4Later, Bertram took me back to school.Sitting in the back of the car, we didn’t talk.He seemed very busy and got many calls.But he didn't speak much but occasionally said yes.He saw my red and swollen eyes from crying, but he didn’t comfort me, which made me very angry."Bertram, you don't want to talk to me so much?" As soon as he hung up, he got another call, and I finally couldn't bear it..He froze for a while and finally put down his hand with his phone in it.His phone kept ringing, and the atmosphere in the car was awkward."Sandra, you have grown up. There is something that I don't need to tell you about." He rubbed the temples. He was troubled."I don't understand why I can’t like you, Bertram. It’s just because my parents asked you to raise me, so I can only be your niece?"He didn't speak, just staring at me silently."In the past eight years, you’ve never liked me?" The more silent he was, the more I wanted to clamor.He still didn't answer me. He took
6After I got up, I found that he had brought me back to his villa.Unlike Bertram's simple black style, his villa was dazzling.He took the key and led me to walk outside. As soon as he opened the door, I saw a black car stop at the door.When we came out, the black car windows slowly rolled down. I saw Bertram's deep eyes. He looked straight at me."Well, he came to the door. I guess I don't need to take you back anymore." Jones joked.Bertram looked calm, but I was uneasy.He always looked calm, whether he was angry or happy, making others rattled.He liked to control me. I had been willing to listen to him in the past. But now why would I still listen to him?So, in the face of the door opened by the driver, I turned around and said to Jones sweetly, "Can I befriend you on WhatsApp?"Jones froze in place. He didn't look at me but looked at Bertram. Finally, he helplessly took out his phone, “Okay, but I’m afraid I won’t have much time to text you back on WhatsApp."I won
10I didn't know if I had something on my face. After getting in the car, Jones kept staring at me.I felt a little awkward under his gaze.In the end, he concluded, "Bertram is quite perverted, but his niece is really beautiful."I thought he was praising me. I felt a little shy."Are you his niece? Why hadn't I seen you before? Or did he hide you so well?" He drove with one hand and teased me with a smile."Kind of," I said slightly."Then I will have to call the beast uncle?" He smiled and cursed.I was a little confused, "What do you mean?""Don't be afraid. I’m joking with you. Are you hungry?" He looked at my growling stomach.I was a little embarrassed."A little." I reached out and covered my stomach."Do you like seafood?" He asked."Yes."He turned the steering wheel and took me to a seafood restaurant by the sea.He was probably a regular at this restaurant. He was enthusiastically greeted by the restaurant owner as soon as he entered."Why did you come alone
13In the following week, Jones did not contact me much.He probably thought that I had used him that day, or maybe he was afraid of Bertram.I met Jones again in an entertainment club.It was Jenny's birthday. His rich second-generation boyfriend invited all my roommates to go to a luxury KTV.I found the deafening music in the private room a little bit unbearable. I went to take a break under the pretense of going to the bathroom.As soon as I came out, I ran into Jones, who was smoking. He was reeking of alcohol."Beautiful niece." His voice was a little vague, but his eyes lit up when he saw me."Jones." I greeted him.Watching him glance at me, I was a little scared. How much wine had he drunk?"We haven't contacted for a week and you don’t know me?" Seeing me about to leave, he squeezed my hand gently. His hand was very warm.I had never held the hands of other boys besides Bertram."No, you are drunk. I will ask your friend to help you go back." I was a little uncomf
15When we got to the garage, I shook off his hand."You were just like that. What should we do if anything went wrong?" I was worried about him. I was afraid he would get himself into trouble because of me.He was so scary just now.In the past eight years, he had always been very gentle to me. Even if we were fighting so badly now, he just ignored me. I had never seen him as scary as just now."He should be glad that you didn't get hurt." He took my wrist again, checked it carefully, and breathed a sigh of relief."It's work. It’s not the first time I have met such a person. You can protect me once, but can you protect me for a lifetime?""I told you not to let others bully you." He was also a little angry."Bully?" I smiled bitterly, "Isn't it you who has bullied me the most?"He was silent for a while, "Don't do such a part-time job.""Let go, Bertram, I don't need you to do this. I will eventually have to live on my own. I once relied on you to live, but you kicked me aw
19"Did you have a good Christmas?" He rolled down the window and glanced at me. Then he retracted his gaze without any emotion.I had thought he would ask me where I and Jones had gone, but he didn't."Yes," I replied.I waited for him to go on, but he lowered his head, was silent for a while, and finally said, "I’m glad to hear that."He took out a bag from the car and handed me through the window."What?" I looked at the bag and didn't reach out.I was curious. After all, I hadn't met him for a long time."Last time I went to France and I brought you a gift." He looked at me. He looked exhausted after a long time of work."Thank you." I hesitated for a while and took his bag."Bertram." I summoned up courage and called his name."Well." He looked up and his eyes lit up a little."I’m dating," I announced loudly as if I was trying to tell him that I didn't like him anymore, and we could finally reconcile.I looked forward to his happy smile and praise, "Sandra, you’re do
21I took out my phone and sent a message to Jones, "Hello.".He didn't reply. I put my phone aside.Bertram didn't speak much and kept sending messages with a frown.I looked at my phone from time to time to see if Jones texted me back."What do you want to have for lunch?" He asked suddenly."Anything." I had no appetite and I was not interested.He called to order lunch.At this moment, Jones's sent me a message, "What's wrong?""I want to see you." I was very straightforward.In the previous years, I had always stayed with Bertram when I felt so upset.Now the first person I thought of was Jones, the first man to give me love."Okay, I'll go to school to see you."I replied, "OK.""There is a seafood restaurant. I haven't taken you to try it yet. I booked lunch. I will take you to try it." Bertram suddenly looked at me.I remembered the one Jones had taken me to, and blurted out, "Mr. Brian’s? I went there once."He turned his head and looked at me, a little surpr
23The exam was over.I didn’t go back to school.Throughout the winter vacation, I hid at home without going out.Bertram didn't seem as busy as before. He moved his work home and stayed with me every day.He was probably worried that I would do something stupid. But I wasn’t so fragile.Since my parents died, I had known how precious life was. How could I waste it? I was living for my parents and myself.However, I couldn't live as I had promised them, and I had failed.When the New Year was approaching, the school's exam results came out. Unsurprisingly, I flunked math.Bertram hadn’t brought any women back recently.It was like we were back in the old days when we talked about everything without scruples.He listened to me talking about the interesting things I had read online every day. He was very patient and cooperative. When he heard that I had flunked, he bought a math book and studied it, and then explained it to me seriously.But I disappointed him. Every time he