After Letting Go

Nolan POV：

The meeting with client ended.

We said our goodbyes.

Then the torrential rain poured down.

Dark clouds hung heavy and low in the sky.

The storm showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.

A watch shop stood by the roadside.

It sold low-end brands, the kind I never bought.

But I decided to step inside to kill some time.

I had no desire to get drenched on my way to the parking lot.

I was the only customer in the shop.

The salesgirl’s eyes locked onto me for a split second.

Then she greeted me with intense enthusiasm.

"Hello, sir. What can I help you find today?"

She seemed to recognize the brands I wore.

She judged that I was worth her absolute best service.

"Just looking around."

I walked over to the counter, my gaze drifting across the displays.

"Sir, the styles over here would suit your taste much better."

I looked down.

Predictably, she pointed at the most expensive pieces in the store.

They did look slightly better than the rest.

But I was not used to buying things this cheap.

The other salesgirl stared out the glass windows at the rain.

She held a hand over her Bluetooth earpiece, gossiping in a low voice.

"Let me see this one." I pointed randomly at a watch inside the glass showcase.

The salesgirl carefully took it out for me.

"You have excellent taste, sir. This just arrived."

I picked it up and turned it over in my hands.

Compared to any single watch in my collection at home, its price was mere pocket change.

From the design to the craftsmanship, it was nothing special.

I had no intention of buying it.

The automatic doors slid open.

A gust of cold wind rushed in, carrying the scent of rain.

A girl walked inside, dragging a suitcase behind her.

She was completely soaked.

Strands of chestnut hair stuck to her face.

Her face looked pale, likely from the biting cold rain.

Her hands shook slightly as she brushed the messy hair from her forehead.

"Can I help you, miss?"

The salesgirl on the phone cut her call short.

She scanned the girl with a swift, calculating glance.

Her fake, robotic smile made it clear.

She had already decided this girl wouldn't bring in a commission.

The girl hesitated for a moment.

She pulled a box from her bag and placed it on the counter.

"I’d like to... return this watch," she said, her voice dropping low.

The salesgirl rolled her eyes toward our direction before flashing her professional smile again.

"In theory, yes. Let me check the date on your receipt."

The girl fished the sales receipt out of her shoulder bag and laid it on the counter.

The salesgirl inspected the receipt thoroughly.

She opened the watch box, lifting the timepiece to examine it from every angle against the light.

Then she walked over to whisper with the clerk serving me.

I caught muffled words.

"The box..."

"Wet..."

After a quick huddle, the salesgirl walked back.

She pushed the watch box and the receipt back to the girl.

"I'm sorry, miss. The packaging is damaged. We can't accept the return."

The girl snapped her head up.

"It's brand new. I haven't even taken it out of the box since I bought it."

Curiosity drew my eyes to the watch.

It was a very ordinary men's watch, priced under a thousand dollars.

The girl wore simple jeans and a plain shirt.

A men's watch at this price was clearly not a casual purchase for her.

Brand new.

Now she wanted a refund.

It took no genius to guess that a miserable story lay behind this.

But on a boring, rainy day like this, it was a nice bit of drama.

I shifted my posture slightly, asking the clerk to fetch another watch.

All the while, I kept my eyes on the girl out of the corner of my vision.

Her fingers gripped the edge of the glass counter.

She stared expectantly at the box in the salesgirl's hand.

"Look, miss, almost half the box is soaked through. It impacts resale value. So, I'm sorry."

"Can't you just dry it? It only got wet on my way here. I never used it."

She grabbed the box back, inspecting it closely.

"Do you have a hairdryer? Let me try."

The salesgirl rolled her eyes at the clerk serving me. Disgust showed plain on her face.

"Miss, this is a men's watch.

"Next time you buy an expensive gift like this, make sure you're actually exclusive first."

The girl froze for a few seconds.

She kept her head down, her voice thick with tears.

"Today is his birthday...

"I rushed all the way back...

"But he was in bed with someone else..."

The salesgirl watched her, cold and detached.

"I sympathize, but I have to follow protocol.

"We can't refund this watch."

The girl stunned for a moment.

Finally, she nodded hard.

I placed my credit card on the counter, then pointed toward the girl.

And I raised a finger to my lips, signaling my clerk to stay silent.

My clerk raised her eyebrows to confirm.

I gave a firm nod.

She quietly took the card over to the register, swiped it, and handed me the pen to sign.

The girl just picked up the watch box, about to shove it into her soaked shoulder bag.

"Wait a minute, we can process your return now."

The girl froze, snapping her head up in pleasant surprise.

"Really? You can take it back?"

My clerk took the watch box from her.

"I'll try to restore the packaging. It should be fine."

"Thank God."

She brushed back her wet hair, her voice trembling slightly.

The clerk worked the register for a moment, then handed the card back.

"The return went through. The refund might take a few business days to hit your account."

The tension finally drained from the girl's shoulders.

"Thank you..."

She turned slowly and walked out.

The clerk shook her head, then slid the watch box over to me.

I took the watch out, and turned it over in my fingers.

The clerk started filling out the sales receipt.

"Sir, why did you do that for her?"

"She's had a bad enough day. It's no skin off my back."

I strapped the watch onto my wrist, right next to my own luxury timepiece.

It looked even cheaper by comparison.

"You're very generous, sir," the clerk flattered, handing over the receipt.

The automatic doors slid open again.

The girl's voice echoed from behind me once more.

"I want to know why you refused at first, but then suddenly changed your mind."

She hurried back inside.

Our eyes locked.

Her gaze dropped to my wrist.

She saw the watch that had just belonged to her, and the pieces clicked.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

"Protocol says no, but this gentleman offered to buy your watch. So we processed it as a return."

"Thank you." The whisper was barely audible.

Then, she turned and left without looking back, almost running.

Through the glass window, I watched her plunge into the downpour.

Dragging her suitcase, her strides were wide and resolute.