I just hummed in response.
He went to rummage through the trash, only to find it had already been taken out.
He was clearly upset. “We’ve kept those for over ten years. How could you just throw them away?”
To him, they were treasures. To me, they were just things. I wonder what he would do if he knew about the miscarriage, about my plans to marry someone else.
He noticed my silence.
Then, with a heavy sigh, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Yoana, I’m sorry for getting worked up. It’s just stuff, right? I’ll get you more later.”
However, there would not be a later.
I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but he clung on tight.
“Lately, even though you’re right here, I feel like you’re miles away. It’s making me anxious. Are you still mad at me?”
I told him I was not, my voice even.
He softened his tone. “Yoana, what do you want to do?”
I paused, then said, “Let’s go see the ocean, just once.”
For years, I had dreamed of watching the waves with Simon.
He looked at me, disbelief in his eyes. “Is that all?”
“Yes.”
He agreed, still surprised.
The perfect time to see the ocean was at dusk. That was when Simon and I would say goodbye.
I packed up and headed to the shore to wait for Simon.
However, what I got instead was his text.
[Yoana, something came up today. I’ll take you to the beach tomorrow.]
I let out a sarcastic laugh. Just as I thought.
The beach at twilight was stunning, and I soaked in the beauty of the fading sun all by myself.
Lighting a candle with my lighter, I whispered, “Happy birthday to me.”
Then, I sent Simon one final text.
[We’re done.]
Once I sent it, I suddenly remembered I had not tossed out some old report, but it did not really matter anymore.
That was when Sophia decided to drop the act and call me.
“Got wise at last, huh? Were you trying to make him chase you by playing games? Dream on if you think those tricks will bring Simon back. He’s in my cozy bed right now. You wouldn’t believe how much he missed me just a while ago.”
Sophia sent me a smug photo of her and Simon cuddling in bed.
She continued, her voice rising.
“If you weren’t around, Simon would’ve been dying to marry me. So what if I was gone for three years? He’s still in love with me.”
I let out a dismissive snort. “Well, enjoy your prize. He’s all yours.”
Sophia was livid. I could hear her grinding her teeth and the crash of her throwing things around.
After hanging up, I snapped a photo of the evening waves. Without a second thought, I headed straight for the airport.
As I boarded the plane, my phone started blowing up.
