Ice and Fire novel Chapter 78

At the international airport

After she got out of the taxi, Cherry saw Stephen waiting for her, and walked towards him.

Stephen also walked up to her, and saw that she had only brought one piece of luggage with her. He asked, "Cherry, are you sure that you'll be fine with just that bag?"

"Yes, I'm sure, " said Cherry.

She then took the ticket and passport from him and looked at the boarding time on the ticket. She said, "The flight will take off pretty soon, so I better go in."

Stephen was wistful, and while he soulfully looked at Cherry, he said, "Cherry, can you reconsider? I... I don't want you to leave."

Cherry took a deep breath, and while she pretended to be strong, she said, "Stephen, you already know that I want to live my own life."

Then she turned her head sideways, because she feared to look at Stephen. She knew that her heart was already too fragile to bear another hit, and if Stephen tried to persuade her to stay, then she might change her mind.

Stephen knew the sadness that lied deep in Cherry's heart, and he didn't ask her again, even though he was regretful. He comforted himself, 'I'll be happy as long as she is happy.'

"Well, will you at least contact me later?" Stephen hoped that he would speak to her again, and that his sadness will be eventually relieved in the future.

However, Cherry shook her head, and replied, "Well, Stephen, you already know that I want to start fresh, so I don't think that I'll contact you anymore."

When Stephen looked at Cherry, he saw tears in her eyes. At that moment, he felt that his heart had been slashed by a knife, but yet he couldn't say anything.

She pretended to be happy and said, "Stephen, I'm glad that you helped me; you're one of my most genuine friends. Thank you, but I have to leave now."

When she tried to move, Stephen suddenly grabbed her hand, and asked, "Cherry, when will you come back?"

Cherry shook her head, and at first didn't say anything. Silence reigned between them for some time, but she finally said, "I don't know, maybe never."

Stephen puckered his lips and didn't know what to say.

Cherry knew that he was sad, and she kept pretending to be strong to comfort him. She said, "Stephen, enjoy your life, and remember, we both need to live well."

Stephen nodded, and then saw her leave. Eventually, he abandoned to say what he had hidden deep in his heart.

"Cherry, if you hadn't married Jackson, if we hadn't met each other because of Jackson, if I hadn't cared for you because of Jackson, I might have endeavored to protect you and make you happy."

On her seat inside the plane, Cherry closed her eyes and tried not to cry, but she couldn't. Tears then flowed from her eyes, and at that moment, Jackson's face, and the happiness that had been between them flooded Cherry's heart. Actually, Cherry didn't want to leave Jackson at all, even though he didn't love her and was willing to abandon her for another woman.

But she changed her idea when she touched her belly, where her baby was slowly growing inside. She made up her mind to leave, and believed that she had to leave, so her child wouldn't suffer what she had suffered. Would she be able to endure the pain if her child ever suffered like she had? The answer was clear to her.

Cherry then wiped off her tears with a piece of tissue, and told herself to be strong for her child. She kept thinking, "I have no choice but to be strong, and to forget Jackson and all of my past."

Cherry then tried to wipe out all of her negative emotion, and moved Jackson out of her head. She thought, "I have to think of my future life. I have to plan for my baby's future and myself. I have to try my best to give it a warm and loving happy family."

The plane then took off with Cherry crying quietly inside it.

"Jackson, I'm gone, I love you."

Three days later, it seemed that the world couldn't be more serene, but such was the calm before the storm.

Jackson meditated in the car, and was very delighted that he was on his way back home to see Cherry. His heart was filled with joy when he remembered Cherry's beautiful face in his mind.

While he was driving, Derek looked at Jackson through the rearview mirror, and it seemed to him that Jackson was relaxed. He wondered if he missed Cherry at that moment.

Derek broke the silence in the car, and asked, "Jackson, you really miss Cherry a lot, don't you?" although he thought that it was a bit awkward to ask him something like this.

Jackson then slowly opened his eyes, and seriously said, "Pay attention to your driving."

Derek teased him, but he just wanted to chat with him, and said, "I'm always focused, but I doubt that you are. Don't you think that I should be jealous because you're missing others while you're with me in the car?"

Jackson didn't want to reply to him at first, and instead became the cold man that he had always been. He then looked at Derek, and asked, "When will Selina come back?"

Derek didn't expect that Jackson would ever mention of his younger sister, and at first didn't know how to reply to him. Why did Jackson mention Selina?

Derek became listless when he spoke of Selina. He said, "I don't know when she'll be coming back either. Although she called and said that she would return back home after she settled her business a few days ago, she hasn't called back again. How could I know what she's doing? She has to apologize to us when she comes back, you know, because we two elder brothers are very caring for her."

Jackson was still thinking of his wife, and asked, "Cherry hasn't met Selina yet, has she?"

Derek then finally understood that Jackson actually cared for Cherry rather than Selina, and he asked, "Jackson, missing Cherry seems to be your new life's mission now. Will you die if you ever stop missing her?"

"Shut up!" said Jackson.

Derek pretended to be sad, and replied, "I thought that you really cared Selina, but you just want to introduce Cherry to Selina. Alas, my heart is broken again."

He knew that Derek was joking, as he always did, and Jackson just ignored him.

After a while, Jackson said, "When Selina comes back, let's have dinner together and introduce her to Cherry. The two might like each other and become friends."

Derek nodded, and replied, "Indeed, Selina can have a great time with anyone. If she knows that Cherry is her sister-in-law, then she'll definitely spend a lot of time with her."

Jackson was unhappy after he heard that Selina might occupy Cherry's time, and said, "Derek, keep a close eye on Selina and have her stay at home."

Derek shrugged his shoulders, showing him that he couldn't control where Selina went either.

He parked the car in front of Jackson's home and saw the gates were locked. He said, "Alas, Jackson, it seems that Cherry is out and you still miss her."

Jackson didn't reply to him and instead got out of the car. Although he was a bit frustrated when he noticed the lock on the gates, he was still joyful that he would soon see her.

Jackson shook his head, and said, "Come and pick me up in two days."

"See you, " said Derek, and started the car's engine, and left.