Chapter 3
The next second, he replied gently, "Alright, I'll come home tonight."
No matter what he's like now, I'm still grateful for who Gail used to be.
I was thankful for all those years he spent by my side, and for the way he always took such good care of me.
At the very least, I wanted us to see things through to the end.
But the weather had other plans.
On my way back to our newlywed home, thunder roared and lightning flashed across the sky.
Sitting in the taxi, I felt a wave of unease wash over me for no reason.
Ever since the car accident, I'd been terrified of thunderstorms.
Back then, Gail would hold me close, gently patting my back to calm me down.
My hand was clenched tight.
I was scared that the moment I saw Gail, after all these years, it'd just be a reflex to run into his arms and break down crying.
I was afraid all the defenses I'd put up these past few days would crumble the second I saw him.
But I was wrong.
Standing at the door, just about to punch in the code, I heard a woman's sweet, coquettish voice. "Gail, don't you love Anabella anymore?"
Then came Gail's voice. "Love? Come on, I never loved her. What bullshit redemption.
"If my mom hadn't cut off my allowance and forced me to see her, I wouldn't have bothered with her at all.
"I'm so sick of her."
The woman shot back, annoyed, "Then why did you marry her?"
Gail said, "Because I wanted to see her treat me like I was her hero.
"Just toss her a few crumbs and she'd be wagging her tail, desperate for a little attention from me."
Then came a burst of laughter. "Gail, you're a legend!"
"That's our Gail!"
Thunder roared.
My hand trembled on the doorknob.
It felt like my heart was being ripped to shreds again, with the storm raging outside.
I dropped my umbrella and wandered off in a daze, barely aware of where I was going.
I just wanted to hide.
I couldn't let anyone see me falling apart like this.
I bolted down the street, desperate to get away.
Like if I just kept running, maybe I could leave all this shame behind.
But then, my legs buckled and I collapsed onto the pavement.
My hearing aid skidded across the ground, landing several feet away.
My face and hair were drenched. I couldn't even tell anymore if it was rain or my own tears.
I just wanted to shut out the world, wanted to do absolutely nothing.
Why would he do this to me?
Turns out, even love could be just an act.
Just then, Lawson called. "Anabella?"
His voice was always so calm.
Without my hearing aid, I tried my best to figure out what he was saying.
The thunder was so loud that I could barely hear him.
I was desperately trying to hear him.
Right then, I just felt so useless, and I broke down, sobbing my heart out.
I said, "Lawson, please... just take me away."
"Just get me out of here."
I was falling apart, letting out all the hurt and shame I'd bottled up these days.
There was a hint of urgency in his voice. "Just wait there. I'm coming to get you."
When Emma came back to town, Gail and his crew threw together a wild welcome bash for their favorite big sis.
They got drunk out of their minds at Gail's place, crashing out in a row across the floor.
No one knew what time it was. Someone, still groggy and drunk, blindly reached for his phone.
He caught a breaking news alert, and his eyes snapped open, all traces of sleep gone.
"Holy shit! This is huge news!"
His shout jolted a few of them awake.
"The Carlson family's recently found young master just tore through the rain at 200 mph!
"All that just to pick up his girl and take her overseas!"
One of them, still groggy, waved it off. "No way, man. I heard he just got back and already turned the whole Carlson Group upside down. That guy's sharp as hell."
"He doesn't strike me as someone who'd just lose it and do something that crazy."
Everyone was almost sober now, gathering around for the gossip.
"Let me see!"
"Whoa, this is happening just down the street from Gail!"
One of them suddenly asked, "Hey, why does that girl look so familiar?"
"She looks just like Anabella, doesn't she?"
Gail rubbed his temples, scoffing, "No way that's Anabella.
"Please, without me, she wouldn't even have the guts to step outside Thornville, let alone go overseas."
He brushed it off, but when his eyes landed on the phone screen, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
It was obviously a sneaky snapshot, and with the rain messing up the lighting, you could barely make out the faces in the photo.
But Gail could recognize Anabella in a heartbeat.
Her silhouette, that shade of hair, and the way she moved, he knew it all by heart.
Gail thought, 'Impossible. Anabella asked to meet tonight; she said she had something to discuss.
'It's been days since she saw me, just an excuse to meet up.
'She's still not here; something must've delayed her.'
Gail pulled out his phone.