Filed To Story: Cheating with My Boyfriend's Best Friend Novel Read Online (Olive & Aaron)
I casually wiped away my tears and quickly sorted out my thoughts before answering the phone.
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” Adenauer’s soft voice rang through the line.
His voice had healing power – soft and kind.
So why couldn’t I fall in love with him like I had with Aaron?
Damn it! I shouldn’t dwell on what had just happened.
I sniffed heavily, trying to lift my spirits.
“Merry Christmas, Adenauer, although I guess it’s already the 26th where you are.”
“Were you crying?” Adenauer’s concern was palpable, even across the Atlantic Ocean.
A professional psychiatrist he was, he always had a knack for seeing through my emotions.
“Did something happen? You sound terrible. I’m worried about you,” he said, his voice tinged with urgency and a hint of quilt.
“I’m fine. I just had a dream about my childhood,” I lied, trying to r*b weariness off my face. I tried to sound cheerful, but it was too hard. “Colston, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Of course. You can always call on me.”
“I never mentioned my parents or family to you before. Maybe you’ve noticed some-thing, being a professional and all. Sorry, my thoughts are as jumbled as New York traffic right now. My words might not make much sense.”
“Don’t worry,” Adenauer said soothingly.
“Just say whatever comes to mind. And if you need to, we can do some simple Q&A.”
“That would be great,” I said gratefully.
“Alright then,” Adenauer said, sl*pping into professional mode. “First question: can you tell me about the dream you just had?”
“Uh… It was about my parents,” I said hesitantly. “The dream was fragmented.
I don’t remember most of the details, but there’s one part that stands out.”
My mind drifted back to Christmas when I was six years old.
“That was the first Christmas I ever spent with my parents,” I said, my voice trembling. “They gave me an Adelie stuffed penguin as a gift and took me out for a fancy dinner. I was so happy and told them it was the best Christmas ever because I finally had a family. But when we got home, they told me they were sending me to boarding school.”
I tried to steady my voice, but my sobs gave me away.
” was so confused,” I continued. “I asked them why they kept sending me away when they were my parents. Why couldn’t we live there with me in New York like other families? But my mother, Kirsty Woods, told me calmly that if they stayed in New York for me, they would have to get divorced.”
“Why?” Adenauer asked, puzzled.
In fact, any normal person wouldn’t be able to understand my parents’
thinking.
“Because they tried,” I said bitterly and angrily. “They’re both biologists and penguin researchers. In many ways, they are perfect for each other – both nerdy and passionate about their work. They even fell in love on an icebreaker headed to Antarctica.”
“They told me that after I was born, they tried to leave Antarctica and move to New York for my education. But it only lasted three years before their marriage hit its biggest crisis, all because of me.
I would never forget that night.
My mother patiently and coldly told me how miserable the two of them were in New York, bickering every day over trivial matters of life, things like who cooked, who washed the dishes, who mopped the floor, who took out the trash… My father, Chris, was a geek with amazing talent at his job, but such people often have zero ability to take care of themselves in life.
And my mother wasn’t much better in this regard.
So, faced with all the garbage and the smelly, messy house, they kept quarreling until the point of divorce.
“Baby, your life is going to get a lot worse when we stay with you. The dirty house, the unpalatable food, and the parents who argue every day. Now it’s the best option we can think of for you.” My mother looked so frank that the young me at the time even thought that they were even weaker than me.
“Do you want us to get a divorce?”
I shook my head.
“Then let us pursue our careers, okay? We promise you that we’ll always love you.
I wiped my tears vigorously.
“What kind of parents would put such a heavy moral yoke on a 6-year-old child?”
I was still very ignorant at that time.
All I knew was that my parents loved each other and that I couldn’t be the villain who broke their love.
“Sweetheart, I’m so sad I’m not there for you right now.” Adenauer’s voice was full of regret. “Otherwise, I would have been able to hug you.”
“It’s a knot in your heart, and apparently, after more than 20 years, it’s still there and deeply affecting your life.”
Adenauer was right.
“So, what should I do?”
“Since this knot cannot disappear naturally over time, the best thing to do is to face it.”
That was the advice given by Adenauer.
It was professional, and I approved. Just what to do with it? I didn’t know.
“Actually, I saw a postcard today in my mailbox at my place in Manhattan. It said something about celebrating the fact that I own the first house in my life.” I told him what had happened during the day. “But that was three years ago! I really can’t understand what kind of parents can be so cold to their children!”
Looking at each word on the postcard, I felt overwhelmed with mockery.
Missing me? Were they really missing me? Or was it just a simple courtesy?
If they really missed me, wouldn’t they have come back to New York for the most important day of the year? That was ridiclous!
“Besides, I told them through an email that I had taken a job in Germany and had moved to Ulm with my new address. But obviously, they didn’t even see that email!”
The more I talked, the angrier I became, and the resentment I felt gradually got out of hand.
At that moment, I wished I were there on the Antarctic Peninsula, grabbing them by their collars and asking how busy they could be. They didn’t even bother to check their daughter’s email?
Suddenly, a light came to my mind.
“Colston, you said the best way to undo the knot is to face it, right? What do you think I go to the South Pole to find them?”
Anyway, I happened to have a month-long vacation with a generous bonus.
This was a hint from heaven.
“You’re going to Antarctica?” Adenauer sounded hesitant, “Alone?”
“Yes. I don’t want to be sad like this any-more. Some things should come to an end.” The more I thought about it, the more I believed it should be that way.
It was because of this knot in my heart that I always longed to be loved. Even if it wasn’t perfect love, as long as there was a little bit, I couldn’t let go.
That was the biggest problem I was facing right now, and it was time for me to put an end to my longing for Aaron too.
“Colston, thank you so much indeed. You always give me a push to get out of some self-imposed ruts.”
“Well… Olive, Antarctica is so far away.
There’s no telling how long it will take to get there and back. And are you sure you can join the science team and meet your parents now?” Adenauer’s tone was a little anxious. “Actually, there are many ways to undo the knot. It doesn’t necessarily require you to meet your parents face-to-face.
“I know you’re worried about me. You’re worried that I’II come all this way, but instead of undoing the knot, I’ll end up with a new wound.” | interrupted Adenauer. “But don’t worry. I have a hunch that this journey will make me stronger, whether it turns out to be good or bad.”
After this conversation with Adenauer, my mood, which had been disturbed by the dream and the postcard, was much lighter.
“You’re definitely going to be the best psychiatrist ever, Dr. Colston.” | thanked him earnestly before hanging up the phone.
Because of this phone call, I went back to bed and slept peacefully until dawn.
After a quick wash, I put on light makeup to look better.
I was a person driven by action.
But since it was a last-minute decision, I couldn’t apply through conventional means.
Even becoming a volunteer takes time and requires certain certificates, which I didn’t have. So, the easiest way for me to go there was through a travel agency.
There are two main ways to travel to the Antarctic Peninsula: one is to fly directly from Chile, and the other is to travel from Argentina and take an expedition ship deep into the Antarctic region, stopping at some islands along the way.
For various reasons, I chose the latter.
Anyway, it might be the only trip to Antarctica in my life. It would be a waste to fly straight there.
This was supposed to be a journey of healing, wasn’t it?
I quickly found a travel agent online and, after some communication, booked the trip and paid the deposit. Next on my list was buying equipment for the trip.
After making a quick list of purchases, I opened the door.
A figure almost collided with me.
“Oh… sorry.” | subconsciously apologized and looked up to find Aaron standing there.
“Why are you here?” | frowned and sounded wary.
This is no longer the same story.