Chapter 8
Boom!
In that moment, Diana felt dizzy and collapsed onto the sofa.
Her world crumbled, from the edges to the core.
Every possibility she had tried to ignore had finally become reality, delivering a painful blow to her heart.
She could barely feel anything, forcing herself to keep reading.
“If nothing changes, we’ll never see each other again in this life.”
“Because my birthday wish is to leave you forever.”
“You don’t need to fulfill those promises anymore.”
“I’ve waited long enough, and I don’t want them anymore.”
The further she read, the more blurred her vision became.
Twenty years of memories flooded her mind, like a film recording precious but now cheapened memories.
Sitting on a park bench as kids, dreaming about the future, both enchanted by the idea of a day at the amusement park.
Every time they saw a Ferris wheel, their eyes would light up.
She had promised Stephen she’d take him on the Ferris wheel when they grew up.
But she never fulfilled that promise, not even until the day he left.
Stephen’s words grew shorter, colder.
At the end of the letter, there were only a few sentences.
“Diana, let’s break up.”
“I don’t want to love you anymore.”
“-Stephen.”
As her gaze fell on the blank space below, the abrupt silence felt like suffocating airlessness.
Diana’s breathing quickened, and finally, tears spilled down her face.
Below the breakup letter lay the assets Stephen left her:
His entire savings of a million dollars from his years of work, and the house assigned to him by the company.
Not a cent was missing.
He had kept his promise to give her a happy life, down to the last detail.
Yet she had hurt him so deeply.
“Stephen, I don’t want these things…”
Diana stood up again, throwing the papers aside.
The shock left her unable to think straight; she could only search relentlessly for any trace of Stephen.
Day after day.
She went to the police station, his workplace, but found nothing.
On the verge of breakdown, she passed by the mall where she remembered Benjamin helping Stephen buy all those household items. Benjamin must know something!
She hurried to the karaoke bar and asked the front desk for Benjamin’s contact.”
“Hello, I… I’m Stephen’s girlfriend.”
After a long silence, a bitter laugh came from the other end.
“Girlfriend? Never heard Stephen mention a girlfriend. If that’s all, I’m hanging up.”
Diana quickly stopped him. “Wait, I want to know where Stephen went…”
But before she could finish, Benjamin’s angry voice cut in.
“Are you seriously playing this ‘devoted‘ act? Go keep your little boyfriend company and stop clinging to Stephen. What are you trying to do, disgust him even after all this?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Diana broke down, sobbing.
“What good is ‘sorry‘ now? Where were you before? Get lost! Stop bothering Stephen.”
Chapter 8
After Benjamin blocked her, she desperately tried contacting other friends, one by one.
Every response was the same–telling her to leave him alone and then blocking her.
When she dialed the last number, Diana was already in despair.
If she couldn’t find an answer this time, she might never see Stephen again.
After pleading desperately for nearly half an hour, the last friend finally gave in. “Give it up. Stephen’s gone to Germany. You won’t be able to find him.”
