Chapter 3
It was midnight.
Gilbert still hadn't come home.
I just sat there, numb, on the couch, waiting in the dark.
I'd promised Andrea I'd give him a proper goodbye.
So I told myself to get it over with tonight.
I'd thank him sincerely for everything he'd done for me all these years.
If he wanted me to apologize, fine, I'd do it.
No more pretending I was someone special in his life.
What was I, really?
Just a girl with no one to rely on, all alone in the world.
Time crawled by, and the pain in my leg grew sharper, but I didn't care.
All that mattered was moving out after I said goodbye to him.
I had to hold on to the last bit of pride I had left.
But I never imagined he'd shatter even that last bit of hope without a second thought.
He finally came back, but he wasn't alone.
I pushed myself up despite the pain in my leg, but his cold stare froze me where I stood.
Vivian was cradled in his arms, out cold.
"Uncle Gilbert, can we talk? Just for a moment," I said.
When he heard me call him that, his gaze suddenly deepened.
After a moment of silence, he said coolly, "Not now, Bridget. Don't make a scene. Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow."
But I didn't want to wait until tomorrow.
Gilbert, clearly annoyed, carried Vivian straight to his bedroom.
I tried to follow, but my injured leg buckled, and I crashed to my knees right outside his bedroom door.
He turned back, with a cold, mocking smirk on his lips. "What's this? Another performance?
"Bridget, you keep sinking to new lows.
"Since you're already on your knees, you might as well stay and listen.
"Maybe once you hear enough, you'll finally understand and let this go."
The door slammed shut.
It didn't take long before I could hear them getting it on inside.
I just stayed on my knees outside the door, forced to listen to every second.
Strangely, I felt nothing. Not hurt, not angry. Just... numb.
When the noises finally faded, I braced myself against the wall and limped back to my room.
So much for a proper goodbye.
Maybe it was better this way.
My flight to Lira was set for next early Tuesday morning.
And next Monday was a special day for us—the day Gilbert took me in.
Every year on this day, we'd have dinner together.
But would he even remember this time?
Last year, on his birthday, I gave him myself as a gift.
But he just turned me down.
He totally blew up at me.
After that, things between us went downhill fast.
This year, things would be different.
I traced the bank card in my hand—all that remained from my parents, plus what I'd saved from working.
Gilbert had spent a lot on me over the years. Raising me couldn't have been cheap.
This money would never be enough to pay him back, but at least I wouldn't leave with nothing.
His birthday hadn't come yet, but by then, I'd be thousands of miles away.
As for a gift, maybe the best one was to finally pay back what I owed him. All these years, everything he'd given me.
*****
Monday morning, I was up early, ready to head to the bank and sort out my finances.
But the moment I stepped downstairs, I almost bumped right into Gilbert.
I was caught off guard.
It was the first time I'd seen him since that night.
Our eyes met. Nothing but silence hung between us.
Not wanting to disturb him, I just nodded and made my way toward the entryway.
My hand had barely touched the doorknob when his familiar cedar scent washed over me.
The scent always reminded me of him.
My heart started racing before I even realized it.
I was mentally kicking myself for still reacting this way.