Chapter 217 - Separated Again

Jackson and Halia stood in the departure hall and looked up at the timetable. They were catching separate planes home: one was headed for Beijing, while the other was headed for Hong Kong.

Halia didn't want to be separated again. The last time they were separated, Jackson returned to France for a month and it felt like forever. How long would they be separated this time?

"Don't worry. As soon as I hand in my resignation and hand over everything, I will fly straight over to Beijing to join you. After that, we won't be separated again. I promise," Jackson comforted as he patted Halia on the head.

Halia frowned, "Don't take too long."

"I won't," Jackson replied as he arrived at his gate.

Jackson's flight was leaving two hours before Halia's, so the couple had no choice but to say goodbye in Munich.

As Halia watched Jackson walk through the gate, he turned around one last time and gave her a wave and she waved back reluctantly as emptiness filled her heart. Goodbyes were always tough, especially when it came to a person that one loved dearly.

Halia then walked over to the window and watched as everyone boarded and the luggage got packed into the plane. Eventually, it was time to lift off.

The plane left the gate and drove down to the start of the runway. Then, in less than no time, it sped up and lifted off the ground into the sky and disappeared amongst the clouds.

It was an odd feeling to watch someone disappear into the unknown. "Please, don't make me wait too long," Halia whispered as she glanced at her ring.

Jackson had only just left, but she missed him already...

...

After an intense day of interviews, Jaclyn actually slept soundly for the first time since her rehabilitation began. As she opened her eyes, she noticed she was still sitting upright. 

She glanced next to her and realized she had fallen asleep on someone's shoulder.

It was Mia.

That was right, they were chatting all night about their lives when Jaclyn fell asleep on Mia's shoulder. Mia must have seen her getting proper sleep for the first time in a few days so she didn't interrupt her. 

Jaclyn looked at her new friend. The kidnapping incident was a frightening experience, but at least, she walked out of there with a friend for life.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door and John walked in. The noise woke Mia up. She stretched her arms and looked around with confusion. "Oh, it's morning already," she exclaimed. "Did you sleep well?" she asked as she subconsciously massaged her shoulder.

Jaclyn laughed, "Yes, thank you. But, your shoulder must be sore." 

"It's alright," Mia replied. She then looked at John and waved at him, "John, you've studied massage techniques before. Come help me with my shoulder." 

Jaclyn moved away awkwardly and let John sit next to Mia. As she stood next to the bed and watched the two, it felt slightly strange. Every time John pressed on Mia's shoulder, Mia would m.o.a.n in pleasure. It almost felt like Jaclyn was intruding on a couple.

Last night, during their conversation, Mia had told Jaclyn that she had 3 boyfriends in the past and they all cheated on her. Because of that, she had lost trust in men. But, judging by the scene in front of Jaclyn, it seemed like Mia trusted John.

Jaclyn was older than Mia by three years, but in contrast to Mia, she had never had a boyfriend. No man had ever given her butterflies or made her feel the excitement that she had seen in dramas.

But, as she watched Mia and John, she suddenly felt something that she had never experienced before. She had wanted to pair Mia and John together before, but now that she saw them making physical contact and there was an ambiguous atmosphere in the room, she suddenly felt uncomfortable.

Her heart hurt a little.

Jaclyn placed her hand to her chest with confusion. Why was it hurting?

At that moment, Mia noticed the awkwardness on Jaclyn's face and realized the scene was slightly inappropriate. With a slight blush, she stood up and excused herself, "Ahem, I should be getting home. Jaclyn ate and slept fine last night, you can probably check on her a bit less today, John."

John nodded his head and stood back up as Mia left. 

After Mia left the room, Jaclyn breathed out and suddenly felt her body relax again. Why did she feel relieved to see Mia leave?

She then looked at John and smiled, "The two of you looked like a couple just then." As she said this, Jaclyn felt herself cringe on the inside. She felt fine teasing John in the past, but why did it feel so uncomfortable now?

John laughed awkwardly and turned towards the door. "I'll go get you breakfast," he said as he scurried out.

After he left, Jaclyn sat on the bed and held her heart. She had never felt this way before, but she had watched similar reactions in dramas and had a slight suspicion about what was going on.

She walked over to the window and peered outside, just in time to see Mia walk out of the apartment building and cross the road. Again, she felt relieved to see that Mia was gone.

Her eyes opened wide in realization as she turned and sat back down on the bed. "Am I jealous?" she asked herself in surprise.

At that moment, John returned with a bowl of porridge and some fresh fruit. "I prepared this for you. It should keep you going for the day," he smiled charmingly.

Jaclyn smiled back at the man and accepted the food thankfully. But, as she ate and the man watched her eat, she swallowed the food with confusion. 

If she was jealous, then why didn't she feel anything now that she was alone with John? In dramas, the main characters often got butterflies in their stomachs or felt tingles down their spines. Why didn't she feel that way?

Had she been lied to all these years?