Crystal Foster's words left Philip Allen silent for a long time. The word "friend" felt distant to him. He couldn't remember when he last had any friends around. Given his family background, the concept of friendship seemed too extravagant.
Yet, Sylvia Byrne's tone sounded sincere, with not a hint of pretense, leaving Philip momentarily speechless.
"Mr. Allen, I just wanted to tell you not to worry about this matter. If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. Goodbye."
Crystal had no desire to get entangled with Philip and promptly ended the call. From now on, Martin Riley would handle matters at school, and she planned to minimize her interactions with Philip.
Philip could clearly sense that Sylvia was genuinely distancing herself from him. But he didn't mind. If they were to part ways, it would make things easier for him in the future, should he need to act without hesitation.
