76 Missed Calls, And He Still Chose Her Dog Chapter 07

76 Missed Calls, And He Still Chose Her Dog Chapter 07

When I received the court transfer, I had already become a field correspondent.

Rachel Warren hadn’t exaggerated.

It really was dangerous here.

I had seen footage from conflict zones on every social platform.

But when I actually stood here, my heart still tightened.

The people living here never knew whether they would lose their homes, their loved ones, their friends, or even their lives in the next second.

All I could do was try my best to send the news out.

To carry the trapped voices to the outside world.

I wrote reports.

Posted videos from the ground.

Followed rescue teams as they moved the wounded.

I told children who had lived in turmoil since birth about the world beyond this place.

I told them, “As long as you’re alive.”

“As long as you keep living.”

“One day, you’ll see somewhere farther away.”

Maybe because they lived in a place like this, the people here valued every day even more.

They ate simply.

They slept uneasily.

But they still tried hard to keep living.

I was infected by their will to survive.

The people I once couldn’t let go of and the pain I once couldn’t get past slowly became very far

away in the face of real suffering.

Until one day, a colleague told me someone was outside looking for me.

I already had a feeling.

I lifted the tent flap and walked out.

Sure enough, Adrian Whitlock stood in the dust with luggage in his hand, looking at me.

The place where we were stationed was very remote.

I didn’t know how he had found me here.

In the past, he had severe germophobia.

He was always clean, decent, like a piece of jade carefully displayed in a glass case.

Now his clothes were covered in dust.

A few strands of his hair had been singed.

He hadn’t shaved.

The coat that once fit him perfectly now hung loose on his body.

When he saw me, he first let out a breath of relief.

Then wild joy surged in his eyes.

He wanted to come closer, but stopped himself.

“Lydia, you’re alive.”

“Thank God.”

“I heard this place was shelled yesterday, and a lot of people were hurt.”

“I was scared out of my mind.”

“I know about the child and your parents now.”

“I was a bastard.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Come back with me, okay?”

“It’s too dangerous here.”

I looked at him coldly.

“Adrian Whitlock, we’re divorced.”

“Who are you to ask me to leave with you?”

“And what makes you think I’d give up my dream again to accommodate you and go back to being your caretaker?”

“I like the work I do now.”

“It makes my life feel meaningful.”

“Not like being trapped in a marriage and slowly worn down.”

“I’m not going with you.”

“Go back.”

Adrian lowered his head in shame.

“I know.”

“I know you gave up a lot for me.”

“The truth is, I never loved Madison.”

“I only saw how hard she fought for her dream, and she reminded me of the old you.”

“I was too blind.”

I laughed bitterly.

“So you do remember what the old me was like.”

“You used love and family to pull me out of the newsroom.”

“You made me take care of your family.”

“You made me put my own dream last.”

“I don’t regret making that choice back then.”

“But when I saw what you wrote for Madison, I realized how ridiculous I was.”

“So

you can respect someone’s dream.”

“You can clear the road for someone else.”

“It just couldn’t be me.”

I looked at him and said each word clearly.

“Stop making excuses for yourself.”

“You just wanted a respectable marriage and something fresh on the side.”

“My child isn’t coming back.”

“My parents aren’t coming back either.”

“So no matter what you say, I will never forgive you.”

“The temperature drops hard here at night, and we don’t have spare beds.”

“If you don’t want to die here, go back.”

“Stay away from me.”

After that, I stopped looking at him and turned back into the tent.

Behind me came his choked voice.

“Lydia, I have no right to ask for forgiveness.”

“I just want to atone.”