Chapter 155 That Was The
Old Me
Rachel didn’t feel like replying. She put her phone away and shut her eyes to rest for a bit.
After a long day of work, she was truly exhausted.
Feeling drowsy, she dozed off in no time.
She had no idea how long she had been sleeping when her head suddenly jerked back.
To her surprise, something stopped her from falling.
A moment later, she realized her head was resting on someone’s shoulder.
Too tired to think, she didn’t bother moving.
She assumed it must be a kind stranger. Noticing how exhausted she was, someone had offered their shoulder
for her to rest on.
After a while, as the subway announced her stop was approaching, Rachel’s eyes suddenly flickered open.
Realizing she was still leaning on someone, she quickly sat up.
“Thanks…” she started, but her words froze mid–sentence.
A stranger? No, it was Brian.
“How are you here?” she asked, shifting away from him.
“I have my ways. Still sleepy? You can rest a little longer.”
Rachel shook her head right away. Sleep was the last thing on her mind now.
The moment the subway stopped, Rachel stepped out, and Brian followed right behind her.
They walked towards her home together.
The sky was growing darker. After a few steps, Rachel suddenly heard faint, weak meows. Her heart clenched with sympathy.
She followed the sound and spotted two cats huddled in the bushes. One of them was hurt, its leg covered in blood. The other cat sat close, watching over it silently.
Rachel knelt down and whispered, “Stay here, okay? I’ll get something to help you.”
As if they understood, the cats stayed put.
She rushed to a nearby pharmacy and picked up some first–aid supplies.
11:18
Chapter 155 That Was The Old Me
When she got back, the cats were still curled up in the same spot.
Brian raised a brow, “You’re actually going to treat it?”
He wasn’t exactly against animals, but he wasn’t fond of them either.
“Of course,” she replied, opening the antiseptic and carefully dabbing the wound with a cotton swab.
The kitten whimpered softly, flinching from the pain. The other cat gently patted its injured companion’s fur.
Seeing this, Rachel’s heart ached.
She couldn’t help but think–they must be a pair.
“See? Even a cat knows how to comfort its injured partner. Sometimes, people aren’t nearly as thoughtful.”
Brian wasn’t slow on the uptake. He jumped at the chance. “Rachel, I know I let you down before. I’ll change. Just give me another chance.”
Rachel kept her focus on treating the cat’s wound, acting as though she hadn’t heard him. She carefully disinfected the injury, applied some medicine, and wrapped it up before setting down some food for them.
Just as they were about to leave, the male cat suddenly sprang up and lunged at Brian, its sharp claws raking across his neck and leaving angry red marks.
Brian instinctively reached out to grab it, but before he could, the cat struck again, scratching him even worse
this time.
Rachel quickly stepped in and pulled the cat away.
“Let’s go,” she said.
As they walked along the dimly lit street, the glow of the streetlights highlighted Brian’s injury.
She turned to him, her brows furrowed with concern. “Does it hurt?”
The scratches on his neck were deep and clearly visible–three, maybe four, with one particularly nasty one where the skin had been torn slightly.
Because of his open–collared white shirt, she could also see the scratches on his chest.
She had to admit, seeing his wounds unsettled her. And she did care about him.
For a brief moment, she almost reached out to help him. “Let me—”
But she stopped herself halfway through.
ke
Instead, she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at him seriously. “I’m sorry you got scratched some responsibility for that. But if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Those cats ed help. That being said, you really shouldn’t have followed me.”
Brian let out a small sigh, sounding hurt. “You say that, but I think I’m the real victim here. I’m worse off than they are.”
And there it was–his usual tactic. This kind of pitiful act had worked on her before, melting her heart more times than she cared to admit.
Chapter 155 That Was The Old Me
But this time, she wasn’t going to fall for it. “Do you know why they became strays in the first place?”
Brian shook his head, genuinely curious.
“They weren’t always strays,” she explained. “Most likely, they had owners before. But some people don’t take responsibility. When their cats reproduce too quickly, they abandon them–just toss them out to survive on
their own.”
Brian sighed. “That’s really sad.”
Rachel looked him straight in the eye. “But why do people abandon them? I can think of two reasons. Either their love was never real, or they never actually cared–just kept them around for fun.”
A heavy silence settled between them.
“Brian, I don’t think I need to say more. We’re over. Stop following me. Let me live my life the way I want.”
Rachel turned and walked away without glancing back.
Before disappearing into the distance, she left him with one last remark. “Make sure to get those scratches
checked.”
However, Brian had no intention of giving up. He quickly followed, but Rachel shot him an icy glare. “Move. I’m going home.”
Brian stared at her, his eyes filled with a sadness she had never seen before. “You used to be the first to take care of my wounds.”
Rachel let out a small, indifferent smile. “That was the old me. I wouldn’t do that now.”
Unable to hold back, Brian grabbed her shoulder. “Why?”
Why? Rachel almost laughed at the absurdity. Even now, he was asking that? Did he really not know?
She couldn’t suppress it anymore. The emotions she had held back burst out.
“Do you really not get it? Do I have to say it out loud? Fine, then listen closely. What did you see me as all this time? Another pet, like a cat? And you–just like those careless owners. When you were in a good mood, you played with me, used me to entertain yourself. But when things didn’t go your way, you tossed me aside like I didn’t matter. I refuse to be treated like a pet, and I’m not here to make you happy. I just want to live my life
for myself.”
By the time she finished, tears were already rolling down her face.
13.10
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