Just then, in the midst of this tense standoff, Phoebe Faulkner's phone rang.
Phoebe Faulkner, her back to Jace Lennox, took out her phone. Without even looking at the caller ID, she pressed the answer key.
"Hello? Look, I'm a little busy right now—"
"Phoebe, let's meet up. I think there's been some misunderstanding between us."
"Dawn O'Connell!" Recognizing the voice, Phoebe's eyes went cold. She couldn't hide the fury in her voice. "I don't think there's any misunderstanding between us! If you shamelessly sleeping with my fiancé while my grandfather was on his deathbed is what you call a 'misunderstanding,' then I guess there's nothing in this world that isn't a misunderstanding!"
"Phoebe, don't you think you're being a little extreme? Even if you don't consider me a friend anymore, we were still roommates for three years. Aren't you even willing to give me a chance to explain?"
Phoebe clenched her fists. "Fine. Time and place. I'd love to hear what kind of excuses you can possibly come up with!"
"Eleven o'clock this morning. The Blue Note Cafe on Willow Creek Road."
"Done!"
Phoebe Faulkner hung up. Only then did she realize Jace Lennox was standing right beside her. In her anger, she had completely forgotten about his presence. She had just exploded at Dawn O'Connell right in front of him, blurting out all of those private details.
Jace Lennox lifted his gaze to Phoebe, whose cheeks were flushed red with anger.
Jace Lennox's gaze made Phoebe's face flush then turn pale with embarrassment. She spun around and walked out.
'I'll be back for him!'
After leaving, Phoebe Faulkner hailed a taxi and went to The Blue Note Cafe on Willow Creek Road. Her and Dawn O'Connell's school was on the same road, and the cafe used to be their favorite hangout spot.
Phoebe arrived at the cafe at ten-fifty.
She walked into the cafe and saw Dawn O'Connell already waiting for her at their old, usual spot. Dawn looked the same as ever, dressed in a white dress with her hair tied up in a blue silk ribbon, giving off an air of pure, unassuming elegance.
Phoebe walked over and looked at Dawn, who was holding a book.
"Phoebe, you're here. Have a seat." Dawn O'Connell closed her book and smiled at Phoebe. "You always used to be late. Whenever we set a time, you'd either show up right at the last second, panting, or you'd be a few minutes late. I never expected you to actually be here before eleven."
Dawn O'Connell's fake smile and barbed words made Phoebe frown. "It's just the two of us now. You don't need to be so passive-aggressive. You wanted to explain, right? Well, I'm standing right here. What do you have to say for yourself? I'm listening!"
"Phoebe, you see this spot where we always used to sit? It's very close to the stairs." Seeing Phoebe's impatience, Dawn chuckled lightly, stood up, and walked to the top of the staircase. She looked back at Phoebe and smiled. "Besides me, you're the only other person up here today. Tell me, if I were to fall down these stairs right now, who do you think would be blamed?"
"Dawn O'Connell, you're insane!"
Dawn O'Connell was only half a step from the edge of the stairs. Her crazy words made Phoebe's pupils contract. She stared at the woman, who was just one small step away from tumbling down the staircase, as if looking at a lunatic.
"You guessed right." Dawn stared at Phoebe, the corners of her mouth lifting into a smirk. "I went insane two years ago, the day Howard got engaged to you!"
With that, Dawn took a deliberate step back without the slightest hesitation. Her foot found only empty air, and she tumbled down from the second floor of the cafe.