or not.
Jeremy didn't reply.
It seemed like this whole mess was finally over.
The next two days passed quietly.
The neighbors across the hall seemed to disappear.
I did not see Tiffany or Rocky at all, not even when I stepped out to throw away the trash.
When I ran into other neighbors in the elevator, everything felt normal.
No one stared at me. No one whispered behind my back.