Chapter 3

When I got back home, I tucked the necklace fragments into a small sachet and fastened it around my neck once more.

Then I just stood there, gazing at the empty room, letting a wave of emptiness wash over me.

It felt like everything had disappeared.

After all these years, I realized I hadn't held onto a single thing.

How useless I was.

Once again, I wondered why I wasn't in the fatal flight my parents were in.

If only I'd been on that flight, I'd have been with Mom and Dad forever.

There wouldn't be an uncle after my inheritance, and no boy who came after me just to decide years later that I wasn't worth it anymore.

I wouldn't be like a stray, always pushed from place to place, never really wanted anywhere.

After a moment's hesitation, I sent out a message. [I won't make it tomorrow. Safe travels.]

When that was done, I headed into the bathroom.

Just as the water crept up to my nose in the tub, a sudden ringtone blasted through the air.

It sounded urgent and impossible to ignore.

As if pulled by some invisible force, I struggled to sit up and picked up the phone.

My throat was burning and swollen from the water, but I forced myself to say his name—"Gavin?"

Gavin Decker was an impoverished student I'd sponsored in the past.

After Callum and I graduated and got married, he turned down every chance for me to work. He said the world was a rough place, and he worried I'd relapse into depression if I got too tangled up out there.

"I've got you covered," Callum said. "You just stay at home and let me provide for you, enjoy the good life."

For the first couple of years, I barely had to do anything at all.

Life was both happy and easy.

Most of the days I just watched dramas and mindlessly surfed the net.

That was when I stumbled onto a site filled with impoverished students who'd had it rough but still clung to their dreams.

It made my heart twist, and with plenty of cash to spare, I ended up sponsoring more than a dozen of them in one go.

Most of them were just scammers.

But Gavin wasn't like the rest.

He was the unluckiest of all—no parents, hustling odd jobs since he was just a little kid, trying to survive.

He was the most honest—never asked for more than enough to eat each month, and if there was ever any extra, he'd always send it straight back.

He was an open book with me, giving little updates about his life and happily sharing every certificate or medal he earned.

I watched as Gavin got accepted to a top university, then teamed up with his friends to launch their own startup.

When he graduated, he wasn't just top of his class—he was already making a name for himself in the business world.

I was truly proud of him, but I politely declined his invitation to the graduation ceremony and quietly cut off contact.

My dad used to say, "Lend a hand when someone's struggling, but never claim the spotlight when they're doing well."

It wasn't until six months ago that we ran into each other again at the Whitaker Group headquarters.

He was there on business, and I was visiting Callum at work.

After the negotiation wrapped up, Callum was furious that he didn't get the share he wanted. He knocked over the lunch I'd brought in his frustration, then stormed out without another look back.

The soup I'd carefully simmered for hours was now soaking the floor, and the hem of my dress was a soggy mess.

Everyone in the room felt so awkward, and I just wanted to disappear.

Right then, a guy in a tailored suit stepped over, crouched down, and gently wiped at the stains. "Miss, your husband's got one hell of a temper."

Gavin looked up at me, his tough negotiator vibe out the window—now he was just like a well-behaved wolf, all soft-eyed and gentle.

That was the first time we'd ever met in person.

Because of frequent business deals, we ended up running into each other a lot more and got back in touch online.

The day Callum and I got divorced and left the city hall, Callum hurried off to the hotel.

Coincidentally, Gavin messaged me. [Hey, how have you been?]

I told him straight: [Not great. I just got divorced, and now I don't know where to go.]

He replied: [Maybe you should get out for a bit, clear your head.]

But when a bird had spent too long in a cage, even if it finally found itself free in the open sky, it had no idea where to go.

Gavin texted again: [I'll be heading to Rosendam for business in a week. The view's gorgeous over there. Want to tag along?]

Me: [Alright.]

*****

On the other end of the phone, Gavin sounded a little anxious. "Do you have something else going on?"

I hesitated, staring at the bathroom flooded with water, lost for words. "No," I finally managed.

"So why the sudden change of mind?" he pressed.

"It's just... I'm really tired," I said quietly.

My whole life had been one bleak mess, and I was just too worn out to keep struggling.

Gavin went quiet for a long moment.

All I could hear on the line was the wind.

I thought he was about to hang up, and I started to get up, ready to go back to the bathroom.

But then Gavin spoke again "Wendy, let me look after you. You don't have to be so tired anymore."

I froze, suddenly finding I didn't have the courage to die anymore.

My fingers trembled as I carefully let out a barely audible but definite "Okay."

Gavin arrived so fast, he was at my door before the call ended.

He rescheduled his flight, scooped me up and we headed straight for the airport.

He moved so quickly, it honestly felt like I was being whisked away by some whirlwind kidnapping.

When we boarded the plane, my hair was still damp and I was still dazed.

He asked the flight attendant for a blanket and gently draped it over my shoulders. Then he ordered a hot drink and put it in my hands.

Then, like a magician, he pulled out a stack of magazines from his bag and laid them out in front of me.

"If you get bored, flip through these. Didn't you study art before? These are some of the most respected art magazines from around the world in recent years—I thought you'd enjoy them," Gavin said.

His voice was soft and comforting. "I need to handle a couple of things, but if you need anything, just call me over."

Only when I nodded did Gavin turn to his laptop and get to work.

The glow from his laptop screen highlighted his refined features, while his slender fingers danced effortlessly over the keys.

He looked like one of those cold, high-flying executives on TV, but for some reason, I felt safe with him.

I took small sips of my drink, feeling the warmth slowly seep back into my body.

I flipped open a magazine, and all that color rushed in, lighting up my life that had always been stuck in black and white.

Outside the window, the moon was shining brightly.

Its glow washed over the night sky—and it felt like maybe it could reach me, too.