Just as Evelyn was about to type a reply to the text message, an encrypted video call suddenly popped up on her screen.
She stared at it for a few seconds, wearing a sour little smile like the laptop had just personally offended her.
A heavy sigh slipped from her lips as she debated whether to accept.
She hardly ever had the time or patience to confront him. Usually, they only have a video call when she is in deep trouble. And it was always her calling him, not the other way around, like this.
Before Evelyn could decide, the call connected itself, and there he was—a man in black-framed glasses, worry practically radiating from his eyes.
She chuckled miserably, amazed at how fast he'd caught wind of her latest drama, even from halfway across the world.
"You must have a ton of free time over there, Oscar, if you're scrolling through gossip from my side of the planet,"
Evelyn said without bothering with a hello. They had long since passed the stage of polite greetings.
"Are you alright?" He clearly ignored her jab.
She shook her head and let out a soft chuckle.
"Dang, Oscar… of course I'm fine. If I weren't, I probably wouldn't be talking to you right now because I'd be lying down in the emergency room."
Instead of laughing at her sarcastic answer, he smirked faintly before snapping, "What the fuck happened with you? Why did your father kick you out of the family?"
"Why ask when you can dig the info yourself? And remember, he's no longer my father… he's my ex-father."
Evelyn nearly burst into laughter in her head as she watched Oscar Jennings, her best friend, with his comical jaw practically hitting the floor.
She knew perfectly well that if Oscar wanted answers, he could get them in minutes.
He was still the same formidable hacker she'd met years ago; one search, and every ugly detail of her latest scandal would be sitting neatly on his screen.
Oscar shook his head, disappointment and sympathy flickering across his face.
"I'm sorry, Eve. You must be hurting so much you've forgotten my promise."
"What promise?" she asked, puzzled. He wasn't wrong; half her memories felt hazy now. Or maybe she'd just shoved them into the mental shredder for her own sanity.
"I promised I'd never dig any dirt on you... not on your life, your family, your friends, unless you asked me to."
Evelyn let out a deep sigh, her chest tightening. It was her silent way of telling him he could dig all he wanted now. Those names, that family… she'd erased them from her life. She didn't care anymore.
Oscar's gaze sharpened, a flicker of worry flashing in his eyes.
"Eve, you can trust me. Just tell me what really happened. I'm here to help you, my friend..."
They locked eyes like two competitors in a high-stakes staring contest; no blinks, no surrender.
After what felt like a century, Evelyn finally caved. Fine. She'd tell him.
Besides, carrying her burdens alone was really draining, and she could definitely use a little extra support to lighten her load.
"William Walters…" she said with casual nonchalance, as if she were announcing tomorrow's weather. "He kicked me out because I refused to marry the man he had selected and picked for me."
Oscar's face shifted quickly from curiosity to a sour expression, as if he had just tasted a lemon.
It was a hilarious and relatable moment that made Evelyn stifle a smile.
"What the heck? How could he do that to his own daughter? His own bloodline. Are you sure he's your father? Woah! What he did is fucking sick and unbelievable! William Walters is evil... no, pure villain material. He's so fucking terrible as a human being! And a father!!"
Evelyn couldn't help but laugh, amused at the way his face flushed crimson, looking seconds away from letting steam whistle out of his ears.
"Well, my friend," she said, a smirk tugging at her lips, "I'm starting to suspect he's not my biological father. He's on a whole other level of terrible. Truly shameless…"
Oscar exhaled heavily, giving her a look dripping with pity. However, with his sharp tongue, pity always came with a side of judgment.
"So what are you going to do now?" His voice still carried the weight of concern.
"What else? Obviously, I'll start my new life. No rush. I'm just going to enjoy my little refresh…" she replied, flashing him a smile that was meant to ease the furrow in his brow, though judging by his expression, it wasn't working.
He is still worried.
"Eve, come here. Dating me, I'll take care of you…" He offered.
Her brow creased.
'Oh great. Serious Oscar. Just what I needed today...'
She feels Oscar suddenly looked like a different man, like some overly responsible alter ego had body-snatched her best friend.
Typically, this guy was all jokes, no strings. Romance between them? Please. That ship had never even been built.
"I can't. I need to stay here for now," Evelyn replied casually, keeping her tone light. "But maybe in the future, I might consider moving to your country."
Then Oscar dropped a line that nearly sent her choking on thin air.
"Seriously, Eve… come here and let's get married."
"Cough... Cough... Excuse me, what?!"
She feels like her brain short-circuited.
Instead of laughing like a normal human at her horror, Oscar's eyes narrowed.
Was he being serious… or was this some bizarre attempt to make her smile? She honestly couldn't tell.
"Are you crazy?"
"I'm Oscar Jennings… not crazy." His delivery was maddeningly deadpan.
"Drop it! I'm serious, Oscar. And don't even joke about that. My heart is fragile... It might break easily."
Evelyn glared while she shook her head.
"I've never been this serious before, Eve. Come here… I'll make sure you never have to worry about a thing. Just enjoy your life to the fullest. No drama, no stress, just fun." His voice still carried that unnerving sincerity.
Instead of blushing like some romance heroine, Evelyn burst out laughing.