While shopping for spices at an import supermarket, Sidney happened to see the wine section and, without thinking, walked toward it. In the past, every wine label had looked the same to her, and she couldn't tell if there was anything special about them. But now, her eyes lingered on every bottle. She knew that the year and the origin greatly influenced the price of the wine. The price tags on some bottles caught Sidney's attention, and the wine labels seemed familiar. Unintentionally, it reminded her of a time when she had seen this particular bottle before, making her feel guilty, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. She quickly walked away from the shelf.
Walking outside under the umbrella, she saw a couple holding hands and leaning against each other. The petite girl looked up at her boyfriend, her face beaming with a smile of happiness. Sidney found the smile a bit glaring, and as she looked down, she noticed her own bag was filled with vegetables and meat, with a transparent plastic bag showing the pattern of feminine hygiene products. She guessed that the girl was probably heading to her boyfriend's house for the night.
They looked like a couple deeply in love!
Actually, yesterday, Frank had confessed to her when the store was closing and everyone else had left.
She knew Frank liked her; even someone as slow as she was could tell. A man suddenly showing only kindness to one woman, inviting her out alone when he wasn't working, and sharing all sorts of things in his life—she had just been avoiding this emotion. So, like an ostrich, she pretended not to see it.
But she didn't expect Frank to be so bold, to reveal his feelings so quickly. At that moment, she pursed her lips and couldn't say a word. Frank waited for her, and in the end, she could only awkwardly and apologetically wave her left hand in front of him. "You saw, didn't you?"
"I know, but I don't care. It doesn't change anything," Frank said confidently.
"Do you know why I lost this finger?"
Frank shook his head, waiting for her to continue.
"The reason I came to this city is actually quite complicated. To put it simply, I've been divorced. I don't think it's something shameful, but I hid it because I was afraid of becoming gossip fodder and worried about people having stereotypes of me. Now, I feel like I should tell you."
Frank's face showed an unmistakable shock, but after a moment, he managed to compose himself, shrugging it off with a nonchalant tone. "With the divorce rate so high these days, I don't think it's such a big deal."
"You might not think it's a big deal, but what about your family? You're the only son, right? They won't be happy about it. And as for me, I'm not planning on getting into another relationship."
"Why? You should open your heart and embrace a beautiful new love."
Sidney shook her head, looking as if she understood everything, "There is no such thing as perfect love. I don't need love right now, and I don't want to be in a relationship. I like being by myself. Please just treat me as a friend and an employee!"
After saying that, Sidney walked away without looking back. In her mind, she thought, if Frank didn't give up, for the sake of not taking advantage of him and for both of their well-being, she might need to change jobs.
Sidney stood in the rain, holding a plastic bag full of bottles and jars, observing an elderly couple at the bus stop. The old man was supporting his wife, helping her climb the bus steps, holding the umbrella over her head, while the right side of his shoulder was drenched. When he closed the umbrella, the old lady tried to take something from him, but he smiled warmly, shook his head, and told her not to, urging her to sit down quickly.
Sidney tightened her grip on the bag. In the past, she had been so focused on living in her own world that she never noticed the beauty in the world around her. It turned out that such love still existed!
But how rare and difficult this love was! Two people from different backgrounds meeting and being able to understand, love, and never leave each other—it was too precious! Sidney dared not hope to have such happiness herself. She didn't want to hold Frank back. With his qualities, he could find a better woman, and she knew that no matter how hard they both tried, she could never love anyone again.
A failed marriage had made her indifferent to love.
On her days off, she preferred staying in her little hideaway, or, on the rare sunny day, she'd head to a nearby park and spend the whole afternoon there. Lately, even using the store's kitchen to practice had become inconvenient, and it left Sidney feeling frustrated.
