"Sam, I have made up my mind. You don't have to persuade me anymore. I know you mean well, but
we are just friends, nothing too special. If we both live under the same roof forever, we will be
misunderstood."
Anne didn't dare to look at Sam's face. His eyes were too serious. His stare gave an inexplicable
amount of pressure. She knew that this was for the best. It was beneficial for the two of them if she
moved out.
The persevering attitude of Sam towards her was getting more and more obvious by the minute. She
didn't want to hear his sentiments. If she kept staying there, it would only make things complicated. If it
continued like this, their friendship would be as good as ash.
"Anne? Do I put pressure on you? You can pretend that you never heard my confession. I know your
scruples. I promise I will only treat you as a friend from now on. My thoughts would be clear of any
improper intents."
Sam could feel that Anne was deliberately being reserved from him. He knew very well that her feelings
for him were just as ordinary as bread and butter, but he couldn't get a hold of his heart's desire. He
just wanted to be there for her and keep her safe.
"Sam, you're overthinking. I just think it's inappropriate for us to live together for this long. That's the
reason I decided to move out,"
Anne explained in a hurry. Although what Sam said was exactly what she thought in mind, she didn't
want their relationship to change because of it.
"Anne, this is a big country…"
Looking at the grave look on her face, Sam grew anxious. He knew that she was as stubborn as a rock.
Once she made a decision, she was committed and it was final.
"Well, isn't it useless to persuade me anymore? I've already found a house and I'm about to move there
in a moment. Trust me on this one. If you're unsure, you can always come over at my place at any
time. You'll be my very first guest."
She gave Sam a faint smile and interrupted his thoughts. She didn't want to hear what he had to say.
Persuading her would be like moving a mountain.
Sam sighed helplessly. He was very disappointed knowing that Anne didn't want to stay with him
anymore. At the height of the event, he also felt heartbroken.
"Can I at least drive you there? I'm worried if you go about on your own." Sam did everything he could,
but he would go the extra mile to get one final moment with Anne. He didn't want to miss the chance.
"Okay, I'll go upstairs to pack my bags." Anne didn't refuse Sam's offer this time. After saying that, she
stood up and went to her room.
Looking at her slender back, Sam was enticed to hold her in his arms, but he knew that he had no right.
Half an hour later, Anne finally came down with her compact suitcase. She never planned to stay in
America for long, so she didn't bring much of her belongings with her.
Noticing that it was strenuous for her to lift her stubby luggage, Sam was quick to assist her and said,
"Here, let me do it."
"Thank you." After taking a casual glance at Sam, she thanked him for his courtesy.
"Anne, are you really sure about this?"
Although Sam knew that she wouldn't be bothered by his hopeless concern, he still didn't want to give
up.
"Sam, as I told you countless times, it's final. You don't have to persuade me anymore." Anne was
afraid that Sam would ask her again, so she interrupted before he even could finish his sentence.
"Okay, I'll take you there."
With a sigh of dismay, Sam finally chose to compromise. He knew he couldn't keep her.
He surrendered to Anne's wish to move out. He took her to the address of the new house head-on.
When they arrived, they found themselves side by side at the porch. Sam wanted to take a look inside,
but Anne refused.
"Sam, it's getting late. You should go home." Standing in front of the door, Sam glared at Anne and said
calmly,
"Anne, your suitcase is hefty. Let me help you get it in."
Knowing that Anne wanted to keep a safe distance from him, Sam insisted on his gallantry. He wouldn't
be able to often see her as he used to, so he took his last chance of being with her.
"I think I can take it from here, but thanks. I'll do it myself."
It was getting dark and Anne didn't want to share a moment longer alone with Sam. She was afraid that
the slightest change would make their friendship complicated.
"Anne, you don't have to be too reserved. We're best friends, remember? Do we really have to be this
distant from now on?"
Sam glanced at Anne seriously. A trace of loss flashed though his disheartened eyes.
Sam had thought that he could maintain the current relationship between the two of them, but Anne
seemed to deliberately hide from him, which made him blue.
"Sam, you beat a dead horse. It's just a suitcase. I can handle it myself. What you've done is more than
enough. I don't want to bother you anymore."
Being stared at by Sam, Anne couldn't help but feel uneasy. She lowered her head and spoke in
embarrassment. Truth be told, she never wanted their friendship to be estranged, but the more Sam
cared about her, the more difficult the situation felt.
"Anne, I really don't want our relationship to become so strange. I know you are under pressure. Just
forget the silly things I said, okay? Let's get things back to the way it used to be."
Now more than ever, Sam regretted confessing. He shouldn't have expressed his fondness to Anne. If
only he had kept his feelings to himself, locked it in the bottom of his heart, their relationship wouldn't
have suffered alienation.
"Sam, it's getting dark. You should go now, and get some rest. I'll invite you over once I have the time."
Anne had enough of this seemingly repetitive conversation. After bidding farewell, she grabbed her
suitcase and entered her new home.
Watching Anne disappear as the door closed, Sam felt empty, as if a part of him was taken away.
Would they be so isolated from each other from this day on? Was it his fault to fall in love with her?
Hopeless, Sam turned around and drove away lonely. Anne didn't feel a sense of relief until she knew
that his car vanished from her sight. Somehow, when she saw Sam, she always felt his presence very
awkward.
When Sam came home, he was alone. Everything seemed so lonely and desolated. He had been so
used to her presence since the two of them had been together through night and day for such a long
time. Now, he was left with his solitude. He felt ill-sorted.
He opened a bottle of red wine and intoxicated himself with an unprecedented empty face. He drank
once glass after another. His blonde moment of thinking about Anne being his woman became more
and more intense.
As he was unaware of his alcohol intake, his vision began to blur into black. Finally, he fell asleep. The
next day, he was awakened by a thumping sound of kicking at the door.
Sam groaned and kneaded his aching temples, and stood up to open the front door.
It was Kevin who stood outside and kept banging it. Geez! He had been waiting there for so long and
he expected Anne to open the door, but she still hadn't.
Finally, the door creaked open, revealing the sobering face of Sam. Perhaps because he had a
hangover from all that drinking last night, he looked like a mess.
"Kevin? What are you doing here this early in the morning?"
As he saw that it was Kevin, Sam's face turned adamant. He knew that he was there to bother Anne.
Thinking that this man in front of him was his nemesis to Anne's heart, he was filled with envy.
"Anne, come out!"
Kevin scowled and looked back at Sam. His obsidian eyes were filled with grit and anger. 'This damn
woman really wants to play hide-and-seek with me? Does she think that she can avoid me as long as
she want?' he thought.
"You don't have to worry about her. She is not here. You can leave now."
After giving Kevin a mocking face, Sam turned around and stepped inside. He didn't want to say a word
to him because the sight of Kevin would only remind that this man was the center of Anne's interest.
"Where is she now?"
When Kevin heard that Anne was not around, his eyebrows met. A trace of surprise flashed through his
irked eyes, but it disappeared in an instant.
"I have no idea!" Sam stopped and shut the door after squabbling these words.
When the secretary saw that her boss was rejected, he couldn't help but feel nervous. It was the first
time that her boss had been snubbed.
The secretary came to Kevin and reminded in a low voice, "Mr. Kevin, we should get going. It seems
that Miss Anne is not here."
"Since you're so sure that she's not here, why are you still standing there? Hurry up and find her! Do
you expect me to investigate it myself?"
Kevin suddenly turned and redirected his anger towards his secretary.
"Of course, I'll find her pronto!"
The secretary was intimidated by the powerful aura of his boss, so he dared not to slack off at all. After
saying that, he swiftly ordered his subordinates to check Anne's possible whereabouts.
An hour later, Kevin pulled over Anne's newfound home. His eyes took a tour around the somewhat
secluded environment without any expression on his face.
This woman was clever to choose such a place. The place was low-key and hard to find. But it wasn't
long until Kevin found her.
He unlatched the door handle and stepped out of the car. Seeing the shabby house, he couldn't help
but feel sorry.
Standing at the porch, Kevin didn't bother ringing the doorbell. He instantly shouted upfront, "Anne,
come out!"
Thinking that the house was antique and had poor sound insulation, he believed that she would hear
him at once.
As expected, Anne trembled upon hearing the sudden familiar voice of Kevin. She looked at the door in
disbelief. Was she hallucinating just now? Why did she abruptly hear Kevin's speech?
She must be crazy. She had only settled in for a night. Even if Kevin knew that she had moved out, he
wouldn't find this place out so soon.
Trusting her logic, Anne couldn't help but shake her head. She threw away the illusion that had
occurred in her mind just now and continued to prepare her warm breakfast.
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