Chapter 2

I hung up the phone, my heart as cold as ice.

I walked over to the window and stared out at the sea that had kept me trapped here for three years.

It wasn't just the ocean that kept me here. It was my stupid heart, still hung up on Richard.

I still remember our first meeting. To be honest, I was drawn to him almost immediately. There was something about his resolve, that tough, decisive presence, that caught my attention.

After that, he took the initiative to reach out, and not long afterward, we began seeing each other officially.

I really thought I'd found my happily ever after, but life had other plans...

Maybe love really did make a fool out of me. Three years in, and it was only now that I finally noticed something off about Richard.

I could hear my heart beating steadily in my chest, not from fear, but from the sense of relief that came once the decision was made and there was no turning back.

Richard didn't bother coming in.

He probably figured I was just stewing in there, or quietly unpacking my things, waiting for the next empty promise he would never actually keep.

He was used to it.

Used to me always backing down, used to me playing the sensible one, used to me putting him and his damn "bigger picture" ahead of everything else.

No matter what he did to me, I'd just grit my teeth and take it, never making a fuss.

But not this time.

I opened the closet and stuffed the dress he'd given me when I first arrived on the island into the very bottom of my suitcase.

I remembered how his eyes lit up when I put it on, and he said, "You look beautiful. Sorry you have to put up with being here for me."

But now, he was giving Julia that same look.

I remembered how, earlier that morning, I had thought about going to his office to get a straight answer.

Just as I got to the half-open door, I heard Julia inside, her voice all choked up from crying.

"Richard, it's all my fault. I made Natalie misunderstand you again... Maybe I should just stay instead?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Richard's voice was firm, no room for argument. "Your health is the priority. The transfer's already approved. You have to leave."

He added, "Natalie... she's my wife. She knows how this place works. She'll understand."

I would understand?

Right then, Julia put on a show of stumbling, and Richard didn't even think. He just reached out and caught her by the wrist, steady as ever.

Like it was second nature to him.

Me? When I was so sick I could barely stand, clutching the wall for dear life, he wouldn't even glance my way. Just tossed out, cold as ice. "Go see the doctor yourself. I've got a meeting."

That was when I understood that people couldn't fake instinct.

It finally hit me.

I realized that every concession I had made over the past three years had turned into a joke.

Hence, I quietly turned away, not even feeling the need to go in and ask him anything.

There was no point anymore.

How ironic.

I zipped up my suitcase, the motion final, leaving nothing to reconsider.

I grabbed a small bag and stuffed in my ID, my bank card, and a small pendant my mom had slipped in when I first came to the island.

Everything else, everything Richard had ever given me, I left behind.

It all felt disgusting.

Once I finished packing, I perched on the bed and gazed out at the sea that had held me captive for three years.

The sky was a hazy gray, melting into the water, and the air felt so heavy that I could barely breathe.

A faint twinge of pain stabbed at my lower belly again.

Instinctively, I pressed my hand against it.

"Hang in there, baby," I told my little one.

"Mommy's going to get you out of here, sweetheart."

I whispered, "I won't let you risk being born in a place like this, with a father who never wanted you."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, I heard the roar of an engine outside.

It wasn't the familiar rumble of the island's old transport boats. It was something stronger, sharper, cutting through the waves with a fierce urgency.

I stood up and pulled the door open.

Richard had clearly heard it too. He was standing by the living room window, staring out, his brows knitted tight.

"What's going on? Where did that boat come from?" His voice was curt, tinged with irritation at the interruption and that unmistakable edge.

I didn't even acknowledge him. I just walked right to the door.

"Natalie, where are you going?" Richard called out, his voice heavy.

I yanked the door open, and the sharp, salty morning breeze hit me, blowing away any lingering doubt.

"Home."

I kept walking straight for the dock, not slowing down for a second.

"What are you doing, Natalie?" Richard barked, his voice laced with frustration and anger.

He stormed after me, grabbing my wrist with a grip so fierce it made me flinch. "No boat docks or leaves this island without my say-so! That's how it works here!"

I struggled to break free, but his hold only tightened.

"That may be how you run this place," I said coldly, meeting his stare, "but it doesn't control me anymore, Richard."

"You!" Richard snapped at me, his voice sharp with anger.