Russel surely was one unlucky dude.
I only knew about his losing battle with Neil in my past life, but I didn't know that before this competition, he'd already planted the seeds of his own tragedy.
And it all started with Karina.
Karina was also a medical student, a classmate of Russel's. At first, Karina was chasing after Russel, but Russel wasn't in the mood for romance at that time, so he never gave Karina any response.
Then, at a party, Karina met Neil. Maybe to forget about Russel, she started to flirt with Neil, until both of them caught feelings and started dating.
"Russel, why are you so unlucky?" I felt genuinely sorry for him after hearing his story.
"Unlucky, huh?" Russel asked.
"Isn't it bad enough?" I blurted out, "The person who loved you ended up falling for Neil, and the person you loved ended up with him too."
I realized I'd said something I shouldn't have. How could I tell Russel that Bonnie ended up with Neil?
This would break his heart!
But luckily, Russel didn't seem to react much. Maybe he'd accepted the fact that he was always one step behind Neil in the game of love.
"So, you kinda liked Karina back then, didn't you? But you didn't fall in love with her. You thought you could let her go without a fuss, so you stepped aside for Neil." I analyzed.
"Yeah, that sounds about right." Russel nodded.
I thought to myself, no wonder they fought so hard over Bonnie later on.
Now I basically understand the whole story. My confusion is gone.
In a few days, I can leave the country without worry, not thinking about these complicated matters anymore.
"I get it now." I took another bite of food, a relaxed smile on my face.
In my past life, Russel never told me about Karina. I guess it was a thorn in his heart. I didn't know why he would tell me now.
I still thought highly of him. He was a good man with a healthy worldview.
I hoped after I leave the country, he could let go of the issue with Bonnie, not ending up losing both love and money.
After we finished eating, Russel carefully cleaned the table and kitchen, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and even took out the trash.
It was already late. Russel applied some medicine for me, carried me back to bed, and then prepared to go home.
"Russel." I stopped him, and sincerely told him, "For some things, don't be too stubborn. Sometimes giving up is also a choice. Especially don't fight for someone who doesn't love you. Don't torture yourself over this."
A good person should have a peaceful life. May God bless him!
Russel seemed to ponder for a moment, and then finally gave a small smile, "Sure."
As the sound of the front door closing echoed in the living room, I lay in bed, silently staring at the light on the ceiling.
It's as if there's an ocean in my mind, always tiding, never calm.
But after tonight, that ocean disappeared, replaced by a desert. There's no wind or rain, just quiet and still.
I no longer thought about what Neil was doing, nor did I think about whether Russel could change his fate. I just wanted to sleep.
The next day, my parents picked me up from the apartment.
After a few days of rest at home, my foot was mostly healed. Harold had also bought me a plane ticket to Caladonia.
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