Standing nearby, Nora’s eyes burned with resentment, her nails digging into her palms.
She had never expected Jasper to care this much about my leaving.
The bitterness twisted inside her, drowning out her anger; she could not bear to lose the man who had always been hers.
She spoke sweetly with a mask of gentle understanding, “Jasper, don’t worry. Hallie will be fine. Maybe she just stepped out for a while. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”
But Jasper didn’t seem to hear her. He walked upstairs, his steps hollow and lost, like a man possessed.
The crash echoed through the house, jolting Nora. She rushed upstairs to find all her belongings thrown out, even the photos of her with Jasper.
She couldn’t pretend anymore. Enraged, she stormed up and demanded, “Jasper, what is this supposed to mean?!”
Jasper froze, taken aback by the fire in her voice.
It had been long since anyone had dared speak to him like that.
Despite all the neglect and harsh words, even I had never raised my voice at him.
I had always remained quietly by his side, silently taking care of everything as if it were my place.
Only then did he realize how little presence I had truly left behind? So faint was my imprint
even
that he could hardly recall the sound of my voice.
When we first met, I had been so lively, chirping away like a sparrow, full of energy and
light.
But over time, I had grown quieter and quieter.
Jasper suddenly remembered it had been his doing.
He had told me he didn’t like noise and didn’t want me making too much of a fuss.
But now, with me gone, just as he had wished, why was he so desperate to recall the days when I had still been by his side?
He collapsed onto the bed, his hands clutching his head in torment, a groan escaping his lips as anguish overtook him.
“Nora, leave…”
For the first time, Nora saw genuine despair etched across his face.
She slowly withdrew her foot, halting her step forward.
From the moment they met, it had always been Jasper trying to win her over and please
her.
Now, he was pushing her away.
To Nora, Jasper had always been the second choice, the last option.
Chapter 6
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Had it not been for her first love abroad, already married, she would never have returned to this country, nor would she have spared a single glance at Jasper.
Why should she lower herself now, begging for the attention of the man who had once begged at her feet?
Clenching her teeth, Nora left the villa.
Jasper lay in bed, desperate to breathe in my scent. Still, all he could smell was the overpowering Gardenia perfume, Nora’s favorite.
He frowned, disgusted, stumbling toward the guest room next door.
He buried his face in the blanket, the darkness swallowing him, but his mind was painfully
clear.
Every moment from the past few years flashed through his mind like a reel of memories: Seven years ago, I brought him water with a bright smile.
I quietly adjust the music in the passenger seat.
I was waiting on the couch late into the night.
I hummed in the kitchen while preparing his lunchbox.
Suddenly, Jasper threw off the blanket, sitting up with a sharp gasp for air.
He could hardly breathe, his chest tightening with each ragged inhale.
His stomach churned, twisting with an agonizing discomfort. He stumbled into the bathroom, retching violently into the toilet, his gaze fixed on the swirling drain.
Suddenly, my tear–streaked face flashed before him, and panic flooded his chest again.
In a daze, he immediately called the plumbing service. The staff informed him that too much time had passed, and it was likely already incinerated.
He slumped weakly against the wall, his mind racing, searching desperately for any way to make things right.
Finally, it dawned on him, and he finally understood everything I had given him over the
years.
“Hallie, where are you? My stomach aches so badly. I miss your warm soup…”
