- 3.
<
David used all his connections to find me. It
was almost comical. Perhaps this was the
most attention he’d ever given me. But it was
futile. He turned the city upside down, even
filed a missing person report, only to be told
there was no record of me. Before she died,
Mom had transferred my residency back to
our small hometown. I was officially gone
from his world. Back in his office, David
raged. “Idiots! You can’t find one person! What do I pay you for?” His secretary
trembled. “Mr. Walker, we’ve searched
everywhere. Ms. Miller isn’t in the city
anymore.” “Her mother’s here! Where could
she be? She can’t survive without me, without
this city!” David swept everything off his desk
in a fit of fury. I watched his self–important
<
99
display, a hollow ache in my chest. He always
saw me as a parasite, someone beneath him,
just like he saw my mother. “Maybe… check
hospitals? Ms. Miller was in a car accident
three years ago. There should be records.‘
David paused, a flicker of confusion in his
eyes. “An accident? I don’t remember that.”
Before the secretary could elaborate, his
phone rang. “David, my heart… It hurts. I
think it’s… rejection. Please come…” Emily’s
voice was weak and desperate. David’s
concern was immediate. He abandoned the
search for me, rushing to Emily’s side. My
eyes stung. David and I had shared moments
like that once. But now, they belonged to
someone else. Maybe they never belonged to
me at all. In truth, Emily’s heart was mine. It
had been beating in her chest for three years,
adapting to its new host. There wouldn’t be
any rejection. She just didn’t want him
distracted, didn’t want to share his attention.
David arrived at the hospital, relieved to find
Emily seemingly fine. “Next time, call a
doctor, not me,” he said, his voice tight with irritation. Emily’s face crumpled. “David, I was
just… lonely. I miss you. You’ve been so
preoccupied with Hannah… I don’t have much time left. I just wanted to see you.” It was a tactic that always worked. Guilt washed over David. “I’m sorry, Emily. I shouldn’t have left you alone.” He squeezed her hand. “It’s that Hannah. Even now, she’s playing games, disappearing…” I laughed, a hollow, empty sound. He was right. I was gone. My heart, after all, was already with Emily. It had been for three years. Finally, David’s secretary found my hospital records. Hannah Miller, age 27, deceased following a car accident.
David’s hand trembled as he read the report.
