I only stayed in the hospital for one day.
The stitches on my foot had just been removed, the wound still throbbing with unhealed pain, when I packed a small bag and walked out of the hospital alone. The sunlight fell on me, carrying a trace of warmth, yet it couldn’t dispel the lingering chill in my heart—until I stood at the gate of the villa and my phone chimed softly with a new email from overseas.
The moment I opened it, an electronic admission letter filled the screen.
The gilded school crest stood out vividly. It was the top-tier university I had fought with everything I had to apply for, my only way out of this city built on betrayal and pain. My fingers trembled slightly. Only then did I realize that, without noticing, the “one-month preparation period” I had set for myself had already ended. The new life that belonged to me was finally here.
I stood there, watching the breeze lift fallen leaves from the ground and carry them spinning into the distance. The massive weight pressing on my chest collapsed all at once. For the first time, the future felt clear and bright. My plane ticket had long been booked, my luggage mostly packed—I could leave at any time. But before I went, I wanted to visit a few places, to properly say goodbye to the past that had entangled me for more than a decade.
Seven hours before departure, I drove to the place where Liam Foster and I had first met.
It was the abandoned warehouse where, at nine years old, I had been kidnapped by traffickers and locked up along with more than a dozen other children. Back then, I had been trembling with fear, when a young Liam stepped forward, clumsy but determined, standing protectively in front of me. Later, we escaped with all our strength—but overwhelmed by terror, I lost that part of my memory, giving Vanessa Bennett the chance to steal the credit and worm her way in.
Now, the old warehouse was gone. In its place stood a brand-new factory, machines roaring, people bustling about. There wasn’t a trace left of what had happened back then. I stood at the factory entrance, staring at the scene before me. Fragments of memories buried under fear surfaced faintly, yet they stirred no emotion anymore.
I exhaled softly and turned away.
The stolen credit. The misplaced past. They all belonged here now.
Five hours before departure, I went to the university campus where we met again.
The area outside the teaching buildings was still crowded and lively. Students in uniforms passed by constantly, some glancing curiously at the faint scars on my face that hadn’t fully faded, their eyes full of speculation. I didn’t care. I walked slowly, my gaze sweeping over the familiar tree-lined paths and the library, but I could no longer find the boy who once looked at me as if I were his entire world.
In my memories, that boy in a white shirt would rush to my classroom the moment the bell rang, save a window seat for me in the library, spot me instantly in a sea of people, take my hand solemnly, and promise word by word:
“Clara, trust me. I’ll be good to you for the rest of my life.”
A faint, self-mocking smile curved my lips.
Liam Foster, you broke your word in the end.
Three hours before departure, I went to the sea of flowers where he had proposed to me.
I had planned to bury all the little gifts he’d given me over the years—the movie ticket stubs from our first date, our anniversary couple bracelets, the small ornament he handmade for my birthday—deep in the soil here, to lay the past to rest once and for all.
But just as I reached the entrance, I saw Liam and Vanessa standing among endless red roses, with the estate’s butler beside them.
The butler was introducing the place respectfully.
“Mr. Foster, Miss Bennett, these roses were all carefully cultivated. Red roses symbolize passionate love and are the perfect choice for a wedding venue.”
Vanessa clung to Liam’s arm and swayed it lightly, her voice soft and coquettish.
“Liam, I don’t like red roses. They’re too tacky. Can we change them to champagne-colored ones?”
Liam lowered his head to look at her, indulgence melting in his eyes. He chuckled softly.
“Alright. Whatever you want. I’ll have them ordered right away.”
The butler hurriedly pulled out a tablet and handed it to them.
“We have other varieties as well. You could take a look… Oh, and there are also sunflowers—Miss Bennett used to like those very much.”
He added with a flattering smile,
“Didn’t you once say you loved the sunshine and loyalty of sunflowers, and hoped Mr. Foster would always be faithful to you? To see the two of you getting married now is truly a wonderful thing.”
He had mistaken the person—thinking Vanessa was the one who’d been proposed to back then.
Vanessa’s expression darkened instantly. A flash of malice crossed her eyes, and her grip on Liam’s arm tightened. Liam frowned and cut the butler off at once.
“No need to choose. Replace all the red roses here with champagne-colored ones. Redecorate the entire venue according to Vanessa’s preferences.”
The butler froze, looking at the roses blooming across the hills, and asked reluctantly,
“Then these red roses that have already been set up…”
Liam didn’t even glance at them. His voice was cold and decisive.
“Bring in an excavator. Dig them all out.”
Standing under the shade of a tree not far away, I watched red rose petals drift down through the air. My memories were dragged back to the day he proposed.
It had been here too. He used red roses to form a heart, knelt on one knee, held up a diamond ring, and called my name over and over:
“Clara, I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life!”
“Clara, will you marry me? If you say yes, it’ll be the happiest thing in my life!”
Those vows had once lit up my world like starlight. Now, they fell apart along with the petals, shattered beyond repair.
I took the small gifts from my bag and gently placed them in the grass at my feet, leaving behind a time that had long since rotted away, right here in this sea of flowers. Then I turned and left without a trace of hesitation.
In the final hour, I arrived at the airport right on time, pulling the suitcase I’d already packed. After checking in and passing security, with ten minutes left before boarding, my phone vibrated.
It was a message from Liam, with a wedding design attached.
“The wedding design is ready. Take a look. If there’s anything you don’t like, just tell me.”
I opened the image. The venue was filled with champagne-colored roses, and even the wedding dress in the rendering was a champagne mermaid gown—Vanessa’s favorite.
I let out a soft laugh. There was no sadness in my eyes, only complete relief. Since every detail had been designed according to Vanessa’s preferences, then the bride of that wedding might as well be her.
I opened the audio recording saved on my phone—the one I’d secretly recorded during the warehouse kidnapping, when Vanessa, drunk on triumph, confessed to stealing the credit for saving Liam’s life. I clipped the most critical part and sent it to him, then added a single line:
“Liam Foster, I wish you a happy wedding and a lifetime together.”
The moment it was sent, I blocked all of Liam’s contact information without hesitation—deleted him, then turned my phone off completely.
The boarding announcement sounded.
I pulled my suitcase and walked step by step toward the aircraft. The plane taxied slowly, then finally soared into the sky, piercing through thick clouds. I leaned against the window, watching the rolling sea of clouds outside, as if it had cut off all the darkness and pain of the past.
I closed my eyes slowly, a peaceful smile appearing on my lips.
Goodbye, Liam Foster.
Goodbye to this past filled with betrayal and hurt.
From now on, my life belongs only to me.
