Nathan froze, his face clouded with disbelief as Victor’s words echoed in the silence.
“She… she never told me…” Nathan stammered, but his expression shifted as if struck by lightning. He remembered. It was not because he had forgotten but because he had never cared enough to listen.
I had told him about every struggle I faced abroad. Each time, his response was the same:
“You need to be strong.”
In our relationship, I always gave. I poured everything into us while he effortlessly soaked it all in, my kindness his birthright. It was also obvious to me that his replies to me were becoming increasingly perfunctory and his tone increasingly impatient. At first, I was able to lie to myself and convince myself it was because of his work.
But when I returned and saw Olivia, the truth became impossible to ignore. This was nothing more than my wishful thinking. His indifference wasn’t due to busyness. It was because he never cared for me in the first place.
Victor hoisted me onto his back again, carrying me away from the scene. Behind us, Nathan sank to the ground, tears streaming silently down his face.
***
The following day, I woke up in a hotel room. Victor sat by the bed with breakfast, shaking his head in disbelief.
“That scumbag. Did you wait for him for three years? Pathetic.”
I shot back, desperate to salvage some dignity.
“I don’t like him anymore.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” he replied dryly. “You spent the whole night calling his name in your sleep.”
“Oh.” I was stunned. What could I have dreamed about that made me say his name? My thoughts spiralled, too focused to notice the flicker of sadness in Victor’s eyes.
***
After breakfast, I received a call from Nathan. His voice was hoarse, laden with exhaustion.
“I’m downstairs at your hotel. Can we talk?”
I hesitated, but curiosity got the better of me. I went down, still in my pyjamas, determined to end things.
Nathan was waiting in his car, lost in thought. When he saw me, he scrambled to open the door for me. I noticed that everything related to Olivia inside had been removed.
He looked dishevelled, his face mixed with regret and hope, “Hannah, let me take you somewhere. Please.”
The harsh words I had rehearsed dissolved on my tongue. Against my better judgment, I nodded.
“Fine.”
I still can’t learn to say no to him. One last time, I thought—one last chance.
As the car pulled away, I glanced back at the hotel. I saw Victor standing through the window, watching me from upstairs. Something about his gaze unsettled me, a pang of guilt rippling through my chest.
The car drove to a bustling villa in the city’s most exclusive district. Music pounded through the walls, the rhythm jarring and chaotic. I immediately felt out of place. I have never liked too much noise.
Nathan opened the door. With hindsight, I realised that they were having a party. Laughter and chatter filled the air until we stepped in. Olivia and all his friends stopped and silence fell. All eyes turned to me—an uninvited outsider.
I instinctively stepped back, but Nathan grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. Olivia’s expression darkened the moment she saw me. She stomped over, her disdain palpable.
“You’ve got some nerve showing up here,” she sneered. “Get out. You’re not welcome in my house.”
