Eleanor stayed rooted in place, acting as though none of the teasing had reached her ears at all.
Deep down, she felt nothing. That old nickname about her deadpan face had lost its power to sting her years ago.
Nicole could never stand this detached, holier-than-thou vibe from her sister. She stepped right up, grabbed Eleanor's arm, and tugged with forced cheer. "Eleanor, come on, let's go light some fireworks together. It'll be fun."
"You all go ahead," Eleanor answered, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "I just need to sit here for a minute."
Nicole's expression clouded over instantly. The corners of her eyes turned pink as she dropped her gaze and spoke in a small, wounded voice. "Eleanor, why do you keep shutting me out like this? You never eat the snacks I bring you, you won't do anything with me anymore. Are you still angry that Mom and Dad always gave me more attention? I can apologize right now if that's what you want. Just stop ignoring me, please."
The colleagues jumped in immediately, happy to fan the flames. "Captain Hopkins really loves showing attitude, doesn't she? Giving the rest of us the cold shoulder is one thing, but pulling the same stunt on her own sister? That's taking it too far."
Winslow, standing close enough to hear every word, tightened his jaw and frowned in clear disapproval.
Before anyone else could pile on, Judith gave a short, sharp laugh and spoke up loud enough for the whole group to hear. "Hey, back off a little. The woman has fresh bandages wrapped around her forehead, and she's still fighting a serious allergic reaction. She's supposed to be resting at home right now. You won't let her do that, fine, but you can't even give her five minutes to sit and catch her breath?"
As he spoke, he slipped his own warm shawl around Eleanor's shoulders, his touch gentle and protective.
The others traded uneasy glances, suddenly at a loss for words.
Winslow cleared his throat, forcing his face into a calmer expression, though a faint trace of resentment still leaked through. "If you weren't feeling well, you should have told me when we were still at home. You're always pushing yourself too hard."
Eleanor had no energy left to argue with him. She simply turned her eyes away and stayed silent.
Even Judith, who was practically a stranger, could see the raw pain and helplessness written all over her. Yet the man who was supposed to be her husband only knew how to point fingers and complain.
Winslow did not want to make the tension too obvious in front of everyone, so he sat down beside her without another word. Nicole shot Eleanor one last resentful glare and then turned to him with a soft, drawn-out whine. "Winslow, I'm really scared of the fire..."
The way she stretched out those few words said everything.
Winslow actually hesitated for a moment, something he rarely did. In the end, Eleanor took pity on him and spoke quietly. "Go ahead. Nikki is still waiting for you."
Winslow swallowed hard, then forced an awkward little smile. "Just wait for me. I'll be back in a minute."
His back disappeared into the crowd with hurried, eager steps. Only then did the truth sink in for Eleanor like a stone in her chest.
All her pain and every wound she carried meant nothing compared to one single coy complaint from Nicole.
And from that moment forward, Eleanor knew she would never wait for him again.
Judith seemed to read the heavy mood rolling off her. He stayed close, offering quiet comfort while steering the conversation toward safer ground. "I heard from the higher-ups that the company is planning a special award for you because of the incident. They're even setting up media interviews. You're about to become a big name around here."
He kept his eyes on her, his smile warm and lively. "Pretty impressive, right? The only female captain in the whole country, and now this honor on top of everything. Winslow has to be bursting with pride."
Judith's face glowed with genuine encouragement, but Eleanor only answered with a faint, distant smile.
Back then, she had joined civil aviation entirely because of Winslow. All she wanted was to be with him, nothing more.
Yet fate had a cruel sense of humor. The one thing she wanted most always stayed just out of reach.
She tilted her head back and gazed at the brilliant scatter of stars overhead. A quiet, relieved smile finally touched her lips.
Maybe trying to make up for his earlier behavior, Winslow returned after the fireworks ended and held out his jacket toward her. "The wind is really picking up out here. You should bundle up so you don't catch a chill."
Eleanor did not reach for it. She remembered clearly that the same jacket had been draped over Nicole's shoulders only minutes earlier.
It felt tainted now, just like the heart of the man offering it, split down the middle and ruined. She wanted none of it.
She left the jacket untouched, said nothing at all, and simply turned away to head home alone.
The next morning, Eleanor had barely stepped into the operations office when a message lit up the work group chat, calling everyone to the main conference room for an important announcement.
She straightened her uniform quickly and hurried over. Beasley Wilde, the manager in charge of route operations, stood at the front of the room and gave her a warm smile in greeting.
Then he faced the crowd and spoke in a clear, carrying voice. "As of today, Vista Airlines has received more than a hundred thank-you letters from passengers. Captain Eleanor's quick actions last time brought real honor to our entire airline. Therefore, we are proud to name her Vista Airlines' Outstanding Captain."
The words had barely left his mouth when loud applause broke out across the room.
But in the very front row, Winslow shot his hand into the air and called out sharply, "I don't agree with this."
His objection rang out clearly in the sudden hush that followed. Beasley gave him a brief, cool glance but stayed silent.
Winslow exchanged a quick look with Nicole, and that seemed to give him fresh courage. His voice grew firmer. "Nicole was also taken hostage by those criminals on the same day. Why isn't she receiving any recognition at all?"
The entire hall fell into stunned silence.
Then a low murmur started somewhere in the back. "He's actually protesting an award given to his own wife... what is going on here?"
Aksara