Chapter 26
Amber rushed to the computer repair shop with her laptop, desperately hoping to recover her lost documents.
The technician examined her computer, his brow furrowing deeper with each passing moment.
“Ma’am, these files have been encrypted and then completely formatted. Even the most skilled technician couldn’t recover them. And those guys who are better than me? Even if they could restore the data, they couldn’t break the encryption. Is this something really important? If not, I’d suggest letting it go.”
Amber felt a thundering in her head, her throat suddenly parched. “There’s really no way to recover them?”
The technician shook his head with a sigh. “Besides, this laptop is ancient by today’s standards-completely outdated.”
This laptop was a gift from Blake when she was in college, purchased with money he’d earned from working multiple jobs.
Back then, they had been so broke-stretching every dollar to its breaking point. When she first received the gift, she hadn’t been happy but rather worried, knowing Blake was already juggling their living expenses and tuition fees with barely any time to rest.
She had cherished this laptop for years, opening it countless times over the past three years, always keeping it in the master bedroom, never taking it elsewhere.
If even a single drop of water accidentally spilled on it, she would meticulously wipe it clean for ages.
As the technician continued his examination, the screen suddenly went black.
‘Look, ma’am, this laptop is at least nine years old. The fact that it’s lasted this long means it was high-quality when purchased. You don’t seem to be hurting for money now-why not just buy a new one?”
Amber opened her mouth but found herself speechless. She numbly paid for the inspection fee and carried her laptop outside.
The sky had darkened, and rain was beginning to fall. New York was notorious for its heavy rainfall this season-humid and suffocating.
standing at the roadside, she carefully cradled the laptop against her chest, not allowing a single raindrop to penetrate it.
But the rain grew heavier, and after waiting for what felt like forever, she couldn’t flag down a single cab.
The repair technician, seeming to take pity on her, emerged from the shop with an umbrella, offering her the spare one from the store.
Amber accepted it with thanks and walked into the downpour.
he was naturally beautiful; even in the simplest clothes, she resembled a serene, gentle fairy.
The technician stood watching as his boss commented from behind, “Technology moves so fast these days. That laptop probably cost thousands when it was lew. Nine years of use-must have some sentimental value.”
The technician sighed. “But that data was deliberately deleted by someone who knew what they were doing. Very professional job. It’s truly unrecoverable.”
Amber had walked some distance when a car arrogantly sped past her, splashing dirty water all over her body.
The car drove about thirty feet before slowly turning around. It was Lily Lloyd.
Lily looked at her with disgust, making a grotesque face. “Oh, it’s YOU. Nearly gave me a heart attack-floating around like some ghost in the middle of the night. If I were you, I wouldn’t even show my face in public!”
She instructed her driver: “Let’s go. I don’t want her latching onto us. So fucking cursed.”
Before she could finish, Amber scooped up mud from the ground and hurled it through the open-car window.
Lily had been feeling smug, but her expensive outfit was instantly soiled, and the car interior now reeked of damp filth.
“AAAHH!”
She screamed as she saw Amber crouching down, seemingly preparing to throw more. Lily frantically ordered her driver to speed away.
She’s INSANE! Absolutely mental! Blake’s divorcing her, and she’s having a complete psychotic breakdown!”
Amber took a deep breath, crouching to wash her dirty hand in a nearby puddle, still protectively holding the laptop against her chest with her other hand.
Her clothes were soaked, but the laptop remained dry.
The umbrella lay on the ground beside her, collecting a small pool of water.
Just as she finished cleaning her hand, Blake’s car pulled up beside her.
She looked a complete mess-drenched from head to toe, her shoes filthy.
Blake’s eyes were unfathomably deep as he rolled down the window. “I take my eyes off you for one minute, and this is what happens?”
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