After Overhearing His Cruel Voicemail, I Walked Away

"Cillian was worried about you being alone, so he asked me to drop by and check on you."

Remi, Cillian's classmate and work colleague, was someone I knew but not very well. Right now, he was spinning a harmless story for Cillian's sake, but I wasn't bothered enough to call him out on it.

Legacy, the nurse, came over to take my temperature and glanced at the IV drip while also giving me a lecture. "I can't believe your boyfriend would be so irresponsible, bringing you in with such a high fever. Do you even understand how serious this is?"

Remi looked a bit surprised, and just as I was about to offer him some defense, Legacy turned her attention to me. "And you," she continued, "your health is your own responsibility. If you don't care about it, nobody else will!"

She shot Remi a sharp glance from the corner of her eye. Remi, clearly feeling unjustly accused, mumbled something I didn't catch. It was late, well into the early morning hours.

He pulled a chair to the foot of my bed, positioning himself so he could keep an eye on the IV drip with just a glance. After making sure the drip was flowing correctly, he took out his phone.

"Please don't message him!"

I sat up abruptly to stop him, causing the IV to sway wildly. "Don't tell him where I am. I don't want him to know."

Remi quickly stood up to steady the IV. "You didn't have to panic. I'm not that quick on the keyboard."

His long arm stretched over my head, and it was only then I fully appreciated his height. His expression showed frustration and disbelief. "You're in this condition and still worried about upsetting him? What's he doing working late at a time like this anyway?"

He misunderstood, but there was some truth to his words. I chuckled wryly to myself. "It seems I've been such a pushover that anyone would think I'm foolish."

Remi's expression froze. I pulled out my phone to show him. "It's her birthday today, isn't it? You guys are partying at this late hour?"

The sender's profile picture was that of a pretty girl with the name "Britney." This was Maeve, a new recruit at Cillian's company. The video showed Cillian clinking glasses with her, the timestamp just before I fainted. Remi probably hadn't seen this part.

"And I overheard Cillian's voice message to all of you. He was so absorbed in the moment that he didn't even notice the sound of snow crunching under my feet as I followed him."

"You..."

Facing Remi’s bewilderment, I continued casually, even managing a smile. "I went downstairs to bring him a scarf. It was so bitterly cold, I couldn’t leave him without one."

"With a high fever?" He looked at me in disbelief.

I nodded. "Yes, with a high fever."

Remi stood there, stunned, and then turned his back to me, muttering a quiet curse, "Damn!"

---

"So," he tentatively awaited my response.

"What you know about me is all from within Cillian's orbit, right?"

His eyes widened with shock, caught somewhere between puzzlement and slow realization. He was smart, able to understand without needing every detail spelled out.

I had left that world behind, and the person I was going to be wouldn’t be the same as before.

He didn’t love me for who I am. He loved the idea of being Cillian's girlfriend. A relationship built on such a foundation could only lead to disappointment and misalignment. It was flawed from the start.

So why even begin?

He suddenly relaxed, his tense shoulders dropping, even his breathing became easier.

"You're really insightful, more than most."

I mocked myself, "If I were truly perceptive, I wouldn't have wasted so many years with the wrong person."

"Rather than wasted, wasn't it more like a journey of self-discovery?"

I wished him goodbye and rolled my luggage towards the airport security. Weighing, checking in—each step was smooth and efficient. But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a silhouette.

He hadn’t moved, just stood there watching me like a statue.

I moved forward, not turning back. I didn’t know what would happen if I looked back, but I knew what lay ahead.

This time, I wanted to take control of my destiny, to pursue my light, my hope.

That's where my dreams begin.