Chapter 32 MEMORIES
Since she's finished with her shopping and headed to the checkout.
She found herself smiling at the little conversation she had with Bruno playing in her head, and how he handed her the cake mix.
It felt like she was in one of those K-dramas with a tall, handsome male lead.
Well, except that I have never seen an actor that can compare to him.
"Oh my goodness, he is so handsome up close!"
She giggled.
He just gave her a K-drama moment.
The way he stood behind her like that hot handsome tall main character in a romantic drama.
Well, the only difference is that none of them had the same attractiveness as Mr. Bruno.
She can't wait to give Jessie the full gist.
First, she needs to stop thinking about it or her face will be so red and make her excitement obvious.
The cashier at the checkout desk cleared her throat loudly to get her attention.
Beauty blinked, only then did she realize she had been acting weirdly in front of the cashier.
"You are next in the line"
"Oh sorry..."
Beauty murmured in embarrassment.
After the payment, the woman glared at her.
"Here is your receipt".
"Thanks".
Beauty replied awkwardly, still embarrassed, and carried the shopping bags.
As soon as she stepped out of the grocery store, it felt as if the rain had been waiting for her.
The downpour started immediately, heavy and relentless, with torrents of water cascading from the sky.
People with umbrellas quickly disappeared into the distance, and cars sped away.
Beauty glanced around desperately, hoping for a cab or another option, but there were none to be seen.
She thought of going back into the mail, but her mother must be waiting, and she also warned her to take an umbrella.
It's her fault.
Frustrated, she stood under the store's overhang, her blouse, and jeans already drenched with the rain.
A few minutes later.
The rain showed no sign of letting up, and she felt a surge of anger at herself for forgetting her umbrella again.
She knew she always got the flu and even pneumonia after exposure to cold, yet she was so careless and forgot her umbrella.
She shivered, feeling the cold seeping through her clothes, and tried to keep her composure.
As someone who is easily prone to cold, she couldn't help with the shivering and cough.
In the midst of the rain chaos, Beauty's eyes fell on a young couple huddled together under a single umbrella, the boy holding the girl by the waist and the girl's head resting on the boy's shoulder as they walked together.
It looked so lovely and romantic.
The sight made Beauty's heartache with a pang of nostalgia and sadness.
She had never had such an experience before and the one she had was well...
Her mind went back to high school. It was her first high school relationship after the heartbreaking encounter with Steven.
She could remember the scene vividly like it was yesterday.
A particular rainy day after school, she was with her high school boyfriend, Steven.
They had been caught in a similar downpour, and his friends had laughed at her when he refused to share the umbrella.
Steven was standing under the shelter of a large umbrella, looking at Beauty with a frown and disgust. She stood in the rain, staring back at her boyfriend confused.
That was her umbrella.
"I'm sorry, but it's just not fair to share this umbrella with you," he said, his voice a hint of mockery. "You're three times my size. I'll get soaked, and it won't cover me properly."
His friends, standing nearby under their umbrella, with their girlfriends wrapped around them, amused by his words.
"Come on, Steven, that's unfair to poor Whale," one of them, Mark, said with a laugh.
"Don't be a wuss. Just share it with her. It's not like she's asking for the world. After all, you choose to date the biggest girl in the whole school".
They burst out laughing.
Steven shrugged, ignoring their remarks about managing with her.
"It's not my fault that she is fat, I am a good enough guy to accept her proposal to be her boyfriend, if she is slim like other girls, I would definitely share".
The boys and their girlfriends couldn't hold their laughter.
Beauty's face flushed with humiliation and embarrassment.
"It's okay," she said softly, trying to hide her hurt. "You can keep the umbrella Steve. I'll manage."
With that, Steve took the umbrella and walked away with his friends, leaving Beauty standing in the rain.
"She was the one who asked you out? I knew it!"
===
Chapter 33 KEEP CALM
"Even if I get a monthly payment, I would never date that whale".
"At Least, she helps with homework".
She heard them say as they laughed again and walked away.
Beauty recalled how she walked through the rain, tears mingling with the raindrops on her cheeks, her heart heavy with sadness.
Coughing and shivering.
Her parents had warned her to always stay warm because of her condition.
By the time she reached home, she was completely soaked with water and a sudden fever had claimed her.
Her mother looked up from the kitchen, concerned all over her face.
"Beauty, you're soaked! What happened? Where is your umbrella, you are prone to cold" her mother asked, rushing to her side with a towel.
"I hate myself! Why am I so fat!"
She cried loudly.
Her mother paused instantly in fear, it wasn't a surprise scenery.
The next reaction was necessary.
She quickly took her phone to call their home doctor, her eyes wet with panic.
Numerous times Beauty had been hospitalized after a suicide attempt resulting from unbearable bullying of her classmates, as a child and a teenager.
"I didn't take any substance".
Beauty said blanking knowing what her mother was thinking.
Her mother sighed in relief as she dropped her phone and ran to her.
She rushed and hugged her daughter so tightly.
"Oh honey".
Beauty found herself crying at the old-time memories.
She had managed to dry her face a little when she noticed someone standing in front of her.
Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up to find Mr. Bruno, holding his umbrella and looking concerned.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently, his voice warm and caring.
Beauty quickly wiped away the remnants of her tears, forcing a smile.
"Oh, I'm perfectly okay, sir," she said, though her voice wavered.
"You look like you're freezing. Here, you can take my umbrella."
Beauty's heart raced, but she was glad he didn't say share.
Not like it's been possible to share an umbrella with her boss and a celebrity like Bruno but her size.
"I am sorry sir, but you only have one umbrella, and it's not fair to take it from you."
He nodded understandingly but then reached into his hoodie and pulled out a raincoat.
"Actually, I also have a raincoat. It's new, so it should fit you perfectly."
Before Beauty could protest, Mr. Bruno handed her the raincoat. She took it hesitantly, her fingers brushing against his.
The raincoat looked pristine and stylish, and she was surprised when she realized it was her size. It was almost as if it had been tailored for her.
"Did he just buy this?"
She thought.
Before she could lift her face up and thank him, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her.
She was standing right beside Bruno, under his umbrella!
How is this happening!
She looked tiny beside him even as a plus size, she dared not look up at him, what if they make eye contact.
"Beauty keep calm! Yes, your heart is beating so freaking fast, but it won't Burst out, will it? Maybe I am hallucinating from fever"