Tears Beyond MeasureChapter 2

“Neil Schmidt!? Oh my gosh, Audrey, how many connections do you have that I don’t know about? First Neil Schmidt, then Tommy Stark… but…” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “I heard Tommy Stark has someone he likes. But the person he likes supposedly disappeared. He’s spent so much effort looking for her for years and hasn’t found her. I remember her last name was Reed… What a coincidence, Audrey, you’re a Reed too!”

I lowered my gaze, interrupting her fantasies. “Don’t think too much, there are many people named Reed.”

“So, are you going to Tommy’s birthday party tomorrow?”

“No.”

She sounded a bit disappointed by that answer. But she seemed even more interested in my connections. The autumn wind was somewhat bleak, sweeping fallen leaves across the path. I pulled my coat tighter, instinctively raising a hand to touch my slightly cold neck.

Under Chloe’s relentless questioning, I finally opened up about a past that I had deliberately sealed away in my heart.

“I had a crush on Tommy Stark, during my teenage years. A crush that failed, completely and utterly.”

On the first day of college, during self-introductions, as classmates confidently stepped onto the stage, speaking about their interests and hobbies, I suddenly felt a pang of embarrassment and lowered my head. My family was poor. My mother died in childbirth. My father single-handedly bore the burden of the family. When I was in my junior year of high school, my father was suddenly diagnosed with cancer. My brother resolutely dropped out of college to work and earn money. But the high monthly medical bills still suffocated our family.

When it was my turn to go on stage, my palms were sweating from nervousness. My stammering introduction successfully drew laughter from the classmates below. “Where did this country bumpkin come from? Still wearing a floral dress, this outfit is so outdated! Can’t she keep up with current trends?” “I saw her at the start of the semester; her family seemed quite struggling. Two wheels were missing from her suitcase, and she hadn’t bothered to get a new one…” “She can’t even give a clear introduction, just get down already, don’t waste our time!”

I clutched my skirt hem, my face beet red with helplessness. This dress was bought by my father and brother before college started. I said it was too expensive, not to buy it. But my father chuckled and paid, “It’s fine, don’t worry about the money. Look pretty on your first day, leave a good impression on your classmates.” The dress wasn’t cheap, about two hundred, which was half a month’s living expenses for me.

I turned awkwardly, about to step off the stage, when a loud voice rang out from the crowd. “Who said she’s ugly? She’s not ugly; I think she looks quite good.” Following the voice, everyone fell silent. Tommy Stark leaned casually back in his chair, chewing gum. As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on me. In that moment, the world beyond him seemed to lose its color. I could only see the boy’s bright eyes and the smile on his lips.

Chloe nodded thoughtfully, shaking my arm excitedly. “So you started crushing on him then? Such a handsome guy, coming to your rescue when you’re in trouble—if it were me, I’d be smitten too.”

I calmly took a sip of tea. Actually, no. My truly deep interactions with Tommy began during winter break. I was working part-time at a car wash to earn tuition when a quarrel suddenly approached, growing louder. A car screeched to a halt in front of the car wash. Immediately after, a meticulously wrapped bouquet of flowers was thrown from the car window, landing precisely on my head as I bent over to adjust a machine.

“Tommy Stark, what’s with your attitude? I came back to reconcile with you, and this is how you brush me off?” Tommy’s nonchalant scoff came through. “Elara Chase, I picked you up from the airport because I didn’t want to disrespect your parents and make your aunt and uncle uncomfortable. Why do you think I’d be waiting for you to come back?” He continued, “We agreed to apply to the best universities together, but you left the country without a word. What, you have the right to pursue your dreams, but I don’t have the right to pursue love?”

Elara was so angry she laughed. “Love? Don’t tell me, Mr. Tommy Stark, that you’ve fallen for someone else.”

Tommy turned his head, his gaze meeting mine as I rubbed my head. He suddenly smiled. “Do you still think I can’t live without you? Elara Chase, let me tell you, from now on, anyone but you, I can have.” With that, he immediately got out of the car, pulled a black velvet gift box from his inner pocket, and casually tossed it to me. “It’s yours.”

Elara was so furious that tears streamed down her face. “Even a car wash girl?”

Tommy answered flippantly. “Yes.”

Elara got out of the car crying, disappearing into the crowded streets. She didn’t look back, so she didn’t see Tommy’s gaze, which remained fixed on her retreating back. From that day on, I became Tommy Stark’s little shadow. Because he asked me to play a role with him. As long as I played it well, I would get paid.