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Chapter 3
I drifted into a shallow, uneasy sleep. When I finally stirred, my hand instinctively reached for my phone. The screen lit up several missed calls from Vanessa Brooks, Nessa to me. A warm, motherly text from Margaret Carter, Nate’s mom.
And then one reply that felt like a knife.
A single word: [Scram.]
I let out a hollow laugh. So this was what my so–called concern meant to him—a punchline.
My eyes dropped to my wrist. A silver bracelet glimmered faintly against my skin. Nate had given it to me three years ago. Even with the best care, the silver had dulled, the edges worn. I’d never taken it off.
Before we got engaged, Nate had spent two whole days at a jewelry shop, combing through materials, his clumsy hands piecing together this one–of–a–kind bracelet.
On the way home, he’d been in a car accident, but even unconscious, he’d held it tight against his chest.
When he finally woke, the first thing he did was slip it onto my wrist, his voice warm and certain.
“Belle, only something one–of–a–kind is worthy of you. We’ll be together forever.”
That boy’s sincerity still rang in my ears, but the boy was long gone. My eyes burned as I yanked the bracelet off. I dropped it into the
toilet and flushed.
From now on, Nathaniel Carter, you mean nothing to me.
I cried until I was empty, and then clarity came. I sent in my resignation to the orchestra.
The handover would take a week, so I booked my flight for the very same day–a day that happened to be the tenth anniversary of our
first kiss.
Where it began, it would end.
For the next seven days, I shut the world out. I only left the apartment to sign papers. My phone stayed off.
On the morning of my flight, Nessa showed up at my door with Nate right behind her. She ran straight to me, pulling me into a hug, already tugging me toward the street.
get to t
“Come on, Belle, we need to get to the hospital,” she urged.
I knew what she was afraid of. I gently pulled my hand free. My voice was polite, distant. “I’m fine, thanks.”
I didn’t know how to treat her–resent her or wish her happiness–so I chose the only thing that felt safe: distance. She didn’t seem to take it personally, chalking it up to my bad mood.
“At least answer your damn phone,” she scolded, exhaling hard. “Do you know how worried I’ve been? It’s not just for decoration.”
Then her expression brightened. “We’re here to pick you up. It’s your birthday–did you forget? We’re throwing you a party tonight, and you’re meeting some cute guys. And no, you don’t get to say no.”
That was Nessa–sunny, relentless, impossible to dislike. No wonder Nate had fallen for her.
I glanced at him over her shoulder. His eyes were cold, dark as glacier ice, fixed on me like I was a stranger.
Maybe it was Nessa’s persistence. Maybe it was my own weakness. Either way, I let them in.
This place had once been our love nest, the home we were supposed to share after marriage. When he vanished, I’d decorated it exactly how he liked–dark wood, deep grays, heavy furniture.
Nessa’s eyes went wide. “Wow, Belle… this is… intense. It’s like a thundercloud moved in.”
“It’s all black and gray. Not a single splash of color.”
Chapter 3
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I lowered my gaze. “My ex liked it this way. I decorated it for him.”
Because my world had lost all its color a long time ago.
Chapter 3
