Colton Riggs' voice came through the phone, groggy: “Yes, sir, I have it.”
“Send me a copy,” Adrienne replied.
Once the call ended, Adrianne’s phone buzzed with a new message. It was Lizzie’s physical exam report. Everything seemed normal—aside from some mild anemia and a vitamin D deficiency. Adrianne knew Lizzie didn’t spend much time in the sun, so that wasn’t a big surprise. He felt a wave of relief that there was nothing seriously wrong with her health.
The next morning, Lizzie woke up to find Adrianne still at the house. Adrianne had always been a workaholic, even with Ophelia around, so seeing him here now, especially in the morning, was hard to believe.
When she came down the stairs, Adrianne quickly ended the call he was on and stood up from the couch.
“I’ve booked us a flight to Lhasa this afternoon. Pack your things. We’re leaving for the airport soon.”
Lizzie raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the sudden announcement.
Seeing her reaction, Adrianne added, “I just realized our wedding anniversary is coming up, so I thought we could take a short trip there to celebrate. We’ll be back before the New Year.”
Lizzie didn’t want to ruin the mood by asking about Ophelia—about what would happen to her if they leave her. Over the years, Lizzie had always been the one to plan everything—birthdays, anniversaries, even casual dates on weekdays. Whenever Adrianne had time, he’d spend it with her, but when he didn’t, Lizzie was left to figure things out on her own.
So hearing this sudden plan was like being hit by a thunderbolt—it was so out of the blue that it left her confused.
Was this guilt talking? Was this related to what happened last night? Lizzie couldn’t help but wonder. She took a deep breath and decided to go along with it, taking as the farewell trip.
After breakfast, Lizzie went back to the room to pack. The weather was cold, so she packed warm clothes and a few things she might need in case of altitude sickness. She packed quickly and before long, the driver was there to take them to the airport. Lizzie checked in, handed over her boarding pass and they moved through security without any problems. With time to kill before boarding, she decided to grab a coffee.
When she came back, however, Adrianne was nowhere to be found in the waiting area. At first, Lizzie thought maybe he had stepped away to use the restroom, so she waited calmly. But as boarding time drew nearer and Adrianne still hadn’t returned, Lizzie decided to call him.
When the phone picked up, Adrianne sounded out of breath. “Lizzie, I can’t make it. Just go without me. I’ll pick you up in two days.”
Lizzie froze, her hand shaking around her coffee cup.
“Why?” her voice barely above whisper.
“It’s Ophelia... she… she tried to kill herself.”
Lizzie’s mouth went open and she couldn’t find the words. She hung up the phone and boarded the plane to Lhasa alone.
While she was there, Lizzie visited the prayer wheel and made a wish—but it wasn’t the wish she had always hoped for, the one where she and Adrianne would grow old together. Instead, she found herself wishing for her own safety and health.
She didn’t contact Adrianne again while in Lhasa and he didn’t reach out to her either. He had promised to pick her up, but days passed with no word.
By Christmas night, their fifth wedding anniversary had come and gone and still, no calls, no texts—nothing. The trip had ended and their anniversary had passed. Lizzie wasn’t surprised. She didn’t hold much hope in the first place, but after five years together, her heart felt like it had been stabbed with a thousand needles—the pain was sharp and overwhelming, making her hard to breathe.
After returning from Lhasa, Lizzie went to see a lawyer Mara had recommended.
Since Lizzie wanted the divorce to happen as soon as possible, the lawyer suggested she talk to Adrianne first, have him sign the divorce agreement and then they could proceed with the paperwork. The division of property could be handled later.
