Chapter 3
Eliana, Callum, and Anthony were doing well, so they were discharged very quickly.
Anthony was busy with his farm.
Callum was a captain in the navy, and he had been stationed on an island for quite some time. I stayed with him there, so we returned to the military barracks as soon as he was discharged.
While I worked, I thought to myself, "It's almost Thanksgiving. Since Callum's been discharged safely, we should invite the soldiers under his command to celebrate.
"Those young soldiers are so far from home. While everyone else is celebrating, they're stuck here protecting us. This is a good opportunity to celebrate with them."
At that point, I turned to look at Callum, who was sitting on the couch.
Before I could speak, I saw a touched look on his face.
"Callum, shall we ask the troops over for dinner during Thanksgiving?"
Callum lowered his head and chuckled. "You can decide."
He didn't say much, but he clearly approved of the idea.
Therefore, things were settled.
Unexpectedly, Eliana came along with the troops on Thanksgiving. She watched me while I worked busily in the kitchen and kept repeating that she wanted to help. However, her feet remained firmly rooted to the spot.
There was an impatient look in her eyes when she looked at the young soldiers, who were talking loudly and horsing around.
Soon, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and the house was a mess.
While Callum was seeing off the guests, I started cleaning up.
Eliana sat there calmly with no intention of helping.
When Callum had seen off the guests and walked back, she giggled and went up to take his arm. "Cal—"
Before she could finish, Callum pulled his arm away and frowned as he said, "Sophie's been busy for the entire day. Why didn't you help out a little?"
He ignored her and turned around to help me clean up.
Eliana did not give up and kept tugging at his arm. "That's not my fault, Cal. I was about to help, but Sophie refused to let me."
When I saw this, I couldn't help thinking to myself, "I didn't refuse to let you help at all. You covered your nose and stayed far away before I could even ask. What could I do about that?
"But it's alright. As long as the soldiers enjoyed their meal today, I'll be happy. Even if it's a little tiring, I don't mind."
Callum's expression changed rapidly when he heard my thoughts.
He seemed unable to resist it any longer and spoke up. "If there isn't anything else, you should go home soon. Sophie and I still have work to do."
There was a flash of hatred in Eliana's eyes.
"Cal, are you angry at me because I didn't help Sophie clean up? But Sophie was just thinking that if it weren't for those stupid soldiers, she wouldn't have had to be so busy. She was secretly blaming you for bringing them back here!"
Eliana tugged on Callum's sleeve and whined coyly at him.
When I heard this, I pinched myself hard, and my eyes turned red at once. My tears began falling, and I looked at Callum without speaking.
I couldn't help thinking, "Why is Eliana slandering me like that? That's not what I thought at all. Callum must believe Eliana over me since he isn't saying anything. After all, they grew up together."
I hung my head and said nothing.
In my past life, Callum had looked at me with great disappointment after what Eliana had said. I had wanted to explain, but I was angry at his distrust in me and had stayed silent.
This time, I also remained silent.
Callum's expression was as dark as thunder.
Eliana looked even more smug when she saw Callum's expression. She thought that he believed her.
"Don't be too angry, Cal. It's normal for women to be a little grumpy. Besides, Sophie saved our lives.
"However, I wouldn't have done something like that. Those soldiers protect our country. Even if it's tiring or difficult, it's worth it as long as they're happy."
She had said exactly what I was thinking earlier. My lip curled involuntarily, but Callum snorted.
He looked at Eliana with annoyance in his eyes, unlike the tender way he had treated her as his younger sister in the past.
"Eliana, have you ever considered the fact that you're not the only one who can hear Sophie's thoughts? Maybe I can hear them too. Have you thought of the consequences of slandering Sophie?"
Upon hearing this, I looked up at them and pretended to be surprised.
Eliana had turned deathly pale, and she was looking at Callum in disbelief.
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