My boss was a cool lady who helped me.
I felt grounded.
Two years flew by.
I made friends.
I was still single.
I entered an international design competition.
The show was in Japan.
Linda, my boss, told me our company was
working with a company in Hong Kong. She
wanted me to go.
“You know Chinese,” Linda said.
L
I didn’t want to go.
LIIuu
Luke and Mark might be there.
“It’s on the list,” Linda said. “I’ll go with you.”
- 17.
I made plans.
I opened WeChat, trying to find information.
The group had rich people doing rich things.
I looked for their names.
Luke got River’s name in the dirt.
River said she was having Luke’s baby.
<
Luke’s family was upset.
She said she was hurt at home.
The baby didn’t make it.
River and her mom were kicked out.
They moved to a city.
I heard Luke and Mark were still watching
them.
They weren’t doing well.
Luke was in Shanghai.
Mark wasn’t around.
I left WeChat.
く
In five days, I was on a plane to Hong Kong.
I’d stay inside.
On the last night, I went to a dinner party.
It was at a club.
Someone was watching me.
I didn’t see anyone.
I felt scared.
In the middle of the dinner, I went to the
bathroom and grabbed my bag.
I was heading out the back door.
Hong Kong was bUCY
ལཔཔ
busy
L
Hong Kong was busy.
I waited under a tree.
Someone ran up behind me.
- 18.
The footsteps sounded familiar.
I felt calm.
They stopped.
Luke said, “Rainey, is that you?”
I looked at my phone.
Luke stepped in front of me, saying, “I know
it’s you.”
<
I looked up. “Are you talking to me?”
I cut my hair.
I dress different.
Luke said, “You’re mad at me. River fooled
- me.
“I’m sorry.”
Luke and Mark had trusted River.
They didn’t trust me.
My favorite people gave River whatever she
wanted.
River’s mom ruined my mom’s marriage.
They were hurting me.
Two years went by.
The pain went away.
They couldn’t hurt me now.
- 19.
I called the cops.
Luke looked bad.
He was missing something.
I was doing fine.
“This man is harassing me,” I said.
く
I showed them my ID. “My name is Eve
Starling.”
“You’re Rainey,” Luke said. “I know it.”
“Do you have proof?”
Luke didn’t answer.
He had no pictures of me.
I burned them.
“You don’t have proof,” I said. “Nobody will
believe you.”
Luke looked down.
“Rainey, you hate me.”
く
“That’s okay. I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’ll rebuild the house. When do you want to
see it?”
“Eve,” I said. “That’s my name.”
I walked away.
He said he’d get back to me.
I bought a ticket.
The next day, Luke was outside my door.
Luke looked bad.
He hadn’t slept.
