24
Liam remained motionless for a moment, his hand outstretched toward me. As he tried to reach for my hand, I pushed him away, my focus shifting to the injured man from the scuffle.
“I’ll take him to the hospital,” I said firmly, ready to act.
A friend stepped forward, stopping me gently. “Serenity, this dinner was supposed to be your farewell. We already feel guilty enough about what happened. Let us handle this–you should go home and pack.”
Their
words
“Serenity!”
resonated
with
the lingering
weight
of the
evening.
I nodded
and turned
to
leave.
Liam, seeing my friend’s words send me away, grabbed my arm.
“Serenity, where are you going?”
His
forehead bore
a gruesome
his wound,
eyes
filled
with panic, making him.
seem
pathetic and absurd.
I didn’t answer, trying to free my hand. He pulled me into a hug.
“Tell me, where are you going?” His voice trembled, but my expression remained cold.
“Serenity…”
I looked at him, indifferent.
“Where I’m going is none of business.”
your
While he was momentarily stunned, I pulled away and headed for the exit.
“Serenity!”
He started to chase me when a tremendous impact threw him back!
“Crash!”
me
him,
I refused.
What was
was
severed. Our connection see? to there I turned, horrified. Since his car accident, Liam had been a shadow of his former self, clutching their wedding photo, calling my name. People
but visit to urged One evening, after turning away another well–meaning visitor urging me to see Liam, I was about to close the door when a voice called out.
“Wait.”
Mrs. Sterling stood there, her eyes etched with weariness. I offered her tea.
is over.
concession
I can make.”
She explained her plea. She wanted me to visit Liam. Seeing the desperate plea in her eyes, I was momentarily stunned. From our wedding day she’d intensely disliked me, criticizing everything, her gaze always cold. This was the first time I saw such vulnerability in her.
him is the biggest Not hating gripped my teacup.“Our marriage She seemed to age instantly. But thinking of her wheelchair–bound son, she tried again. “You were married for seven years. He loved you deeply, risked everything for you…”
I
< 25
25