Part 3732 Letters, None for Me

In my senior year of high school, when I vaguely realized my feelings for James had surpassed mere friendship, I confided everything to Kate without reservation. Kate was stunned for a moment, then she looked at me with disdain: “Norma, how could you like him?” “He’s completely unworthy of you.”

After that, Kate disliked James even more, almost falling into a cold war with him. On the day James and I officially became a couple, Kate and James had a huge fight. She cried until her eyes were red, but wouldn’t say a word about why.

Later, James went to military academy, and Kate went to medical school. Both eventually joined the armed forces, and Kate became the accompanying medic for his team. Because my body couldn’t adapt to the military environment, Kate held my hand and said, “Norma, don’t worry, I’ll keep a close eye on James for you.”

Later, James proposed to me, and Kate cried uncontrollably at our wedding. She clutched James’s collar, her voice choked yet fierce: “James Sterling, if you ever dare to treat Norma badly, I’ll be the first to come after you.” James, uncharacteristically, didn’t talk back. He just looked at her trembling lips, his eyes red, and softly replied, “Alright.”

From then on, James’s attitude towards her subtly shifted. When Kate criticized him, most of the time he just listened. Sometimes he would even indulge her, saying, “You’re absolutely right.”

The day I found out I was pregnant, Kate cried again. That night, she drank a lot, crying and drinking. She said, “Norma, I’m so happy for you, you’re going to be a mother…”

“I probably won’t ever get married. Your child will be my child.”

“Norma… I really envy you…”

She was incoherent, but I just assumed she was drunk. Later, James walked her home. He was gone for a long time. When he returned, his eyes were a bit red, and his lip was cut. He said it was too dark downstairs, and he accidentally ran into a wall.

Kate was never one to cry easily. Yet, whenever it involved James and me, her tears seemed to flow effortlessly. Once, I asked her, “Kate, all these years, have you truly never liked anyone?” She suddenly looked up, quickly glanced at James, and smiled, saying, “Of course. I’ve recently taken a liking to a younger guy. I’ll introduce him to you later.”

As Kate said this, the glass in James’s hand fell and shattered. And that younger guy, I never saw him.

So, everything had been there for me to see. I just never did, or rather, I never wanted to.

Now, they knelt before my bed, crying their hearts out. I looked at their two tear-streaked faces, contorted with pain. Suddenly, even breathing felt cold. Finally, I simply closed my eyes and said softly, “I’m tired.”