Whether he lived free and easy or crawled through the wreckage of his own life, what did it have to do with me anymore?
"It's nothing serious," I said. "I just don't want to keep the money in."
The line went quiet for a few seconds.
"If you say pull out, then we pull out."
"But sweetheart, did someone hurt you?"
"No." I smiled a little. "I just want to clear my head in Bali. Lend me the helicopter and I'll handle the rest myself."
"A helicopter? If you wanted the stars out of the sky, your dad would climb up and grab them for you."
He sighed. "But Peggy, I have to be straight with you. That Brendan kid, I never thought much of him from the start. You insisted on marrying him, and I couldn't stop you."
"But if he's really done something to wrong you, you tell your dad..."
"I know."
After I hung up, I sat on the cold bed, lost in thought.
The truth was, I'd been to every city around Bali, more times than I could count.
Only Bali itself I'd never set foot in.
It was a dreamlike island, romantic enough that I'd kept it untouched, never daring to go.
Telling myself that one day I'd go there with the person I truly loved.
So the year we married, I booked our honeymoon for Bali.
But that year Brendan never made it, because Victoria had surgery and he was busy taking care of the Delgado parents.
Watching my face fall, he coaxed me with all his patience.
"Peggy, Mr. and Mrs. Delgado did so much for me before. They even paid my way through college."
"Now their daughter's sick. I can't just turn my back on her. I have to help out a little, at least. I hope you'll understand."
"Besides, it's only a trip to Bali, right? We can go anytime. I promise I'll take you next time, okay?"
At least his attitude was decent, and a few words were all it took to smooth me over.
So I agreed to the next year.
But the next year, the same thing, derailed because Victoria got kidnapped by criminals.
Brendan said, eyes rimmed red.
"Victoria's safety matters more."
"A lifetime is so long. Does it really matter when we go to Bali?"
So, it fell through again.
The third year, Brendan finally gave in and agreed.
I thought I could finally take a trip with him, just the two of us.
But then Victoria said she wanted to come.
And he dropped me.
Went off with his "girl buddy" instead.
Why bother?
Cheapening myself like that for some hollow, illusory love.
See? Even without a man, I made it to Bali on my own anyway.
The next morning, I was just heading to my father's private airfield.
When Brendan sent another video.
It was from the night before, at a hotel near Bali, Brendan holding his phone, filming the ocean at night.
Victoria's voice came through, crystal clear.
"Wow! It's gorgeous! Brendan, hurry, get it, get it! And get me in the shot too..."
Brendan laughed. "Got it, got it. Keep your voice down, everyone around us is staring."
"Let them stare. I came out to have fun with my best buddy. It's not against the law."
The camera jolted, catching Victoria in a soaked long dress, walking toward him with a smile.
Then it cut off.
Right after, Brendan sent a text.
"Morning, Peggy. Sharing the Bali night view with you."
"Victoria picked this hotel. It's really beautiful. We should stay here next time."
Looking at that line, I suddenly let out a small laugh.
There wouldn't be a next time.
At ten past four in the afternoon, the helicopter touched down on the VIP pad at Bali's Denpasar Airport.
The ground crew was already waiting, ready to help Bryan Chavez and me through immigration.
