Chapter 2
The Laura from the original story would have been over the moon after seeing that message. She would have replied yes right away, dressed up carefully, and gone to the gala full of hope.
Only to be humiliated under everyone's gaze.
Laura looked at the message and curled her lips into the faintest smile. She typed a few words, deleted them, then simply turned off the screen, rolled over, and closed her eyes.
She had an early flight to catch tomorrow.
At six the next morning, Laura woke up before the alarm even went off.
She took a shower, dried her hair, changed into a comfortable set of athleisure, and dragged her suitcase to the door.
She glanced around the apartment she had lived in for two years. In the original story, Laura had been reluctant to leave just because Charles had visited a few times.
But the awakened Laura only thought the lighting was good and the location a little inconvenient. Selling it later might be a pain.
She left the key on the shoe cabinet by the entrance, sent property management a message, and rolled her suitcase out the door.
The taxi arrived quickly.
The driver helped her load the suitcase into the trunk and asked where she was headed.
"The airport." Laura buckled her seat belt and checked the time on her phone. 6:40 a.m. She had plenty of time.
As the car got onto the expressway, Laura leaned against the window and watched the city she had lived in for two years slowly recede in the morning light.
The Laura from the original story had suffered too much here. She had been slapped, left kneeling in the rain, lost a kidney, and had her engagement publicly called off.
But none of that would happen now.
Because Laura had left.
Her phone buzzed again. It was still Charles.
This time it was a call. Laura looked at the name "Charles" flashing on the screen, thought for a second, and hit decline.
He clearly hadn't expected her to reject the call. After a few seconds of silence, he called again.
Laura declined again.
After this happened three times in a row, Charles sent her a message.
[What are you doing?]
Laura looked at the message and suddenly found it a little funny.
In the original story, Charles Renner was always impatient, cold, and distant with Laura. He would never have asked what she was doing, because he simply didn't care.
Now she had ignored a few calls, and suddenly he was asking questions? Men really did only think of someone after losing them.
She didn't reply. She simply powered off her phone.
There weren't many people in the terminal. Laura checked in, passed security, and bought a hot latte from a coffee shop in the waiting area.
She found a seat by the window and sat down, watching planes take off and land. Her heart was strangely calm.
The Laura from the original story had been painfully humble. She loved Charles so much she lost herself and lived entirely by his moods.
She thought that if she was good enough, loved him enough, and endured enough, then one day Charles would finally see her worth.
But in an unequal relationship, the more one gives up, the more the other takes it for granted.
When one gives everything, the other person only thinks one is cheap.
Laura took a sip of her latte, and the bitterness spread across her tongue.
She thought that if the Laura from the original story could see her now, she would probably feel relieved.
That girl who had been controlled by the plot had finally lived for herself, if only once, the moment she awakened.
The boarding announcement sounded.
Laura picked up her carry-on, tossed the empty coffee cup into the trash, and headed for the gate.
Just as she lined up to board, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.
A man in a black suit came running over, panting. He scanned the crowd, then locked onto Laura.
"Miss Evans!" The man strode toward her, clearly anxious. "Mr. Renner sent me to pick you up. There have been changes to the gala, and he needs you to..."
Laura glanced at him and recognized him.
It was Charles Renner's assistant, Mr. Shaw. In the original story, he often passed along those condescending little messages on Charles's behalf.
"Sorry." Laura handed her boarding pass to the staff member. "I'm boarding."
Mr. Shaw froze, clearly not expecting that answer.
He reached out as if to stop her, but her boarding pass had already been scanned. Laura walked straight down the jet bridge without looking back.
Behind her, she heard Mr. Shaw making a call. "Hello, Mr. Renner, I couldn't stop her... She's already boarded..."
Laura's lips curved upward as she quickened her pace into the cabin and found her seat.
Window seat. Economy class. Not even business.