Chapter 11 The Last Straw
Kenneth had already pulled Victoria to the landing at the back of the area. As he caught the approaching sound of Eleanor’s accusing voice, his brows furrowed tightly.
However, in the blink of an eye, before he could even react, a sharp pain shot through his arm. Victoria had wrenched her arm free from his grip.
“Kenneth, what the hell do you think you’re doing? You were yanking my wrist so hard it’s gonna be all black and blue!
“And you’re telling me you had a heart attack? Do you take me for
a fool?”
Victoria’s voice was drowned out by the deafening cheers of the spectators in the stadium, but Eleanor and Lucas caught every
word clearly.
Without hesitation, Lucas quickly stepped to Victoria’s side, his
face etched with concern.
Meanwhile, Eleanor stared at Kenneth, her eyes wide with
disbelief.
“I thought I was seeing things at first! Kenneth, you’re really tearing my heart apart like this!
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(*) 11 min left
“Was it not enough that you lied to my mom? Was it not enough that you made me fight with my mom because of you? And now you’re going to manhandle Victoria? Seriously?
“You’re not the Kenneth I used to know…”
As Eleanor uttered those words, exhaustion and disappointment were clearly etched on her face.
She deliberately pushed Harriet’s words to the back of her mind and even forced herself to forget all the kindness Kenneth had shown them, as if she were trying to deceive herself.
It seemed that this was the only way she could find a reasonable excuse to keep protecting Lucas.
Within just a few short minutes, the commotion in the stadium faded into the background for Kenneth.
The big screen in front of him was displaying the real–time score, but all he could see was a blur of scarlet.
Before he even had the chance to explain himself, the slander came crashing down on him, and the blame was firmly pinned on
his shoulders.
There was no need to wait for the game to end; his youth,
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11 min left
accompanied by the sound of a broken heart, came to an abrupt end right then and there.
Kenneth reached up and massaged his sore neck, then suddenly
let out a laugh, a tinge of relief in it.
Instead of looking at Lucas, he locked his gaze on Eleanor and
Victoria.
“Hey, do you guys still remember? I’ve always said I wanted to watch a Zeal Sabers game.
“I probably first mentioned it under that huge tree in the school garden. If the team won, we’d go out and have a big feast.”
Perhaps it was the peculiar smile on Kenneth’s face or his overly nonchalant demeanor that made Eleanor and Victoria exchange a
furtive glance.
They both frowned, at a loss for words.
The man standing before them had suddenly become a stranger, one who sent a shiver of unease down their spines.
“Actually, in a sense, my wish has come true. We’ve watched this game together, haven’t we?” Kenneth said.
Seeing the bewilderment on their faces, he grinned even wider.
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11 min left
A dull ache gnawed at his heart. Not wanting to put himself through more pain, Kenneth let out a soft sigh, shifted his stance slightly to the side, and began to walk away.
He didn’t want to be the first to leave, but his interest in the game
had vanished. On the life path he’d once imagined, he’d been utterly forsaken by the two of them.
To avoid looking too pitiful, Kenneth decided to take the first step.
“Kenneth…”
Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm. Kenneth looked up and saw
Lucas gazing at him helplessly.
“Don’t get me wrong. I had no idea you’d already made plans with
Eleanor and Victoria. I shouldn’t have crashed your party. You guys enjoy the game. I’ll head out first.”
Kenneth was accustomed to Lucas‘ mischief. He let out a soft
chuckle and shook off Lucas‘ hand, remaining silent.
He’d long since realized that Lucas wouldn’t leave, and that Eleanor and Victoria would once again take his side.
Sure enough, as soon as this thought flitted through his mind,
Victoria rushed over.
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11 min loft
“Lucas, what on earth are you thinking? Why are you apologizing? It was me and Eleanor who dragged you here to watch the game with us! It’s got nothing to do with you!”
As she spoke, Victoria sized Kenneth up warily, chin tilted up defiantly. “Kenneth, why are you being such a sorehead?
“You’re acting like a kid with a chip on his shoulder! If you really wanted to watch the game with us, you should’ve said so earlier!
“You know what? In the end, you’re just a two–faced liar! You play with our feelings and break our trust!”
As soon as Victoria finished her tirade, Eleanor nodded in
agreement, making her stance crystal clear.
Perhaps he’d already reached such a state of desolation that
there was no room left for disappointment.
Kenneth took a step back, creating some space between them.
“Think what you want and say what you like. It’d be a shame to
miss out on such an exciting game.”
With that, before the other three could react, Kenneth spun
around and strode off.
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411 min lett
Watching Kenneth’s departing figure, Eleanor frowned, a vague sense of unease washing over her.
She was on the verge of chasing after him when Victoria seized
her wrist.
“Humph, he probably has some other fancy game to watch. For
a spoiled brat like him, do we really need to worry about what
games he can catch? Come on, let’s just relax and enjoy this
one!”
Victoria’s words managed to dispel the unease that had been
nagging at Eleanor.
Meanwhile, Lucas gently clasped Victoria’s wrist, his face etched
with concern.
“Victoria, does your wrist still hurt? It’s all my fault. I should’ve
stopped you from running over there. What if you’d gotten
seriously hurt? Why couldn’t Kenneth just give in to you…”
Lucas‘ words really struck a chord with Victoria. She squinted and
flashed a smile, then shot a scathing look at Kenneth’s vanishing
back.
“See? Lucas is the one who’s thoughtful and knows how to look out for others. Unlike Kenneth, who’s cold–hearted and always up
to no good. So what if he’s from a good family? His character’s
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going from bad to worse!”
11 min left
Of course, Kenneth, who had already left the venue, was oblivious to these sarcastic remarks. The chaos and noise inside the stadium were completely drowned out by the turmoil in his mind.
He hailed a taxi by the roadside, yet found himself at a loss about where to go.
As he recalled Victoria’s words and Eleanor’s look, he leaned back against the seat and let out a bitter laugh.
When have I ever lied to those two?
Was it when I bought them pricey gifts and downplayed the cost so they wouldn’t feel bad? Or was it when I gave up the things I truly cherished and pretended to be okay with it?
If being considerate like this is considered lying, then maybe it’s really my fault.
Well, it’s not such a bad thing. It seems God is giving me a chance
to finally break free from the past.
Upon arriving at his place, Kenneth stepped onto the balcony. The
cool breeze swept through, clearing his mind even further.
He took out his phone and called his mother.
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“Mom, I’ve sorted out all the school stuff. Harriet’s swamped these days. I thought I’d move out a few days earlier… It won’t be a problem.
“Yeah, I’ve checked the flight tickets. Don’t worry.
“Everything’s all set.”
B
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