I froze.

"What the heck was that all about?

", How come he'd been on the phone with Ernest all this time?, Conrad, having just ended the call, looked at me and said,

"Ernest called me just now. I thought he had hung up, but it seems he didn't because he was worried.

",

"Do you think I'm an idiot?

" I retorted sarcastically., It was clear as day that Conrad had intentionally not ended the call, and deliberately asked me if I still wanted Ernest in my life., Caught out, Conrad didn't try to deny it. Instead, he admitted,

"Call it my selfishness, if you will. It just so happened to let Ernest know where you stand, to show him... that Felicia isn't someone who comes and goes at someone else's beck and call.

" Honestly, I wasn't afraid of Ernest knowing how I feel. In fact, it was better this way; it saved me the effort of explaining myself.,

"Thanks for your thoughtfulness',

" I said mockingly before getting out of the car., Conrad followed, starting to fill me in on Dustin's living situation,

"This place, Dustin bought it with his own money. He's lived here all four years he's been abroad. You see these flowers and plants? He's been taking care of them all by himself, never once hired a maid or a gardener.

", This was all news to me. Dustin had never mentioned it, and even when I was living with the Wagner family, they barely talked about Dustin. On the rare occasions they did, it was just to say that he'd called and was doing fine over here., To the Wagners, Dustin was less like a son and more like a distant relative., So, this was how Dustin had spent those four years., He didn't hire anyone to maintain such a big house, all on his own. Besides his nature of doing things himself, it was probably also because he was lonely in a foreign land., Gardening was his way of passing those solitary moments.,

"This garden was also Dustin's own design,

" Conrad's words surprised me again.,

"Dustin's a jack of all trades, smart and picks things up fast-way better than me, as you know,

" Conrad added with a self-deprecating chuckle., But his admiration for Dustin was undeniable. Thinking about Dustin's ambitions, it seemed Conrad was still in the dark., I almost said something but then held back., Conrad was a smart guy. Even if he, wasn't as academically gifted as Dustin, his business acumen was unmatched. Having thrived in the business world for years, he wasn't the type to misjudge people. , Maybe he chose to turn a blind eye for the sake of brotherhood, to keep peace by not digging deeper.,

"What's up? You've gone quiet,

" Conrad asked, noticing my silence.,

"Hearing you talk,

" I looked around the villa,

"it seems Dustin did quite well for himself here.

",

"Yes, and his assets extend far beyond this house. He has other investments,

" Conrad said calmly, without a hint of envy., Of course, with his own wealth and education, he had no reason to envy anyone., This was a change from the past. Conrad used to be fiercely competitive, unwilling to accept anyone being better than him, even his own brother. , Back in school, if his grades fell short of Dustin's, he'd come home, ignore any praise his parents had for Dustin, and just shut himself in his room with his headphones on, blasting music or playing video games. , 'e', He'd go for days without sitting down for a meal with them, avoiding any interaction., But after Dustin moved abroad and their parents occasionally sang his praises, Conrad would just stay quiet., Now, he was openly praising Dustin. In the few months we'd been apart, he had changed a lot.,

"He never mentioned any of this,

" I continued the conversation., Conrad gave a faint smile,

"He's more reserved, not as outgoing as I am...

", He paused, then added,

"He told me he regrets being too reserved, because it made him... miss out on a lot.

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