Chapter 2
Louise stood rooted to the spot, icy cold all over, her ears buzzing.
She refused to accept it.
Fueled by her unwillingness to give up, she pulled out her phone and checked the location system Simon had once set up for her. She soon found them both in the lab.
She could get through the lab's main entrance, but she didn't have access to the inner rooms.
Through the clear glass door, she saw Simon's usually calm face clouded with deep concern. Simon said, "Next time, let me handle the dangerous experiments. I don't want you getting hurt again."
He expertly took out the first aid kit and, just like before, began treating Haley's burn.
Haley said in a sweet and playful voice, "Don't be mad, Simon. Tonight is your anniversary with Louise. I thought if I interrupted you, she'd definitely be upset. But you turned off your phone to stay with me, so I'm really happy."
Louise saw a flicker of annoyance cross Simon's face, but he quickly hid it and replied calmly, "Don't worry about her. She'll cheer herself up on her own."
Haley raised an eyebrow with a playful smile, and then threw herself into Simon's arms. She said shyly, "So, what if I ask you to stay with me tonight and not go home?"
Louise's fingers curled tightly after she heard that, her heart twisting with pain.
But instead of the rejection she'd pictured, Simon pulled Haley into his arms and said softly, his tone full of affection, "You're hurt. How could I leave you here alone? Come on, let's go to your place."
Watching them pack up the equipment together, ready to leave, Louise instinctively retreated into the shadows of the corner, holding her breath, afraid to make a sound.
It wasn't until they both got into Simon's car, with Haley slipping into the passenger seat like it was second nature, that Louise quietly followed behind, watching as they drove off together to Haley's apartment.
When the lights upstairs flickered on, Louise sat in her car, her laughter mingling with tears.
'Simon always noticed my little moods. He just never cared,' Louise thought bitterly.
She thought that after five years together, after everything she'd done for him, he'd remember all the good times, maybe even be moved by everything she did for him.
But today, reality finally slapped her in the face.
No matter how much one gave, if the other one didn't love them, nothing would change.
Louise suddenly remembered when Simon tacitly acknowledged her as his girlfriend. He hated public displays of affection, so she played the role of a regular classmate, never making a fuss.
When he wouldn't let her into the lab, she went out of her way to donate the best equipment she could get her hands on for him.
At first, she poured all her own money into him. As the experiments needed more and more advanced gear, she ended up selling her painstakingly designed jewelry drafts to big companies to keep up with the lab's needs.
But after five years, she still didn't matter to him at all.
Louise sat in her car all night, and when dawn finally broke, she wiped away her tears, turned the car around, and called her real estate agent on her way home.
"Put my place at Riverside Estate up for sale. By the end of today, remove all non-owner access and make sure only the owner can get in," she said.
That place had held five years of her naive dreams and watched her lose her pride. She didn't want it anymore.
She didn't want Sion anymore, either.
*****
For three days after moving into her new place, Louise didn't step outside.
She went through her phone, watching every photo and video of Simon, over and over again.
A psychology blogger called it "exposure therapy". One should face the most painful memories until they went numb.
On the fourth night, Louise's best friend, Wendy Lane, kicked open her door.
"Louise, look at the state you're in!" Wendy shoved a bottle of whiskey into her hand and jabbed her finger at Louise's forehead. "You were born with a silver spoon, but you had to go chasing after some penniless guy.
"Now that he's successful, he's all tangled up with his lab partner. You've lost all your self-respect."
Louise took a big gulp of whiskey, the taste bitter and harsh on her tongue.
Back then, she'd made such a big deal chasing after Simon that everyone around them knew about it. But the only person who actually knew they'd been living together for years was Wendy.
Louise murmured, "Do you think I'm really that pathetic? I barely made it into the Royal College, studied jewelry design, and Simon got handpicked for the elite lab. Other than some money, I don't have a single thing worth bragging about."
She leaned into Wendy's arms as she counted her so-called achievements over the years. None of them really mattered.
She thought, 'Maybe that's why Simon never cared about me. I was never smart enough.
'I could never really follow all that technical stuff he talked about, or share in the excitement he felt when one of his experiments finally succeeded.'
Wendy's eyes went wide. "Are you nuts? Back at Royal College, you had guys lining up for you.
"If you hadn't dropped out of the jewelry design competition just to help Simon land a sponsor, you'd be off in Italio, furthering your career right now.
"How many times did the CEO of Windland fly all the way here to try to recruit you? Every single collection you designed was a total sellout.
"You've got money, you're gorgeous, and you're talented. And honestly, you're so nice that it's almost ridiculous. Tell me, what exactly makes you not good enough for Simon?"
Louise was stunned. "Do I really have all that going for me?"
"You've totally been gaslighted by Simon." Wendy was frustrated beyond words. "You wouldn't even dare put on a dress that stands out when he's around."
Wendy's words hit Louise hard, like a slap right across the face.
All of a sudden, Louise realized she hadn't bought any of those vibrant, statement-making clothes in forever.
"Come on," Louise said, grabbing Wendy's hand. "Let's go shopping. We're buying the most expensive, most gorgeous clothes we can find."
All those rules—no staying out late, no going out for drinks, no partying at bars, no meeting up with old friends—had become so ingrained in her that she'd almost forgotten who she used to be.