ÈGOÏSTE |18+ [English Version]

Chapter 44. "The Caged Bird."

I wonder who decided the birds were free? Although they can fly wherever they want, if they have nowhere to land, they may wish they had wings. True freedom, perhaps, is in having a place to return to.

Sayuki

On behalf of Henry:

Evening came and we had to meet Stacy. I bought her a pretty little bouquet and left the house. We decided to meet in the same park where I always spent time with Joanna...

- Hi there," she hugged me with a smile. - Is that for me? - She turned her attention to the flowers.

- Sure, to lift the mood, so to speak. - I smiled, and we walked along the park. - How are you?

- I'm fine, I had a fight with my boyfriend. - She hesitated.

- What was the reason?

- His jealousy and nasty temper...

- How does it manifest itself? Don't tell me it's my fault?

- Oh, Henry, yes, he saw you and was jealous, but it's not you, it's the fact that I don't love him and our relationship in general was very spontaneous and weird, in the sense that he's the brother of the guy who dumped me...

- That's the real Santa Barbara.

- I don't know how that happened. Maybe I was desperate and I didn't have anybody to talk to about what was going on and then Tony came along and we hit it off and it all started happening, it all started happening, I don't know really...

- Don't you have any girlfriends? You remind me of the one who dumped me," I started laughing.

- I have acquaintances, but no girlfriends, because I've been with him for twenty-four hours and I didn't need anybody. Just me and him. Although I did have a "friend." - We had a very strange meeting, I was driving home after work and I saw a girl crying on the bench, I stopped and decided to offer help, she didn't refuse, on the way she told me her whole situation and that's how we met and she stayed at my place. She was having problems in her family, it was mostly because of her father. Anyway, that's how we became friends, then we went out a couple of times and soon she disappeared somewhere. - Stacey laughed.

- What was her name? - I asked.

- Joanna," she looked at me, "she was about medium height, brown hair. She looked very pretty, and she had that look about her.

- That's amazing.

- Do you know her?

- So it is her! - I smiled, - she left me and went away. If you can put it that way.

- Really?

- Yes, Joanna is my friend.

- So many coincidences," Stacy said and we sat down on the bench.

- Jo had always had problems with her father; he didn't like her because he wanted another daughter who was smarter, more responsible,

- How can you even think like that? I don't understand parents like that...

- I don't know, Uncle Alfred is a very strange man. The last boiling point was that they had a fight about Joanna hitting a famous man's car and she said it was me, and then the truth came out and there was a scandal.

- Now that's interesting, who did she hit the car?

- Mr. Wright Jr. - I said, and Stacy's face changed dramatically.

- Did they know each other?

- No, she just went to his office after she hit him, talked about something, that's all.

- And she accidentally, Oh my God!" Stacy covered her surprise with the palm of her hand.

- What happened?

- This can't be happening! - She said.

- Why? What? Tell me! - I was surprised.

- Joanna came to Edmund's office and his father Oswald was there, he came from New York and kind of wanted to surprise Edie, but he didn't come to work because he was at a party at the club. That's when they met his dad, I didn't know why she came, we saw her, but I didn't care, but I remember Edmund came and my dad said it's time you got married and I found you a nice girl.

- There's no such thing, Stacy. Joanna would have told me a hundred percent that she was getting married, much less Edmund Wright. - I got angry," you're a slandererer! Joanna isn't like that, she's very nice and kind, and believe me she would never marry Edmund, because he's not her type and there's no way they could be together, and anyway, she'd tell me all about it. - I finished.

- No, no, no, Henry. - That's why Edmund left me, that's why that night he said he'd take Joanna home, they knew each other, and I remember Joanna didn't want to go to him, she asked me to take her. And he was fighting with me on purpose because he knew I knew her.

- So you were dating Edmund? And he dumped you?

- It was a coincidence, Henry! - She started crying and I hugged her.

- Don't cry, Stacy, please.

- They've got us wrapped around their finger... - The girl couldn't take it easy...

- But it couldn't be... - I couldn't believe what Stacy was saying, but what she had told me about Edmund and Joanna, that they had gone together, that Joanna had kept from me...

Afterwards Stacy said something else there, but I couldn't hear it anymore, because my head was foggy, I couldn't believe what the girl said and I didn't believe it, I thought she was wrong, but there was no way Joanna could do this to me. Yes, our last meeting was very strange, yes she cried, her parents never told me anything about where their daughter was, yes, but I don't want to believe it! That she did this to me and didn't even tell me she was getting married... but what's Edmund got to do with it? They hardly knew each other...

So Stacy and I sat in silence for a couple of hours, each of us thinking about our own things and no one could tell if our story was true or not...

***

On behalf of Joanna:

We flew home, I slept the whole way, which was no surprise, according to Edmund he was guarding my sleep.

- So, little birdie, how are you? - We got in the car and drove home.

- Why didn't you wake me up when we landed?

- You were sleeping so sweet... - he pinched my cheeks, "I couldn't disturb your sleep.

- My parents are waiting for us, my mother made blueberry pie.

- I don't mind tasting your mom's pie. Let's just go home and change.

- I agree," I smiled and we headed to our house.

- I'm going to take a shower. - Edmund said on the doorstep and left me alone.

I was glad we were back, on the one hand, but on the other not so much, because when I walked into the kitchen, Oswald was immediately in front of my eyes...

A couple of hours later...

Edmund and I got ready and went to my parents' house. We bought flowers and goodies and souvenirs from Italy.

- My dears! - On the doorstep, my mother welcomed us with warm hugs.

- Hello, Mammy. - We hugged her.

- Good evening, Aunt Isabella. - Edmund hugged her.

- Just call me Isa. - She smiled and we went inside.

- Welcome home, our dearly beloved children! - Loudly said the man I didn't want to see the most, Oswald Wright appeared before my eyes...

From the author:

Hello there, my good people. What do you think of this chapter?

What did you think of Stacey and Henry?

And what do you think of the ending?

Hurry up and write your opinion in the comments. ❤❤❤