Chapter 3

Finally, the day I was leaving came. I took one last look around the room packed with memories, picked up my suitcase, and left for the airport, ready to leave it all behind.

Just as I was about to board, William texted me.

William: [Where are you? I went to your place, but you weren't there.]

His calls kept coming, one after another, but I didn't pick up any of them.

When my phone was about to die, I finally answered, just to say one last goodbye.

"Take care, William. Goodbye," I said softly.

On the other end, William's voice was hoarse and furious.

"I saw what you were hiding in your drawer. Is that why you're running away? Because you didn't want me to know you were pregnant?"

He continued, "Is this all because you feel guilty about Andrew?"

Even with my headphones in, his yelling was so loud it made my ears ring.

Even with the volume turned down, his shouting still made me laugh. "William, did you forget? I was never married to Andrew," I said.

"I was just his girlfriend. Even if I had a miscarriage, there's nothing for me to feel guilty about."

"And as for my baby's father, come on, William, do you really not know?" I asked.

My words only pissed him off more, his voice cracking with fury. "Oh, you mean I should have known that you just sleep with people? Come on! How the hell am I supposed to know whose kid you were pregnant with?"

He kept roaring, "If you come back right now, maybe I can forgive you for Andrew. But if you don't, you'll never see me again. And I'll even move his grave. You'll never get to visit him ever again."

My hand went numb as I gripped the phone, and disappointment just flooded through me.

I didn't even want to figure out if William was really forgetting or just faking it. But I never thought he'd actually threaten me with Andrew's resting place.

I went quiet, and on the other end, William seemed to calm down too.

He took a deep breath and called out my name, just like he always did. "Sophia, come back. I don't care if you've been with someone else. Just come back to me."

A sarcastic laugh escaped me. "Like I said, I was never married to Andrew. Who I slept with has nothing to do with you."

I said, "I'm going to live my own life now. Goodbye."

On the other end, I heard the sharp crash of glass shattering.

I hung up before William could go off on me again.

After shutting off my phone and finally sleeping like a log, I woke up in a whole new world across the ocean.

Floréline was full of romance and art, but it also had more than its fair share of muggers.

Barely had I set foot outside the airport when a tall man ripped my bag from my grip, dragging me down to the ground with it.

My arm got all scratched up on the rough gravel, and the pain stung so bad it made my eyes water.

Someone spoke up, his voice warm and gentle. "Are you okay, Ms. Bennett?"

I looked up and saw a Florélian staring at me, worry written all over his face.

He pulled me to my feet, and I shook my head. "I'm okay."

I recognized him.

This was the mentor Lucas had found for me, who was a well-known painter abroad.

I managed a smile, trying to cover up my embarrassment. "Hi... you must be Mr. Charles Morel. I'm Sophia Bennett."

He gave a gentle nod, as if to confirm it. "It's nice to finally meet you, Sophia."

I smiled and nodded.

He handed me his phone. "Lucas has been calling nonstop. Looks like you'll need a new phone."

Only then did it hit me that my bag had just been snatched.

Luckily, there was nothing in it except my phone.

I grabbed Charles' phone and dialed Lucas.

Lucas sounded really anxious. "God, is William out of his mind or what? He's been camped out at my studio for five hours now."

He said, "He had someone check your flight info, and now he's grilling me. He even asked if you were pregnant with my kid. Sweetie, are you pregnant? Whose baby is it?"

His questions were all over the place, and only at the end did he mention Charles and the painting lessons.

I let out a sigh. "Don't bother with William anymore. I helped him start his company. I've already done everything I could for him."

Lucas was silent for a moment. "Alright, just don't be too upset, okay?"

I froze for a second and then laughed. "So you knew? I guess things between William and me aren't what they used to be."

Lucas chuckled. "Honey, you're an artist. You know emotions always show in the eyes. William's no exception."

I instantly shot back, "Yeah, toward the love of his life, not me."

Lucas didn't bother arguing. After a quick word with Charles, he hung up, muttering he had to kick William out before things got messier.

I grabbed my suitcase and got into Charles' car.

With William and me now oceans apart, there was no way for me to know he was losing his mind back in our hometown.