Chapter 3
Elodie's fingers moved before her brain could catch up. By the time she realized what she was doing, she had accepted the order.
Getting a 30-dollar delivery fee late at night? The customer was either drunk or...
Sure enough, a message from the customer popped up right after.
It read, [Hey, could you swing by a convenience store and grab a box of condoms? I'll throw in an extra 20 dollars for your trouble. Thanks.
[Can I add another 10 dollars? It's really urgent.]
Elodie thought, 'It's just a regular delivery for a couple, nothing to fuss about.'
Belleview Gardens was one of the city's most exclusive neighborhoods, and usually, the butlers handled all the deliveries.
But it was late, and the security guard pointed her in the right direction and let her in.
Elodie clutched the delivery bag and wandered through the maze-like villa estate for nearly twenty minutes before she found the standalone villa hidden behind the oak grove.
"1802. This must be the place," she murmured.
Elodie stood in front of the intricately carved door, and as she pressed the doorbell, she realized her hand was trembling.
The door swung open.
Elodie instinctively put on her professional smile.
She said, "Here's your—"
Her voice cut off abruptly.
Sidney stood in the doorway, wearing dark gray sweatpants and a white cotton T-shirt, his hair still dripping as if he had just stepped out of the shower.
He obviously hadn't expected to see her. His pupils dilated in surprise.
The air seemed to freeze between them.
"Is that the delivery? Sidney, don't forget to tip," a sweet voice called out from inside.
Elodie peeked over Sidney's shoulder and spotted a woman in the living room, her figure barely visible in the warm glow. She was dressed in a silk nightgown, her long hair softly tousled, making her way over.
The air was thick with the scent of candles, wine, and expensive perfume.
Elodie handed over the delivery bag and the convenience store plastic bag on autopilot.
Sidney's expression returned to its usual calm.
He reached out to take the delivery and, with his other hand, pulled a 20-dollar bill from his pants pocket.
"Thanks for your trouble," he said.
Elodie lowered her head and couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.
The bill wavered in her vision, its edges glinting coldly.
Elodie remembered the charity he had given her in the courtroom, Imogen's words about his fiancée, and him with tear-stained eyes, begging her not to leave him on that rainy night five years ago.
"Thanks," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Elodie took the money on autopilot, nearly tripping on the steps as she turned. Not daring to look back to see if Sidney was still at the door, she dashed for her bike.
The night wind stung her eyes.
Elodie had no idea how long she had been riding. She only stopped when her lungs felt like they were on fire, finally skidding to a stop at some nameless park.
She stumbled toward the nearest trash can, gagging a few times, but nothing came up.
The 20-dollar bill was still clutched in her hand, damp and limp from her sweat.
She picked out her phone. The order was already marked as completed, and her account had 50 dollars more.
The system flashed a review screen: [Customer Review: Satisfied with the service.]
Her vision began to blur.
Elodie wiped her face, her palm slick and icy with tears.
The park lights smudged into hazy halos through her crying eyes.
Suddenly, her head spun, and she crashed to her knees on the road.
Back then, she was so full of herself.
Elodie remembered that time a blushing junior from his lab handed Sidney a milkshake.
Elodie stood by the lake, clutching the delicate silver chain in her hand. Sidney had scrimped and saved three months' worth of tutoring money to buy it for her.
"Who even wants the stuff you gave me?" she scoffed.
She smiled.
"Do you think a crummy chain is gonna make me happy?" she scoffed.
With a flick of her wrist, the silver chain arced through the air and vanished beneath the ice.
She never thought he'd actually jump in.
Elodie shivered on the shore, watching as Sidney kept plunging into the freezing lake, his knuckles split and bleeding from the ice.
Half an hour later, Sidney finally climbed out, the chain lying wet and dripping in his palm, his knees raw and bloody from the ice.
But he gave her a gentle smile and slipped the chain back onto her wrist.
"Luckily it's my left hand that's hurt, so I can still hold you," he murmured.
"Don't be jealous, okay? I'm all yours," he whispered, his voice gentle.
Ever since then, every time it rained, his knees would start aching all over again.
Elodie never took that chain off again, not even when she lost everything and had to pawn all her other jewelry. She just couldn't let it go.
The smell of disinfectant hit her nose, sharp and burning.