She's Too Late

I kept refreshing the app, refusing to give up, but all I saw was "sold out".

The couch beside me dipped as Lisa sat down. She picked up a piece of pineapple with her fork.

"What's the rush? Just try again tomorrow."

"Lisa, there are only a limited number of tickets for the holidays. Once they're gone, they're gone for good."

Her hand froze in mid-air. It seemed like she'd just remembered that fact. She turned and snatched my phone from me.

I watched her tap away on my screen.

But no matter how hard she tapped, all the tickets to my hometown for the entire week were sold out.

The living room fell into a dead silence, with only the strong, sweet scent of pineapple lingering in the air.

A few seconds later, she put the phone down and said without looking up, "I was too anxious just now. I thought you could still book tickets."

My face was grim. "I told you half an hour ago, the tickets were released all at once, not in batches."

Lisa pursed her lips, then got up and went to the balcony to make a call.

"I'll ask someone to check if there are any spare tickets."

I watched her make a few calls. When she came back, she tossed her phone onto the table without saying a word, avoiding my eyes.

The last shred of hope I had was now completely gone.

Both phones, lying side by side, chimed with notification sounds at the same time.

On my phone, Mom and Dad were asking if I'd managed to get tickets.

But on her phone, it was a successful ticket purchase notification for her and her assistant, Henry Mason.

Lisa coughed awkwardly. "Henry's mom sprained her ankle, so he has to go back to check on her. I'll explain it to your grandma personally next time we meet."

I couldn't help clenching my fists. "Grandma's critically ill. How do you know there's a next time?"

Her brows furrowed. "Jeffrey Woods, does your grandma know you're talking about her like this?"

I froze. "What do you mean by that?"

Lisa leaned back on the couch, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice. "You said your grandma was critically ill, and you asked me three times to go home with you. The moment I agreed, you immediately tried to book tickets. I think you're making her condition sound worse than it actually is. You tried to use your grandma's illness to make me go back to your hometown to get married."

I stood rooted to the spot, my hands and feet turning ice cold.

"You think I lied to you to force you to get married?"

She didn't say anything, but the downturn of her lips was a clear admission.

"My grandma has acute heart failure. She's in the ICU, barely holding on with medication. I've shown you the video."

I found that video, the one that always filled me with dread every time I watched it.

But when I held it up to Lisa, she just looked away. "That can't prove anything. Henry heard from someone that your cousin hooked up with a rich lady using the exact same trick."

My arm dropped, and I let out a helpless laugh.

She wouldn't believe the video my dad took in the ICU, but she believed Henry's gossip.

The doorbell rang, and Lisa went to open the door.

The moment she opened the door just a crack, Henry excitedly wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Ms. Jetrow, you actually managed to get tickets for me!"

I stood up and saw Lisa open her arms and hug him around the neck.

"Yeah, I'll go back to your hometown with you in three days."