Chap 3
Abigail pressed the password for her apartment, and a ‘click’ sound was heard as a sign that the door was open. The two of them entered and were greeted by the hot air in the room because the AC had not been turned on. Abigail stepped towards the bar table to the right of the door and turned on the air conditioner to the appropriate temperature.
“Any aspirin? Or some other headache medication?” Asked Flavia, who had reached for the medicine box but couldn’t find what she was looking for.
“Nothing, I forgot to buy it,” Abigail answered as she put the AC remote back into its original place. “Hasn’t the dizziness gone yet?” She asked worriedly, to which Flavia answered with a nod.
“Okay, you wait here. I’ll go down to the minimarket downstairs and buy you headache medicine.” Abigail looked for her wallet in her bag and walked out again, while Flavia, who couldn’t stand the pain in her head, chose to lie down on the sofa.
She curled up on the sofa, hugging a pillow. It feels comfortable. While waiting for Abigail to arrive, Flavia tried to close her eyes, and within minutes she fell asleep.
Abigail counted the numbers printed at the top of the elevator door impatiently. When the door opened, she was surprised by the presence of a figure she had not seen for a long time.
“Hi, Moana.” Greet the tall, handsome man with his distinctive grin. “Long time no see.” He continued as Abigail just froze in place.Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.
“Oh My God!” Uncle!” She exclaimed as she threw herself into Gladwin’s arms. “Why didn’t you tell me that Uncle was coming home?” She asked, surprised and excited.
“To be a surprise, of course.” He continued casually. He stepped out of the elevator with a super large backpack on his back. Abigail hugged the man’s arm tightly.
“How long?” She asked with one eyebrow raised.
“I just came back, and you’ve kicked me out again?” The man answered in a fake, offended tone.
“Yes, it’s not like that. It’s just that your arrival is like a ghost that comes without being picked up and goes home without being sent.” Abigail complained with pouting lips. They walked hand in hand towards the apartment, but after pressing the password, Abigail suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, God!” She screamed when the unit door opened. Due to Gladwin’s unexpected presence, Abigail needed to remember her main goal of buying Flavia’s needs. “Uncle, I forgot that I have to buy something. I’ll go downstairs first. Just a moment.” She said, then ran away, leaving Gladwin in his apartment.
Gladwin sneered, shaking his head while watching Abigail run after the elevator. After his nephew disappeared, he entered the unit, took off his shoes and walked towards his usual room without realizing the figure lying on the sofa.
He put his backpack on the nightstand near his bed and went to the bathroom to clean himself. His long journey from Germany to Kansas had left his body completely exhausted. His body felt sticky with sweat. Not to mention jetlag and hunger.
He could hold back his hunger for a moment, but he couldn’t resist the stickiness that stuck to his body. He needed a warm shower.
Flavia woke up because of the rustling sounds she heard. Her head was still throbbing, and her vision was blurry. It looks like the anemia is recurring.
“Abby,” she called softly when the rustling sound came again-hoping her best friend would show up with the medicine she needed.
However, while waiting, Flavia did not hear her friend’s footsteps approaching. Flavia got up and sat on the sofa, massaging her head. The pain became more and more intense, and her vision became increasingly unfocused. Occasionally, she shook her head and blinked to relieve her dizziness.
“Abby, where are you?” Call her again. But there was still no sign of Abigail walking towards her. She tried to stand up by propping he hands on the back of the chair, but what she saw shocked her. Her knees suddenly felt weak.
That man. The man she had remembered, the man she missed so much that she wanted to be present in her dreams, was now standing in front of her in an authentic form.
He looks handsome and fresh with wet hair. He was wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt and knee-length sweatpants with his hand holding a small towel, which he uses to dry his hair. He looked handsome and didn’t seem to have aged at all, even though five years had passed since they last saw each other.
Flavia shook her head, still not accepting that this was reality. But her actions only made her feel even more dizzy.
By God, this must be just a dream. She was still asleep, and the man before her wasn’t real. But the pain in her head made her realize that this was real.
“Via…?” Called the man in a worried tone.
No. Gladwin’s is not real. Flavia’s mind shouted. But even so, her lips lifted and a faint smile she could feel appeared on her face.
God, why are you testing me in this way? She asked himself.
“Via, are you okay?” The voice asked again in a worried tone. Flavia tried to focus her gaze again; even if this was real, she didn’t want to appear weak in front of this man.
No. Flavia had to look strong. But no matter how hard she tried, what happened was that her vision blurred, and somehow, everything suddenly became pitch black.
Gladwin was surprised. He was surprised because when he came out of the bathroom, Gladwin realized that he was not alone in his apartment. What shocked him even more was Flavia’s condition, which looked pale and weak.
“Via!” Gladwin shouted as he stepped very quickly to hold Flavia’s body, which almost collapsed to the floor. Just as he managed to support the girl’s body, the door opened, and Abigail appeared. She also shouted in surprise because they saw Gladwin and Flavia’s strange position.
“What did Uncle do to Flavia?” She asked in an accusatory tone that made Gladwin look at her confused.