C08
Corey sat on the ground, feeling numb, as he unlocked his phone. He opened his and Winona’s chat window. Scrolling up through the history, he found only one–sided concern from her.
[When do you get off work? I made your favorite dishes.]
[Do you have another dinner meeting tonight? Can we celebrate your birthday when you’re back?]
[It’s getting colder. I bought you a new coat. Try it on when you’re home.]
[Can you come with me to visit my mom tomorrow? I want to give her a flower bouquet.]
With each sentence he read, a sharp pain pierced his heart. He had never paid attention to these trivial details of daily life. For the first time, he realized how much she had done for him. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. He reached out to wipe them away, but they only flowed more freely.
When the tears finally dried up, he looked at the lawyer before him. “Can you help me find out where this divorce agreement was printed? I don’t know what else to do. Please… help me.”
***
My plane had landed. I was in a foreign country now, eight hours behind home. The temperature was freezing and there were only a few people on the streets. I quickly opened my bag and pulled out a coat, slipping it on as I left
the airport to hail a cab to the apartment I had rented.
I finally had a chance to catch my breath after unpacking my things, but my stomach rumbled loudly before I could even take a sip of water. That’s when I realized–I hadn’t eaten anything all day.
From the moment I left home, it felt like I had pressed pause on my senses. I didn’t feel hunger or thirst. It was like the only thing driving me forward was the need to leave.
Now that I was really on the other side of the world, it wasn’t as satisfying as I had imagined. I numbly put my
coat back on and walked out of the apartment. There was a nice–looking restaurant downstairs, bustling with young people. Their energy made me feel less out of place.
I still couldn’t taste the food I was eating, but the sudden sense of freedom made me burst out laughing. Before I
could finish laughing, a commotion broke out.
A young couple happened to be on a date there and amid the swirling snow outside the window, the man proposed. Their friends circled them, cheering for them to kiss in front of everyone.
I watched the scene unfold and instinctively reached for my phone to capture it, but my hand froze when my
gaze fell on the wedding photo on my screen.
It took two minutes to change the wallpaper. By the time I looked back up, the proposal was over and the
had moved on to celebrating. I tapped the table along with their beat, letting their joy fill the air.
group
The restaurant owner swept up in the excitement, announced that everyone in the group could eat for free
tonight There’s something about the kindness of strangers that breaks through even the strongest emotional wells
4:11 PM
Loving a Liar
What I hadn’t felt in three years came so easily here.
The girl was so excited that she cried in her boyfriend’s arms. I looked at them and my tears fell unconsciously. There will always be people in the world who find happiness. No matter what happened next, at least they were happy for this moment.
After leaving, I stopped keeping track of news from home, but the Gail Corporation was too prominent. No matter where I was, news about it would pop up.
In the latest update, Corey had had a falling out with the Sterlings. He had gone back on his word regarding the hotel and company shares he had promised to transfer to Jennie. Of course, the Sterlings weren’t going to let such a big loss slide.
