About an hour after the incident in front of the salon, I finally left with my body feeling much more relaxed. Although only my body had relaxed, my heart still ached. I knew it would take me quite a long time to heal from this wound. Especially since the people who caused it were the ones who had always held a place in my heart.
I decided to go home, even though it had only just turned noon.
When I arrived home, I had just gotten out of the car when I saw Mommy walking toward her own vehicle.
“Mom, where are you going?” I walked slowly toward her.
“Oh, sweetheart. You’re already home, El? Why so early? Mommy thought you’d be home in the afternoon, like you said.”
Mommy looked surprised to see me.
“It didn’t work out. Adrian’s really busy at the office, Mom. There’s work he can’t leave.”
Work that involved screwing over his own best friend.
Damn Adrian.
I regretted not cursing them both out more earlier.
“Oh... I see. All right, Mommy’s heading out. I’m meeting a friend, then I’ll have lunch with Daddy.”
I simply nodded, trying to give her a small smile.
After Mommy left, I went inside the house.
As soon as the door closed behind me, the mansion, which usually felt so warm, suddenly felt completely unfamiliar.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Usually, whenever I came home, Mommy would immediately shower me with questions. About my trip, my work, even Adrian. Daddy would usually join in too, filling the house with noise and laughter.
But today was different.
I was alone with my own thoughts.
I walked slowly toward the stairs, then climbed them one by one until I reached the upper floor. As soon as I entered my room, I kicked off the heels that had been torturing my feet all day.
I let myself fall onto the bed.
Thud!
My eyes stared up at the ceiling.
Why did today feel so long?
It was only noon.
I drew a deep breath, hoping the tightness in my chest would ease a little.
But it was useless.
The moment I remembered what had happened at Adrian’s office, my tears began to fall again.
My hand reached for the phone I had tossed onto the bed earlier.
For some reason, I opened my gallery.
And that was where it all began again.
The first photo that appeared was one of Adrian and me having dinner.
I was smiling brightly in the picture. Adrian had even kissed my cheek.
I swiped the screen.
Another photo.
A photo of Adrian giving me my engagement ring.
A photo of the two of us in front of a restaurant.
Vacation photos.
Photos from my birthday.
A photo of Adrian telling me he would never leave me.
One by one, the memories I had treasured so carefully turned into something painful.
How could the person I had always thought would become my husband turn out to be the one who destroyed me the most?
My fingers stopped on a photo from our engagement.
I stared at it for a long time.
I had been so happy back then.
I thought that after I came home, I would talk to him about our wedding.
I had even imagined what our life would be like after we got married.
It turned out all of it had existed only in my head.
My tears fell again.
“Stupid,” I murmured softly to myself.
With trembling hands, I pressed the delete button.
One photo disappeared.
Then the next.
I kept deleting them.
Until not a single photo of Adrian remained in my main gallery.
For some reason, after doing it, my heart hurt even more.
Maybe because, for the first time, I was truly admitting that our relationship was over.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
A message came in.
Adrian.
I stared at the name without intending to open it.
A few seconds later, a second message arrived.
El, please talk to me.
Then a third message.
I can explain everything.
I let out a small, hollow laugh.
Explain what?
That the woman I had seen with him earlier wasn’t actually his mistress?
That the hug between Adrian and Diana had been nothing more than an innocent embrace?
Or maybe I was the one in the wrong for showing up at his office without telling him?
My phone vibrated again.
Don’t make a decision while you’re emotional.
I closed my eyes.
Ironic.
He was the one who had destroyed everything, and now he was asking me not to make a decision while I was emotional.
An incoming call.
Adrian calling...
I let it ring.
The call stopped.
A few seconds later, he called again.
I stayed silent.
A third call.
A fourth.
Eventually, I grew tired of it.
I answered.
“Hello.”
“Sweetheart...”
My chest immediately tightened.
“Don’t call me that.”
“Listen to me first, El. It’s not what you think.”
I let out a bitter laugh.
“Then what is it?”
“She—”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“Elena, please.”
I bit my lip, holding back my tears.
“Starting today,” I said softly, “don’t call me sweetheart anymore.”
“Sweetheart, I—”
Click.
I ended the call immediately.
I tossed the phone aside.
For a while, I just sat silently on the bed.
I thought I would feel relieved after saying that.
But I didn’t.
It still hurt.
Maybe it hurt even more.
I wiped my face and took a deep breath.
As I was about to set my phone on the table, a notification from an unknown number appeared.
I frowned.
Who was it?
I opened the message.
Is your phone really not broken?
I furrowed my brow.
I read the message again.
Only then did I realize who had sent it.
Daniel.
I didn’t even know where he had gotten my number.
My thumb moved across the screen as I typed.
No. Why?
The reply came soon after.
I was just making sure.
I fell silent.
Just making sure?
I stared at the screen for a moment.
Why would a CEO as powerful as Daniel Blackwood go out of his way to check on my phone?
Besides, we weren’t even close.
Our previous meeting couldn’t exactly be called pleasant either.
Daniel had seemed cold and impossible to read.
I typed again.
Thank you for checking.
His reply was only one word.
You’re welcome.
I stared at the message in confusion.
Strange.
Really strange.
But I was too tired to think about it.
I set my phone down, then lay back on the bed.
Without realizing it, my thoughts returned to what had happened at Adrian’s office.
To my own best friend standing so close to him.
To Adrian’s arms wrapped around her.
To the way they had looked at each other.
And to how real it had all felt.
I closed my eyes.
Maybe it was time to stop thinking about Adrian.
Maybe it was time to truly leave.
Australia.
The thought surfaced again.
Maybe I really should go back as soon as possible.
At least I wouldn’t have to see their faces every day there.
That night, I was still in my room.
The main light was off. Only the bedside lamp cast a faint glow.
I was trying to read a book when the sound of my laptop’s notification chimed.
An email had arrived.
At first, I didn’t pay much attention.
Until I saw the sender’s name.
Blackwood Corporation.
I sat up immediately.
Why were they emailing me?
I opened the email.
Miss Elena,
We would like to invite you to attend a meeting tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
I read the sentence with a furrowed brow.
A meeting?
I continued reading.
Mr. Blackwood requests that you come in person. There is something he would like to discuss with you.
My heart began beating a little faster.
Mr. Blackwood?
Daniel?
I read the email again from the beginning.
Why did Daniel want to meet with me?
I didn’t even know what he wanted to discuss.
And what made me most curious...
Why tomorrow?
I stared at the laptop screen for a long time.
For some reason, my instincts told me this meeting wasn’t merely about ordinary business.
There was something Daniel knew.
Something I might not know yet.
I drew a slow breath.
“Daniel Blackwood... what do you really want from me?”
There was no answer.
Only the laptop screen, still displaying the final sentence of the email.
Mr. Blackwood will be expecting you tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
And for the first time since what had happened at Adrian’s office, my thoughts were no longer completely focused on the man who had broken my heart.
Instead, they were focused on a man named Daniel Blackwood.
A man I didn’t even know.
Yet, for some reason, he was slowly beginning to enter my life.