Cheating with my boyfriend's best friend

Chapter 305 Reply

Chapter 305 Reply

After the passengers’ evacuation and self-rescue training before departure, the Explorer let out a resounding horn, officially commencing its voyage. The air on the shipwaas filled with lively cheers.On the deck, everyone seemed full of excitement and curiosity about the journey ahead, except for me.| felt like a lonely outsider. Everywhere | looked, couples and companies strolled hand in hand, be theylovers, friends, or family members. Everyonehad someone by their side, but | was alone.The only person who had wanted to accompany me was driven away by me.Never before had | anticipated feeling such aprofound sense of desolation. Perhaps | had underestimated the impact of my surroundings.

Having been a lone wolf since childhood,|lwas accustomed to solitary ventures andadept at handling things on my own. But it became increasingly difficult to endure thedarkness once | had glimpsed the sunlight.

The cheers and merriment around me felt likenoise.

Thankfully, | had developed copingmechanisms to deal with loneliness over time.

Navigating through the crowd, | sought outCaptain Mike P. Rothwell, the person incharge of this expedition, as directed by theship's staff.

Cruise travel differed significantly from othermodes of transportation. Once aboard theship, the captain held the highest authority.Despite having previously discussed mydeparture plans with the travel agency'srepresentative, it was ultimately up to thecaptain to permit me to disembark when thetime came.

"Hey, Captain Rothwell, | am Olive Woods.

I'm wondering if Mr. Dan, the representativefrom the travel agency, has informed youabout my situation."

Captain Rothwell was an imposing figure, talland robust, with a perfectly tailored uniformthat accentuated his muscular physique. Hisextensive experience at sea had bestowedupon him a

weathered complexion, adornedwith countless creases and lines. As the

captain, he exuded a commanding presence.Fortunately, having spent considerable timewith Aaron in the past, | had becomeaccustomed to dealing with this level ofintensity.

"Dr. Woods?" Captain Rothwell scrutinizedme with an impassive expression."|

remember you. Dan mentioned your situation. Your parents are biologists who have beenworking in the South Pole for a long term. You want to visit them, so you want todisembark and depart from the rest of thejourney upon reaching Ross Island."

"Yes." | breathed a sigh of relief,"I'm sorry Ican't continue the entire journey with your team, but | haven't seen my parents in manyyears."

"No need to apologize to me, Dr. Woods, Icompletely understand your situation."Captain Rothwell reassured, lowering his

hand from the air."Our planned route already includes passing through the Ross Sea. If theweather permits, we will arrange a visit toScott Cottage on Ross Island. It's close to the McMurdo Station, and there are driveways for easy transportation.”

"That's great!" | immediately felt a weightlifted off my shoulders."| can wait there formy parents to pick me up."

“However, it is the South Pole after all, andthe weather there can be unpredictable. If the weather conditions in the Ross Sea are unfavorable, | won't risk forcing a landingwith the entire ship on board. | hope youunderstand.”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“| understand. Thank you very much, CaptainRothwell.”

After bidding farewell to Captain Rothwell, my steps became light and brisk.

| knew it! Aaron was excessively concerned, bringing all those mountaineering and wilderness survival gear. Turned out theExplorer would dock directly at Scott

Cottage, and | wouldn't even need to climbany mountains

Back in my cabin, | opened my laptop andchecked my email.

Several days had passed since | sent the emailinforming my parents about my journey to theSouth Pole, but they still hadn't replied.

"Wait." | didn't have much confidence atfirst, but to my surprise, there was an unreademail in my inbox.

It was a reply from my mother, Kirsty!

| clicked on the email immediately, but thesmile that had just formed on my lips frozethe moment | read its contents.

"I'm so sorry, dear, but | think you shouldcome at a different time, like in March. It'scurrently the peak season for penguin

hatching and nurturing, and your father and Iwill be very busy. We might not have enoughtime to spend with you."

Penguins again!

In their eyes, their daughter couldn't evencompare to a group of penguins!

Astrong sense of absurdity washed over me,anger and sadness intertwining and igniting ablazing fire within my heart. | glanced at thetimestamp on the email - just one minute ago!

| immediately clicked on the reply button, myfingers swiftly tapping on the keyboard.

"But I've already boarded the Explorer cruiseship, and we've set sail! I'm sorry for readingyour email so late, but the captain has agreedto let me disembark at Scott Cottage. Theitinerary is already set. Don't worry, it won'tdisrupt your penguin-watching plans!"

After sending the reply, | slumped in mychair, curling my legs up and hunching over.

This was a disaster!

Acomplete disaster!

My heartless and irresponsible parents, mymessed-up life, and this whole damn world! Itwould be better if everything was destroyed!

The Explorer gently swayed on the sea as Inumbly refreshed my email.

Five minutes passed, and there was still noresponse from Kirsty.

Ten minutes passed, then half an hour..

I sat in the room for an hour, motionless, untildarkness completely enveloped the sky. Thegrowling hunger in my stomach urged me toleave the computer and head to the ship'srestaurant.

Although the Explorer was only a four-starship, the interior decorations were quite luxurious, and the service was impeccable.| didn't have much of an appetite and orderedsome food to appease my hunger.Surprisingly, the food on the ship tasted good.

“At least there's one thing that can make mehappy," | said, finishing a glass of juice andself- deprecatingly muttering to myself.

"It's you again, the kissing lady," a somewhatfamiliar voice approached from a distance.

It was the photographer lady who tookpictures of Aaron and me.

"You look a bit down." The photographerlady came up to me and held out her hand,"Ross Sweeney, an amateur photographer."

"Olive Woods." | shook her hand politely.

“Are you missing that man?" Ross came andsat down beside me.

"No, I'm just..." | hesitated for a second, thendecided to be honest."I'm not here for avacation. My parents are biologists, and they've been studying penguins at the South Pole for a long time. | wanted to go and seethem, but they just replied to my email,saying it's the peak season for penguin hatching, and they're busy."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ross's smile fadedfrom her face."So, are you still planning togo and find them?"

"If they had told me an hour earlier, maybe Iwould have given up. But now, I'm already onmy way!" Perhaps it was because | was

talking to a stranger that many frustrations Icouldn't express in person came pouring outso easily. "| paid tens of thousands of dollars to boardthis ship. Am | just going to waste my moneyin vain?"

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