“Pretty, isn’t it?” Tiffany asked.
Hearing that, I snapped out of it and looked
at her. “It’s okay.”
She didn’t say anything, just bit her lip,
looking disappointed.
“Danny, I know I’ve been a mess lately. I’ve
said a lot of hurtful things, but I didn’t mean
it.”
Tiffany was apologizing.
I smiled, thinking she was at least being
decent enough to say sorry before we parted
ways.
“It’s okay. It’s all in the past,” I said.
Hearing that, Tiffany’s eyes lit up, and she
grabbed my hand. “Really? You’re not mad?”
I didn’t know why she was acting like this and
was about to say something when my phone.
buzzed.
I pulled away from Tiffany and checked the
message. It was from the real estate agent I
had contacted.
“Mr. Smith, the apartment is ready. The
<
landlord will contact you when you arrive.”
I turned off the screen and looked at Tiffany
again.
This was really goodbye.
I took a deep breath and smiled at her. “Yeah,
I’m not mad.”
Hearing that, Tiffany seemed relieved and
reached for my hand, but I instinctively
stepped back.
Tiffany noticed the subtle movement, and her
smile froze.
“Danny, you’re really not angry?”
“There’s so much I want to say…
く
“Tiffany, let’s talk when I get back,” I
interrupted, feeling exhausted.
She opened her mouth but nodded and said
nothing. “Okay. We have plenty of time. We
can talk after we see Mrs. Peterson.”
I used being tired as an excuse to get her to
leave.
As she walked to the door, Tiffany kept
looking back at me. When she reached the
door, she put the ring in my hand. “Hold on to
this for me.”
“I’ll pick you up after work tomorrow, and we
can go see Mrs. Peterson together.”
I watched her in silence.
The second the door closed, I threw the ring
in the trash.
I grabbed my suitcase and car keys and
headed for the airport.
This was really over.
Chapter 2
Five years later, the plane landed in New
York.
As I walked out of the terminal, I saw Sarah
Walker, smiling by a black Bentley.
Sarah saw me too, waving as she rushed
over. “Long time no see, Danny.”
I smiled. “Hard to believe the famous director
came to pick me up.”
Sarah laughed, grabbed my luggage, and
steered me toward the car. “Everyone’s dying
to meet you, the late–blooming screenwriter.”
As we drove, I looked out the window,
watching the city blur past.
I never thought I’d come back here, but here I
was.
“How long are you staying?” Sarah asked.
Without thinking, I answered, “Until your
movie wraps. Then I’m heading to California
for some inspiration.”
Sarah nodded and we fell into silence.
Soon, we arrived at the restaurant.
く
We walked in and I saw my fellow filmmakers.
I couldn’t believe that Tiffany was here, a
person I thought I would never see again.
“Everyone, this is Joke, the famous
screenwriter. His real name is Danny Smith.”
The room erupted in applause.
People couldn’t help but whisper about me.
“I can’t believe such a famous screenwriter is
so young. I thought he’d be some old dude.”
“Don’t say that. His talent speaks for itself.”
“I heard Sarah worked hard to get him here. I
think they’re pretty close…”
I ignored the comments, tore my eyes from
Tiffany, and smiled at the group. “Just call me
Danny. Looking forward to working with you.”
Sarah pulled me to a seat, but I could feel
Tiffany’s gaze burning into me.
As I sat down, Sarah introduced me to
Tiffany. “Danny, this is Tiffany Sutton, the
movie’s main investor.” She looked at Tiffany.
“Tiffany, this is my friend, Danny Smith.”
“I didn’t know you two were friends.”
