41. Baby, Don't Cry

"Cassie, are you buying all of these?"

Tara watched with shock as Dorothy tossed several dresses to the sales assistant to be rung up.

"Of course!"

Dorothy shot a sidelong glance at the sales assistant from before and said with a cold sneer, "They're just a few dresses. If I like them, I buy them. It's not like I can't afford it."

"Tara, sorry to keep you waiting." Dorothy gave Tara a small smile, picked up another dress, and turned back toward the fitting room.

Tara opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, ultimately saying nothing.

Normally, Dorothy was frugal in everything except food. This bout of revenge spending was truly inexplicable.

But Tara had already tried to persuade her and failed. Seeing the gap while she was trying on dresses, Tara stepped into the boutique next door.

A sales assistant quickly approached: "Miss, is there something I can help you find?"

Tara voiced the item she had been considering for a long time. "Do you have men's neckties?"

"Yes, Miss, this way please."

The boutique was large, selling everything from men's suits to various ties, bowties, and cufflinks.

Tara walked to the tie counter. After a quick scan, her gaze settled on one in particular.

It was a tie with a deep navy blue base, possessing a soft, restrained luster. Exquisite dark patterns were etched into the fabric, and the edges featured a silver trim. It felt low-key yet exuded a luxurious, noble texture.

Killian would definitely look good in this.

Seeing her expression, the assistant immediately explained enthusiastically, "Miss, you have excellent taste. This tie is our store's treasure. This is the last one left, blah blah blah..."

She went on at length, and Tara listened patiently before saying warmly, "Mhm, please wrap it up for me, thank you."

A ten-thousand-dollar tie, bought just like that without a hint of haggling—this was the exact type of customer sales people loved most.

The assistant's attitude turned fervent: "Certainly, Miss! Please wait just a moment!"

Tara nodded slightly, her gaze continuing to linger on the cufflink counter.

However, as she was looking, a shadow suddenly loomed over her.

"Tuantuan, is it really you?"

Ming gazed at the girl before him with surprise. Her features were so well-behaved and sweet they almost seemed surreal. His heart couldn't stop racing.

In person, she was countless times more beautiful than in the photos!

Tara looked at the unfamiliar young man with confusion.

Who was Tuantuan?

"Sir, have you mistaken me for someone else?"

Mistaken her?

Ming frowned slightly, his tone becoming urgent as he immediately pulled out his WeChat records. "Tuantuan, don't you recognize me? I'm Ming!"

Startled by his excited tone, Tara took a step back. She stared blankly at the WeChat chat history he thrust in front of her, and then her gaze locked onto a familiar profile picture.

"Bang!"

The dormitory door was thrown open anxiously. At that moment, Chloe and Cassidy were watching a horror movie.

When they saw Tara burst in with a pale face, the two of them let out long screams, nearly fainting from the fright.

"Has Dorothy come back yet?"

Before they could recover, Tara asked in a heavy voice.

"Wasn't she out shopping with you?"

Seeing her terrible expression, their fear vanished and was replaced by confusion. "What's wrong, Tara?"

Tara didn't answer. she ran out of the dorm again, searching the places Dorothy usually liked to go, but after a long time, she found nothing.

She dialed the phone countless times, but every call went unanswered.

If you have a clear conscience, why do you need to hide from me?

The dull pain of betrayal swept through her heart again, pressing down until she could barely breathe.

She sat down on a bench along the road, her strength gone. She gazed blankly at the passing students, fruitlessly and repeatedly dialing that number.

It wasn't until her phone battery was completely drained and her grief turned into a wave of exhaustion that she leaned helplessly against the cold bench and fell into a deep sleep.

"Tara, Tara..."

Time seemed to lose its order. After an unknown period, a low, pleasant voice rang gently in her ear.

Tara opened her eyes groatily and unexpectedly met a pair of phoenix eyes as deep as cold stars.

"Why did you fall asleep here? Are you feeling unwell?"

The handsome young man was kneeling on one knee, his gaze fixed deeply on her. The usual biting coldness in his eyes had vanished, replaced by tenderness and unconcealed worry.

Under such a gaze, the distress and grievance that Tara had finally managed to suppress came crashing back like an overwhelming tide.

Her nose stung, and unable to hold back any longer, she reached out to hug his sturdy neck and collapsed into his arms.

"Killian, Killian..."

She called his name repeatedly, her tears falling like broken pearls. Her soft, broken sobs felt like a dull blade cutting into Killian's heart.

He stood up and pulled her to sit on his lap, his large, well-defined hand gently patting her back to comfort her.

"I'm here."

The normally cold and indifferent young man was almost tender to the bone at this moment.

He leaned down slightly, gently kissing away the tears on her cheeks over and over. "Baby, don't cry. I'm here."

Tara cried for a long time until she was finally exhausted, her sobs gradually ceasing.

By then, the sun had set. The sultry air pressed down heavily, and the sound of cicadas in the darkening sky grew increasingly weak and intermittent.

"Killian, let's go back," she said, her soft hand gently holding his long, large hand. She raised her eyes, red like a little rabbit's, and said word by word: "Back to your home."

She didn't want to return to the dormitory and see anything related to that person.

Killian looked down at her. After a moment, he placed a comforting kiss at the corner of her sorrowful eyes.

"Okay."

His dark eyes watched her as he also said, word by word: "Back to our home."

Looking into his eyes, Tara's eyelashes trembled slightly like a restless drumbeat—a heartbeat she couldn't suppress even amidst her grief.

He wanted to carry her on his back, but Tara refused, worried about his hand injury.

She just walked quietly side by side with him, their left hands joined. After calming her bitterness and sadness, she told him everything that had happened today in a calm, steady voice.

Killian listened patiently. They didn't take a car, but walked slowly together from sunset until night fell and the city lights began to glow.

"Actually, this isn't the first time I've been backstabbed. My childhood best friend did it too."

Her clear, quiet voice scattered in the night wind, tinged with confusion. "So Killian, why do you think that is?"

Tara talked a lot, her tone gradually becoming lost. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Am I really... that bad?"

The moment the words left her mouth, her waist was tightly gripped by a powerful hand and she was pulled into his embrace.

"It's not your error."

Killian said softly, his large hand gently stroking the back of her head. "What's wrong is their base human nature. You don't need to do any soul-searching for this."

"Tara," he raised his hand, gently tilting her small chin so she would meet his deep gaze. "You are never worse than anyone else, do you understand?"

Tara stared blankly into his eyes, which were as deep and beautiful as a dark pool.

The frequency of her heartbeat went haywire again, a fluttering sensation spreading through her whole body with the pulse of her blood.

Finally unable to resist, Tara reached up to grab his broad shoulders and uncontrollably stood on her tiptoes, placing a fleeting kiss on his jaw.

"Thank you, Killian."