I met Yolanda in college. The first time I met her was in the school library. One day I wanted to borrow Robert Musil's book "The Man Without Qualities". The librarian looked it up and told me the shelf where the book was located.
When I walked to the bookshelf, a girl in a white dress was holding that book. This book was unpopular, and I never thought that someone would be looking for it today.
I thought she might just be reading it casually, so I picked up a book and casually flipped through it while waiting for her to put it back on the shelf. But I didn't expect that she would read it for more than two hours.
Feeling a little anxious, I kept stealing glances at this beautiful girl, and for a moment I even forgot that I was there to borrow the book.
She seemed to notice my gaze, and suddenly, she closed the book, staring at me warily like a frightened kitten.
I knew I might have offended her, so I smiled and pointed at the book in her hand, explaining, "I also want to read this book. I was in a hurry last time and forgot to borrow the book."
When the girl heard what I said, she looked surprised and smiled. "You also like this book? What a coincidence!
"Here you are. I just finished reading."
I took the book with a smile, but my eyes were still on the girl's innocent and lovely face.
I took the initiative to add Yolanda on WhatsApp. Since we shared the same interests, our communication was very natural, like old friends who had known each other for many years. We discussed the various issues expressed in the book, such as rationality and soul, scientific belief, and cultural pessimism.
We soon became close friends, and I gradually developed a crush on her.
I carefully planned my pursuit and showed my affection again and again, but Yolanda was always hesitant and silent.
I knew all this was because of Luis, Yolanda's ex-boyfriend.
She told me before that Luis was her first love. They met through her best friend Lily. After they had been together for one year, she found out that Luis had slept with a girl from the same department, and they broke up.
I knew that the emotional trauma left by her first love was difficult to make up for. Yolanda told me that she was afraid of being hurt again, and I promised her that I could wait.
I could accompany her to let her truly accept me.
I pursued her for two years, and finally, on the day of graduation, Yolanda agreed to be my girlfriend.
That day was the happiest day of my life.
After we were together, the relationship between us heated up rapidly. Yolanda had an innocent and pure character, and she cared about me, so she was very popular not only with my friends but also with my serious father.
My mother passed away early, and my father Sam liked Yolanda, so he hoped that we would get married.
Sam gave all the love and care that he usually didn't show to me to Yolanda.
Not only that, Sam also personally decided at the board meeting to support the building materials company owned by Yolanda's father Tony Watson. In just two years, Tony's company became a leader in the building materials industry. A few days ago, Sam decided to invest a sum of money in Tony's company.
I recalled everything that had happened since Yolanda and I met. In the past five years, I had never had the slightest doubt about her, who was well-behaved.
Maybe it was because I was busy helping my father run the company, or Yolanda was too good at disguising herself in the past five years, I didn't expect that I would encounter such a thing on the day when Yolanda and I got our marriage license, which should have been a beautiful and memorable day in my life.
As I sat at the door of the emergency room, I rubbed my temples hard, sorting out my messy thoughts. I didn't have time to think about the past anymore. What I cared about now was my father who was in critical condition in the emergency room.
At this moment, the lights in the emergency room suddenly went out. I stood up and walked to the door. The doctor and the nurse pushed Sam, who was covered with a white sheet, out. The doctor patted my shoulder and said sadly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Lopez..."
Before the doctor finished speaking, I felt as if my world collapsed, followed by endless tinnitus. I couldn't hear a word the doctor said later.
My mother passed away early, and it was my father who raised me alone. Although he was very strict with me and was busy with work, he still fulfilled his responsibilities as a good father. But now he died of a sudden heart attack because of the matter between Yolanda and Luis. Although I loved Yolanda very much before, I would make her pay the price for what she did.