Good Fortune by C.K. Chau

Author:C.K. Chau
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2023-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

27

No one could get more done than a Chen in denial about her feelings. And, in the days after, Jane worked, Jane cleaned, Jane headed to the library early and stayed at Lulu’s late, and never once acted as if anything had happened. She was perfectly fine, perfectly productive, perfectly Jane—even if she barely spoke to anyone or ate anything all day, and Jagged Little Pill mysteriously vanished from their shared CD holder.

Whatever Jane might be, it couldn’t be called okay.

But there was no point in throwing away time on people who didn’t matter, la, and any boy who couldn’t see what a catch Jane was definitely didn’t matter. And if Amelia couldn’t bring the fight to Brendan, that only left them with flight. When the Kous left to return home to New England, they would be taking Jane along, whether she wanted it or not. Jade had no objection, Vincent had no opinion, and the girls were more than happy for more space in the apartment—in short, the Chens were agreed: Jane would go to Massachusetts and get her groove back, and everyone else would cope.

On a gray Sunday morning, they packed up their beat-up Honda sedan and pulled out with extra bags of oranges and lychee and little fanfare, and Elizabeth lost another close companion in under a month. First, Charlotte, then Jane—who next? At least Jane called, happy to share the sights she’d seen and the things they’d done. Everything was fine, everything was beautiful, every day was lovely and fantastic and good. Only in her voice could Elizabeth read between the lines—things were bumpy still, but not as bad as they once were.

And then the unthinkable happened.

A frantic call from Aunty Amelia: “Elizabeth, they’re here.”

They—the villains, Caroline and Brendan—and here, in Boston. Of course they’d needed to do the tourist attractions—what was the point of being a tourist otherwise, aa? historical tours, walking the Green, Harvard Yard—and they’d been window-shopping that day when they stopped at a store with knitted hats. (“Never buy hats, LB. All hat stalls are evil.”) As the manager came and asked questions—“And you know Jane doesn’t even wear hats,” Amelia added—Caroline walked in.

Of course Brendan wasn’t there, the two-timer, the bastard, the son of a bitch. (Amelia loved a swear.) Jane waved, Jane called out, but Caroline brushed her off as if she had no idea who she was. After a second try and a third, Caroline finally stopped and turned to apologize for not being in touch, but she’d been so busy and didn’t she know that they were scouting new locations for Peony Plum in Boston?

“Brendan’s been up to his neck in work,” Caroline said. “And every spare second he has, he’s with Genevieve.” (“And that’s how she pronounced it too,” Amelia clucked. “John-vee-ev. Can you believe it?”)

Elizabeth would sooner believe that Caroline decided to give it all up and join the Peace Corps.

Jane asked after her family and her work, but Caroline gave her nothing. Not even one-word answers.

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