C06
10:34 AM
Love Like an Abyss
The assistant, shaken by Brian’s outburst, stammered, “E–Everyone assumed you left carrying… Miss Duncan. They didn’t know that there’s someone under the rubble.”
–
Brian was left speechless. The atmosphere grew thick, suffocating, as the weight of the words sank in. Who could have guessed that the man who claimed to love me so deeply would, in the end, choose his first love, Laurel? “So, I killed her?” Brian’s eyes lifted, defeated, toward the ceiling. His voice cracked, raw with despair. “It’s my
fault. She died because of me! I killed her,” he sobbed.
Brian broke into hysterical sobs and laughter, pounding his chest with his fists as if trying to expel the unbearable guilt. The assistant dared not intervene, instead pulling the white cloth back over my lifeless body.
Brian collapsed to the ground, his eyes hollow.
“Did she leave me letter…anything?”
In response, the assistant handed over my handbag. Brian opened it and the ruby necklace he had gifted me, along with the engagement ring, spilled onto the floor.
His confusion deepened as the assistant explained softly, “Surveillance footage shows that Miss Duncan managed to remove the jewelry and place it in her purse before she collapsed.”
Brian’s tears streamed freely as he rummaged through the contents, eventually pulling out my phone. When he
unlocked it, the screen immediately opened to a note.
***
Brian, by the time you’re reading this, I’m already gone.
When Jordan proposed to Laurel in front of everyone and abandoned me, I thought I was the most miserable person alive. Then you appeared, like a savior descending into my world. For a moment, I believed I could start anew.
But life loves its cruel twists, doesn’t it? You, who seemed to love me so much, turned out to be playing a part to
win back Laurel.
I’m sorry for making you pretend so hard. I hope in our next lives, we never cross paths again. I hope you’re able to marry Laurel and live the life you’ve dreamed of.
***
When Brian finished reading, his voice trembling with rage, “Who is it? Who dared tell Angela about Laurel?!”
His bloodshot eyes radiated fury, the oppressive atmosphere suffocating even the assistant, who stood trembling. “No one, sir. But it seems… It seems that the night before you canceled the engagement party,” the assistant said hesitantly, “When Miss Duncan came to bring soup to your office, it seemed like she had been waiting
for a long time.”
Brian’s mind reeled. He hadn’t realized that every venomous word he’d uttered had reached my ears that night. In a fit of self–loathing, Brian began slapping his own face repeatedly, his swollen cheeks a testament to his guilt.
A notification sound interrupted his frenzy.
Brian glanced at my phone and saw a message from Laurel.
[You see? I told you, whether it’s Jordan or Brian, they’re nothing more than dogs at my feet. With just one call, they’ll come running to my side. And it’s not just them–I’ll take every single thing you hold dear.]
Brian read the message, his laughter turning maniacal, his remorse surging like a tidal wave. For a woman who
treated him like a dog, he had caused the death of the one who truly loved him. Regret consumed him.
Dubai.
The scorching summer heat enveloped me as I stepped outside, wearing a traditional headscarf I had learned to don from the locals. When I first arrived, I pooled every penny from my overseas accounts to establish a small studio. Business was steadily growing and now I needed to hire more staff.
Just in time, one of my close friends from home had quit her job and was eager to join me. I drove to the airport
10 34
early that morning to pick her up.
