The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 359
“Tamara, have you ever stopped to think about why things have turned out this way?”
Tamara’s face went pale, and she clenched her fingers. “Josiah, are you blaming me?”
Josiah shook his head. “I’m not blaming you. I just hope you can be a little more rational and stop being so willful. Milford isn’t being cold to you for no reason. The chaos at the wedding, the scandals on the news-didn’t all of that start because of you? What you should be doing isn’t crying and making a scene, but figuring out how to fix it.”
Tamara stared at him in disbelief, tears welling in her eyes. “Josiah, how can you say that to me… In the past, no matter what I did, you always stood by my side!”
Josiah closed his eyes, his voice low. “Tamara, people change. Maybe… we spoiled you too much before.”
That sentence was like a knife stabbing straight into Tamara’s heart. She stood up abruptly, her voice shrill. “Fine! Since you won’t help me, I’ll go
find Zeus!”
With that, she turned and slammed the door behind her.
Tamara stood on the balcony, gripping her phone, her fingertips turning white from the tension. Only when Zeus’s slightly weary voice came from
the other end did she relax a little.
“Tamara? What is it?”
“Zeus…” Tamara’s voice was low and filled with grievance.
At first, she was full of hope. Even if Josiah wouldn’t help her, Zeus doted on her. He would surely be willing to help.
However, there was a silence on the other end for two seconds, followed
by the sound of shuffling papers. Zeus seemed to be busy. Then, Tamara heard his perfunctory reply.
“Yeah, I know. What do you want to do about it?”
Zeus’s tone wasn’t exactly cold, but he was clearly distracted.
Tamara bit her lip, feeling a chill in her heart, but she held onto a sliver of hope. “Zeus, could you… help me talk to Milford? Ask him to give me a chance to explain?”
Clearly, Hackett must have warned all of them beforehand. Faced with Tamara’s request, Zeus sighed. His voice softened, but he didn’t agree directly. “Tamara, I have important lab data to process right now. I really can’t get away.”
He paused, then added, “Besides, when it comes to relationships, it’s better if outsiders don’t interfere. You have to find a way to communicate with him yourself.”
Tamara’s eyes reddened. “But he won’t see me. I don’t even have the chance to speak…”
Zeus seemed helpless against her crying tone, and his demeanor softened further. “Don’t panic. Just calm down for a few days and wait until he’s thought things through.”
He tapped a few keys on his keyboard, then spoke again. “How about this? I’ll transfer you some money. Go buy yourself something you like and relax.”
“Ding.”
A notification sounded on her phone. Tamara looked down; it was a transfer for fifty thousand dollars.
“Zeus!” she protested unhappily. “I’m not here asking for money!”
Zeus chuckled lightly, his tone sounding like he was coaxing a child. “I know you’re not short on cash, but shopping is the best stress reliever
when you’re in a bad mood.”
His voice was gentle, yet it carried a hint of distance.
“I’m really swamped over here. I’ll listen to you vent properly in a few days when I’m free, okay?”
Tamara opened her mouth to say something else, but in the end, she just gave a quiet “Okay.”
After hanging up, she stared at her phone screen, feeling an emptiness in her chest. Although Zeus wasn’t as cold as Josiah, he clearly didn’t care that much either. His concern was superficial, like he was dealing with an ignorant child.
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