Chapter 3
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll stay in your room tonight.”
Before stepping into the guest room, he glanced back at me. With a deliberate motion, he closed the door behind him as if sealing me out of his world.
That night, the storm outside raged with thunder and lightning, but it couldn’t compete with the storm inside me. Beyond the closed door, Kael held another woman, whispering words meant for her ears alone.
He thought I was asleep. He thought I couldn’t hear.
When Kaia leaned in to kiss him, he didn’t resist. Instead, he returned the kiss, their passion igniting with an intensity I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Separated by two doors, I sat on the edge of my bed, hugging my knees tightly as tears carved silent trails down my cheeks.
80% 12:31
1/6
Chapter 3
A memory crept into my mind, sharp and uninvited. Six years ago, when Kael and I first started dating, he had kissed me while drunk. His lips brushed mine, and he mumbled something, soft, incoherent.
I had convinced myself he was murmuring my name. But no matter how many times I replayed it, the sound didn’t fit.
Looking back now, it was clear. He hadn’t been calling my name. It was hers.
Shaking off the memory, I forced myself to move. I turned off my computer, extinguished the light in the study, and headed for the bedroom.
“Skylar.”
I turned slowly.
Kael stood there, his posture casual but his expression uneasy. Dressed in loose
pajamas, he looked at me with something that resembled worry.
“You’ve been different lately,” he said,
80% 12:31
2/6
79
Chapter 3
his words deliberate, his tone unsure. “Is something bothering you? You seem distant. We promised to talk about everything always, remember? Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
For a moment, his presence was disarming. The way he looked at me and spoke felt like a shadow of the man I had fallen for all those years ago.
That year, on a rainy afternoon, we had accidentally swapped umbrellas. Kael stood across from me, a gentle smile lighting up his face.
“Skylar, doesn‘ t this feel like something straight out of a love story? Us taking the wrong umbrellas, it has to be fate, don’t you think?”
Back then, his words sent my heart racing, his voice weaving dreams of romance.
But now, that same voice left me hollow.
Kael took a step closer, his hand reaching for mine. “You‘ re my girlfriend. No
| 80% 12:31
3/6
Chapter 3
matter what’s wrong, I’ll take care of it. Just tell me.”
My nose tingled, and I fought back the tears threatening to spill. I wanted answers, needed them.
What was he hiding? What was Kaia to
him?
Before I could gather the courage to ask, his phone rang, shattering the fragile moment. The ringtone was different, unmistakably special.
My eyes flickered to the screen, catching sight of the contact. No name, just a simple
“heart” emoji. It said more than words ever could.
Without a moment‘ s hesitation, Kael answered. A trembling, tearful voice poured through the speaker.
“Kael, I’m so scared… I didn’t want to bother you, but I fell while getting out of bed at the hospital. I… I don’t know what to do…”
80% 12:31
4/6
Chapter 3
His expression changed instantly, concern clouding his features.
Without a word, he rushed to the bedroom. Moments later, he emerged, dressed and ready to leave, his coat slung over his arm.
“Skylar, Kaia fell at the hospital. She’s all alone. I need to check on her!”
The words I wanted to say crumbled in my throat. I mustered a smile, brittle but convincing.
“Go ahead.”
When Kael’s figure finally disappeared from my sight, it felt as if the weight of the world had settled on my shoulders. All the strength drained from my body, leaving me hollow. I sank onto the bed, exhaustion. and grief weighing me down.
Packing up the remnants of our life together. Over the course of six years, I had accumulated countless trinkets, each one a token of affection, mostly couple–themed.
80% 12.31
5/6
Chapter 3
Whenever Kael saw one, he‘ d chuckle but
never once stopped me from buying them. Yet, he never used a single one.
The items had piled up over time, gathering dust as if they were silently mocking the hollow shell of myself I had become. Most of them were still in pristine condition. I tossed some straight into the trash, while others I sold or gave away, no longer willing to hold onto the memories they represented.
I glanced at the calendar on the wall. Only three days left.
Holding a cup of water, I turned my gaze toward the window. The clouds above drifted in an endless dance, gathering and scattering, only to regroup and start again, just like my heart.
