She suddenly felt flustered. Why had the entire world turned upside down in an instant? Clearly, he was the one who had deceived her; she was the one who should have confronted him, who should have accused him. He hadn’t given her any opportunity to accuse or question him, not even leaving her time to understand the current situation. Perhaps she should stop him and ask for clarity immediately, but the little dignity she had left prevented her from standing up from the sofa and continuing to question him. Instead, she lowered her head, no longer looking at him, biting her lip tightly to suppress the urge to cry, yet from the corner of her eye, she saw him standing still for a few seconds before turning to leave. That slender black figure was like the wind, coming swiftly and leaving just as quickly, without a trace of concern.
The maid Evelyn quietly approached the hall, seeing the black-haired girl curled up stiffly on the sofa, her dark eyes filled with glistening tears. She looked so fragile and pitiful, crying so sorrowfully. Evelyn’s tone was somewhat guilty, “Gianna, what happened when you went to the city yesterday? Oh God, it’s all my fault; I shouldn’t have told you that the sir’s car came back here that evening.”
“It’s not your fault, Evelyn. You don’t need to blame yourself. In fact, I should thank you for giving me the chance to know the truth,” Khanyi hesitated, wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I think we have to part ways.”
“What did you say?”
“I don’t want to stay here any longer.”
“Where do you plan to go?”
“Home.”
“Home? Back to South Africa?” Evelyn covered her mouth, her face one of disbelief. “Oh my God…”
“Yes, Evelyn, I want to go home. There should be a ship to home from the northern port city; I just don’t know if my documents will allow me to leave smoothly.” She nodded, looking into the maid’s brown eyes.
“Are you… really determined to leave here?”
Khanyi lowered her eyes, not answering the maid’s question. In fact, she didn’t know what else she could do besides leaving. She only knew that when he wanted to disappear, he would vanish completely. Even though she clearly knew his office was in that three-story building at Brussels Square, knowing the location of his office, he wouldn’t leave her any opportunity.
Evelyn stepped forward and took her hand, her brown eyes filled with sincere light. “If you are really determined, I am willing to help you. You helped me when I was in my most difficult time; now it’s my turn to repay you. I can help you find a way to the northern port. I have a relative who works as a sailor on a ship; he should be able to get a ticket.” After a pause, she continued, “But first, we need to go to the capital train station.”
“Thank you, Evelyn.” Khanyi forced a smile, feeling very grateful, but could only manage a strained grin.
“Shall we rest well today and set off tomorrow?”
“No, I want to leave now.” Khanyi stood up from the sofa, feeling completely numb, dragging her heavy steps up the stairs to her bedroom. In fact, her luggage was very simple; the most important things left in this house were all in the second drawer of that cabinet. She knelt on the floor and gently pulled open the drawer: the top layer held an old qipao, though the fabric was of high quality and a gift from an old friend, it was still a worn and incomplete garment, unnecessary to keep; a small paper bag, which she unfolded, contained a couple of dark green jasmine fragrance pieces, the faint aroma of tea wafting up. In the past, she had been reluctant to drink it, only using a few pieces to refresh herself when she was most tired; now it was unnecessary to take it with her. After returning to her hometown, the ancestral home had several acres of fine tea gardens; two manuscripts, one of which she had proofread, but had not had the mood to edit the other half, which she would have to leave for later; at the very back of the drawer, in a rectangular oil paper package, there was a sum of cash. If she remembered correctly, it was 20,000 imperial marks… She spread a large handkerchief on the floor and took out the two manuscripts when suddenly, a small red velvet box fell to the ground. She froze for a moment, her heart inexplicably stirring, and casually placed the box in the pocket of her dress.
Suddenly feeling a tickling sensation at her feet, she turned to see “Teddy” whining and rubbing its furry body against her foot.
“Little one, we have to part ways too,” she picked up the puppy, holding it against her cheek, kissing it repeatedly. “I’m sorry, I can’t take you on a month-long ship journey, I can’t take you back home.”
The puppy seemed to understand her words, whimpering while licking the salty tears from her cheeks.
She put a thin leather collar on Teddy and handed it to the capable maid, who had always taken good care of it.
Evelyn had already packed the suitcase and stood in the hall, looking serious as she waited for her.
Khanyi felt as if she had forgotten something, but she held back and never turned back.
The driver took them to the train station, and this usually quiet man said goodbye to her with a single sentence. She ignored him and didn’t say goodbye, getting out of the car and walking towards the waiting room of the train station, with Evelyn following behind her, pulling the suitcase.
The train was delayed, and they spent several hours in the crowded, dirty waiting room. Khanyi drank a little water and nibbled on a piece of black bread that Evelyn had handed her. Finally, around five o’clock, the conductor began notifying everyone that the northbound train had arrived, asking passengers to wait on the platform.
