"Yes."Wendy nodded, not noticing the change of Ryan's expression.
"I lived there for almost five years.My mother died when I was six.Ruben made sure to sell everything
my mother had left us, everything she had inherited from her father.He took the money for himself.He
sent Reese and me to our grandmother in Spring County, as he had no intention of taking care of us
himself."
Wendy wrapped her arms around her knees in an attempt to protect herself from all those painful
memories.
"Ruben truly is a bastard! He had never mentioned grandma before he sent us there.We had thought
that she was dead.We didn't even know what she looked like.When she came to pick us up from the
station, we didn't know what to expect.Would she be kind to us? But it turned out we were really
lucky.Grandma was the best, sweet and affectionate she cared about me and Reese very much.She
would always cook us our favorite meals, even when money were tight.Sometimes she could afford just
enough for us children and she didn't eat at all herself." Ryan listened intently.
Wendy suddenly looked up and turned to face him.
"You've heard of Spring County, right? It's not that big, but its population is pretty high.But all the young,
able men left to find work, so those that stayed behind are either old or women and children.But people
there are always kind, helping and caring for each other.When someone cooks, it's not unusual to
share it with their neighbors.It's so peaceful there."
Ryan couldn't help but smile at that.
"I remember there was a huge orchard.Reese, grandma and I helped the owner with the harvest every
year.The money may have not been much, but we got a bag of apples on our days off.So, apples were
the fruit we ate the most as children."
Ryan thought back to how skillfully she had peeled an apple for him back in the hospital.
"The years I spent in Spring County were the best of my life.Carefree and full of love.But then my
grandmother passed away.I was eleven."
Ryan took her hand and squeezed it.
He wanted her to know that he was there for her.Wendy shook her head, smiling.
"Don't worry.I’m fine.It's all in the past.After Grandma died, we had no one.Ruben had married Cacia
and lived a fancy life using my mother's fortune.Just the two of them and Eris.Ruben had long forgotten
all about me and my sister.It's not like we missed him, though.Our friends and neighbors helped us with
Grandma's funeral.Reese was seventeen then, so we came up with a plan.She would find work in
another city, just like most people from our village did.Then she would have enough money to pay for
my education.But a few friends from the village decided to take matters into their own hands.They
found Ruben and threatened him.They told him that if he didn't take us in until we reached adulthood,
they would report him for abandonment."
"That's when you and your sister came back to the city?"
"As if it would be that simple! Ruben was mean.He didn't like us, of course he didn't want to raise us
up.At some point though, he had to come to our village.A good look at Reese and he suddenly
changed his mind, agreeing to take us with him." Wendy then sighed.
"It was much later that I discovered his motive.His twisted mind started scheming as soon as he saw
what a beauty Reese had turned into.We got back to the city that day and he took us shopping.He
bought us a lot of beautiful clothes and like a couple of idiots we were moved, thinking he had really
changed.But we soon found out the truth.Later I realized that it was not the case at all.After we
returned to Ywood, he registered for school for me, but did not registered for my sister.He said that he
was doing business now.My sister had grown up, so he wanted my sister to help him with his
business.That's why he did not registered for school for my sister.But Reese bought it.What she didn't
expect, though, was that he had dressed her up like a doll and put on display in order to find the
highest bidder.Not long after that, Ruben had her married off to that scumbag; Flynn!"
Wendy paused for a while, looking down at her hands.
Ryan poured a glass of red wine and put it in front of her.
"Then what happened?"
"Back then, I didn't know Ruben had threatened my sister with my well being to do his bidding.If I did, I
would have given up everything and Reese and I could have gone back to Spring County.She wouldn't
have to marry that horrible man."
She took a big gulp of wine and Ryan hurriedly told her, "Hey, there.Go easy on the wine.This stuff is
pretty strong."
"Noted!"
Wendy put the glass back on the table and sighed before speaking again.
"With Reese's support, I can say my life wasn't that bad back then.I was happy.And then, when I was
sixteen, I met the most important man of my life!"
Ryan, who was pouring her some more wine, froze at the spot.Luke's investigation had revealed that at
the age of sixteen, Wendy met Brian.
‘The most important man?' He grumbled to himself.
His grip on the glass was vice-like and he was moments ago from crushing it entirely.
"I was still in high school and he was in college.We met when he gave a speech as one of the high
school's alumni.Every girl saw him as a true prince charming.He was gentle and really elegant.We
wouldn't have been surprised he arrived on a white horse.He was every girl's dream.Just perfect!"
Ryan's face darkened.
The atmosphere in the room was getting heavier by the minute.
Lost in her memories, Wendy didn't notice the change in Ryan.
She had another sip of wine to wet her throat before going on.
"You know, I wasn't particularly pretty back then! I didn't have money for new clothes so I usually wore
Eris' hand-me-downs.But most of the time, I was in my school uniform.So, I was just an ordinary school
girl.When Brian took an interest in me, I was shocked.I felt like the luckiest girl in the world."
Ryan's mouth was a tight white line by then.
Glass still held tightly in his hand, his face cold as ice.
"I had a huge crush on him.When he asked me to be his girlfriend, I couldn't believe my ears.I couldn't
stop smiling like a fool for several days.I couldn't even sleep; I was that excited.I was a junior at the
time and I really liked performing.So I dreamed of going to college, getting a Bachelor of Arts in
Acting.But for Brian, I gave all that up.I studied hard and got in the No.1 University of the city, the one
he was in."
"You really loved him,"
Ryan said flatly.
"Sure, back then I thought he was the most important person in my life."
Ryan's face looked like it was carved from ice.
He felt like a masochist, sitting her listening to all that.
‘Why am I putting myself through this? This is making me crazy.’ He interrupted her right then, asking
what he wanted to know the most.
"So you still love him and want to get back together with him?"
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