Chapter 7
“Grace, you’re not worthy of Maxwell at all. Maxwell belongs to me alone. You have no family background, no figure–what do you have that can compete with me?”
“You damn bitch, I hope you get hit by a bird in the sky, and the plane crashes, killing you.”
Wasn’t it enough yet? I decisively blocked Emily, and at last, the world fell silent.
After three months of intense induction training, I passed the assessment with flying colors. The company gave us new employees a two–week vacation, and I seized the opportunity. Renting a
motorhome, I flew off. My self–driving tour of New Zealand‘ s South Island had
officially begun.
Queenstown, a haven for extreme sports. enthusiasts, welcomed me. Standing on the 134–meter bungee platform at Nevis Grand
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Canyon, I spread my arms wide, and without hesitation, leaped. There was no fear, no struggle–just pure freedom. Yesterday‘ s life felt like yesterday’s death, and today’s life felt like a rebirth. One thought could be heaven, another could be hell. With a scream that echoed through the canyon, I became the heartless Grace once again.
When I returned to reality, I spotted the most familiar stranger in the crowd. After three months, Maxwell looked much more haggard. His eyes lit up with joy as he
rushed toward me, arms outstretched, and pulled me into an embrace.
“Grace, I finally found you. I thought I’d never see you again in this lifetime.”
I stepped back, coldness in my voice, “Maxwell, we‘ ve broken up.”
He stepped forward again, grabbing my hands, his grip tight. “I was wrong. I really was. Let’s start over, okay? My world can’t be without you.”
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I pulled my hands away, turning to leave. “But I’m used to a world without you.”
Maxwell grabbed my arm, desperation in his voice. “Grace, I know you always wanted me to go bungee jumping with you. Let’s do it now, together.”
I pulled away, my voice firm. “I‘ ve just done bungee jumping. It was thrilling, but I don’t want to do it again.”
Disappointment clouded his face. “Then let’s go skiing, or paragliding. Or a high- altitude swing–remember, you loved swinging when you were a kid?”
Yes, I did. I used to love the park swings. My sister, Maxwell, and I grew up in an orphanage.
I was frail and sickly, often silent, and always the target of the other children’s bullying at the orphanage. Every time, it was my sister, Charlotte, and Maxwell who stood up for me.
I was the ugly duckling no one wanted. Yet,
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they sacrificed their chances of being adopted time and time again, just to stay by my side.
Charlotte and Maxwell were the light in my life, offering warmth when I had nothing. I used to think that the three of us would never be apart.
But everything changed when my sister died. Her final words were a plea for me to take care of the person she loved most. She knew all along that I loved Maxwell too.
So, I stayed with him after she was gone. And that companionship lasted for five years..
But now, I turned my back on Maxwell.
“I’m going to play on the high–altitude swing. You don’t need to come with me,‘ I said.
In Queenstown, I spent three days doing. everything I had always wanted to do. I went bungee jumping, skiing, and paragliding–each adventure was mine to
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claim, alone.
But Maxwell never said a word. He
followed me wherever I went. No matter
what activity I chose, he was there. I went to the high–altitude swing, and he was there too. I went skiing, and he skied alongside me. I took to the skies paragliding, and he was right there with
- me.
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