Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

110. She's Like Puzzle Pieces

Upon reaching the village, we were all assigned our duties for the day. I was still trying to adjust to the serene yet rugged surroundings when something caught my eye -- a familiar face amidst the crowd. Sarah, standing right there with Vicky along with his motor bike. I hadn't expected to see her here, and judging by Nitya's sudden stiff posture, neither had she.

Nitya's face darkened as she marched straight toward Sarah, her temper barely contained. "First the hospital, and now here?" she snapped, her voice a bit too loud for the setting. "I've told you countless times, Sarah-this is his workplace. Why can't you understand that? What are you doing here, trying to claim yourself as his wife again?"

Sarah, calm as ever, didn't flinch. Her composed demeanor only seemed to aggravate Nitya more. "You're right," Sarah replied coolly. "This is his workplace, and I have no business here because of him. I came with Vicky. He invited me." She paused, and her eyes flickered to Nitya, adding pointedly, "And I'm sure your 'bestie' invited Vicky to be today's photographer for the newspaper coverage. So, you see, I'm here for help."

Nitya's face flushed with annoyance. She just shot a glare at Sarah, and stormed away.
I turned to Sarah and caught up with her, gently grabbing her arm. "If you were coming here anyway," I said, trying to control the frustration in my voice, "why didn't you come with me?"

Sarah didn't respond. She just looked past me, her expression unreadable, as if weighing her words carefully. The silence felt heavier than usual, making my frustration build.

"You know what bothers me?" I continued, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. "You always listen to everyone else, make time for them. But when it comes to me, I'm never your priority. It's like I'm always the last one on your list."

She finally met my eyes, and when she spoke, her tone was calm but firm. "You're right," she said, without a flicker of hesitation. "Because I can trust every single person in the world... except you."

Those words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stared at her, stunned. For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Her calmness made it hurt even more, like she'd been thinking this for a long time, like she truly meant it.

I watched her walk away, her figure growing smaller with each step. A wave of confusion and pain washed over me, my heart aching as I stood there, frozen. What happened to her? One moment, she's light and carefree, laughing like a child, and the next, she's a mystery, her emotions locked away behind an unreadable expression.

Last night, everything seemed fine. She was in such a good mood, laughing, talking without a care. But today... today she was different -- upset, distant, like she was carrying the weight of something I couldn't see.

Why does her mood shift so quickly? I wondered, rubbing the back of my neck, trying to make sense of it all. Every time I think I understand her, she throws me off balance again. She's like a puzzle I can't quite solve.

The lunch break had arrived before I realized how fast the day had passed. We had been busy with door-to-door checkups, and now I finally had a moment to breathe. I ripped open a packet of chips, ready to take a bite when an old woman approached me, shaking her head.

"Are you really going to eat that at this hour?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

I chuckled lightly, "It's okay, granny. We're used to this kind of snack."

But she didn't seem convinced. "Wait here," she said, turning back toward her cottage. I watched her walk away. After a few minutes, she returned, holding a small tiffin.

"I've packed lunch for you," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "Eat it up. You're still young-you need to take care of yourself and eat properly."

I smiled gratefully, "Thank you, granny."

As I wandered around looking for Sarah, I noticed Nitya and Vicky sitting together, sharing what looked like a hearty meal. Approaching them, I asked, "Did you guys order food here?"

Nitya glanced up, flashing an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Ryan. I didn't think to offer you any. I was just so hungry."

Vicky chimed in, with a playful smirk, "I brought this from home, but your arrogant friend here decided to confiscate it."

I laughed softly, but my eyes kept scanning the surroundings. "Vicky, where's Sarah?" I asked, trying not to sound too concerned.

He shrugged casually. "I offered her some food, but she said she was full. Last I saw, she headed up toward the hills."