Back on My Feet のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

I did not want Anna to recognize me, but I still watched her as she left. I kept watching until she disappeared into the crowd.I suddenly remembered the first time I saw her. She had been wearing a cheap work uniform with her face covered in sweat. She had been holding a stack of documents and several cups of coffee at the same time, stumbling into the company.My eyes went straight to her as she attracted my full attention.After that, I brought my secretary with me and spent weeks sitting in the staff lounge, watching Anna work quickly and efficiently.From nine in the morning until ten at night, her coworkers ordered her around nonstop. Sometimes she was so busy she did not even have time to eat. She could only force down a few bites of bread to fill her stomach.From her file, I learned she was a new intern at the branch office. She had a mother with a serious illness at home and a father addicted to gambling. She had learned to save money for her family since she was little.

I lowered my eyes and touched the pocket over my chest. Inside was a ten-dollar bill. It was the same one Anna had placed in the plastic bucket.I did not spend it. Even though that ten dollars could have bought me painkillers, I could not. It was the last connection between Anna and me.From the moment I first saw Anna, I knew she was someone exceptional.Over the past four years, I still caught pieces of news about her through other people's conversations and screens in public places even when I did not have a television or a phone.She was doing great after she left me. In just four years, she had already become the CEO of a publicly traded company, openly displaying her love for Marvin as their wedding date drew closer.I had thought that I would only be able to see Anna on television or in magazines for the rest of my life… Until I met her again a few days ago.Seeing her after four years felt like a dream come true. The instant I saw her, all the longing I had suppressed fo

When Anna saw that I really could not drink anything at the cafe, she took me to a restaurant and to a private room.I did not hold back. First of all, I was truly hungry. Secondly, I had helped Anna get hired into a permanent position, handled her family problems for her, and spent so much money on her.I could do one meal.When the dishes were served, I still gulped despite myself.I had not eaten anything this good in four years. Usually, I would simply buy one or two dinner rolls and eat them with cold water. Later, I bought a small electric kettle as I did not dare drink water I had not boiled first. I could not afford to get sick in my current condition, after all.If I got sick, I would end up like the old homeless man.Sometimes I thought living like this was worse than dying. But every time I reached that bridge, I would think of Anna's smile. The only person in this world I still cared about was Anna. Seeing her on the screen at the mall was a good enough reason to keep

Anna still wanted to say something, but the door leading into the private room opened.Marvin walked in with a crowd, holding a bouquet of roses in his hands. He looked at Anna with deep love and said, "Anna, I've waited for you for four years. Isn't it time you made us official?"Dozens of people gathered around Anna and Marvin, chatting and laughing. The heavy mood in the room was instantly lifted and the whole atmosphere loosened. "You still haven't proposed to Anna, Marvin? That's on you. You should have locked down someone as good as her a long time ago!"Marvin smiled happily. "We were both busy with our careers before. Besides, I should be the one to do it when it comes to a proposal. It's my fault for being too busy. I made her wait too long."Marvin's words were flawless, and everyone there praised their love. "You know what they say about letting it cook. You've stayed by Anna's side for so many years. Not just anyone can compare with that.""Exactly. Anna and Marvin are

After I had left without saying goodbye, my secretary and Anna both searched for me.She contacted everyone she could as if she had gone mad. She had spent huge amounts of money and searched every corner of the city, but she still could not find me.She even begged my enemy to tell her where I was. He made her serve drinks at a bar where customers groped her, and she was nearly assaulted.Fortunately, the police arrived in time.My secretary said Anna sat in the police station all night, watching security camera footage until she found the clip of me boarding the train.Only then did she finally sigh in relief.But she also cried all night.No matter how much she begged, the police would not tell her where I had gone.That was because I had used the last of my connections to hide my tracks completely.From then on, Anna stopped searching blindly and threw herself into making money. She took the money she had transferred from my account back then, sold the jewelry she had taken