Chapter 2

Click—

I hung up the phone.

Five years ago, it was another freezing and windy night when William called me selfish.

I had a high fever and my head was pounding. I passed out at William's place and ended up smashing the music box Sophie had placed on the table.

William threw a glass of cold water right in my face. "This was a birthday gift from Sophie's mom. You smashed it deliberately. That's so selfish of you," he said.

"Figures. A kid without a mother could never know anything about a mother's love," he added.

"Starting today, you're going to Alboure to think about what you've done. Don't come back until you realize what you did wrong," he ordered.

William hauled me off to the airport, not even giving me a chance to grab my belongings.

When I landed in Alboure, I didn't know a soul and had no clue where to start. The only job I could get was at a convenience store that offered room and board.

It wasn't until the third month that I finally scraped together enough money to rent a cramped apartment and move out of the storeroom.

But right outside that apartment, I ran into a psycho. I nearly got dragged into the bush and lost my life in a foreign country.

*****

I finished my warm soup and was just about to get up.

Buzz—

My phone screen lit up.

I picked it up and saw a message from James: [I've booked you a wedding dress fitting. Can't wait to see your photos.]