Chapter 4

But I still managed to catch a glimpse of the name on the screen, Sophia Lane.

"I need to take this call..." Charles started.

But the loud slam of my car door drowned out his last word, shutting him up without a second thought.

I got out of the car, feeling his eyes on me the whole time. I just wrapped my shawl tighter around myself and walked toward the lake alone.

The wind was even fiercer than it had been back then, but the sunlight made the lake shine a brilliant, crystal-clear blue.

Standing by the water, I didn't feel the excitement or awe I used to. Instead, there was a quiet sense of peace inside me.

I thought to myself:

If my soul could stay here in Bhodan after I die, wrapped in the embrace of this crystal-clear lake, maybe death wouldn't be so scary after all.

"Watch out!" All of a sudden, a hand grabbed my arm.

I turned around and saw two young girls staring at me, their faces full of concern.

"Girl, I thought you were about to walk straight into the lake. Are you okay?" one of them asked.

That's when I realized I was about to step right into the lake.

A jolt of fear shot through me, but I was also a little moved. I shook my head and said, "I'm fine, thank you."

Noticing they were shivering in their thin clothes, I slipped off my shawl and offered it to them.

"Don't catch a cold. Being healthy is what makes you truly beautiful," I said.

As the words left my mouth, it hit me. I was repeating something Charles used to say, and for a second, I felt a little out of it.

One of the girls took the shawl, looking a bit lost, and asked, "What about you?"

Before I could answer, the other girl suddenly looked past me and said, "Is that your husband? He's so handsome!"

I turned around and saw Charles walking toward me, holding a jacket.

His voice drifted over on the wind, sounding kind of resigned.

"I knew you wouldn't take care of yourself. Come here and put this on," he said.

It was supposed to be a sweet moment, but it hit me so hard it felt like my heart was pierced, and my eyes welled up with tears.

From the bowl of noodles last night to this jacket now.

It was like looking after me had become second nature to him, even if he didn't love me anymore.

He held out the jacket for me, and as I slipped my arms into the sleeves, I couldn't help but wrap my arms around his waist.

I buried my face in his shoulder, tears silently soaking into his shirt, my voice muffled. "Charles, I really hate you."

I hate that your heart always chases after someone younger, someone bursting with life.

I hate that you forgot all those promises. You said you loved me, but your love was never really enough.

And what hurts the most is, I don't even have the strength to hold on to you anymore.

Charles stiffened, but for once, he didn't snap at me or call me ungrateful.

He gently pulled me into his arms, his voice low and quiet.

"I know," he said.

Charles lowered his head, gritting his teeth as he murmured in my ear, "Sometimes, I really hate you too."

My eyes burned even more, but instead of crying, I let out a bitter laugh.

We were wrapped up in each other's arms, hearts pressed so close, faces almost cheek to cheek, and yet, in that moment of intimacy, all we could talk about was how much we hated each other.

I heard the click of a camera shutter behind us.

I stepped out of Charles's embrace and saw the two girls smiling as they walked over, handing us a Polaroid photo.

"You two are so sweet! You look perfect together!" one of them said.

Charles took the photo, looking at us holding each other tight, and he didn't say a word for a while.

I smiled and chimed in, "Yeah, we first met here eight years ago. Now we're here again, just to revisit all those good times..."

I spun our story like some fairy tale, making it sound all dreamy and perfect.

The two girls were practically buzzing with excitement, saying that Charles and I made them believe in love again.

I found myself smiling along with them.

They invited us to join them for some grilled steaks.

As I turned around, I noticed Charles's eyes were strangely red.

He walked behind me, his broad shoulders blocking the wind for me, then suddenly said:

"Looks like I need a pair of shades too. The wind's really something here."

The dinner became much livelier with the two girls joining us.

I couldn't eat much, so I just kept talking.

Watching the youthful energy on their faces, my physical pain seemed to fade away.