Gone with Yesterday

Christian stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair while discussing details of the venue layout with Tabitha.

He grabbed his phone for a look, and his words trailed off.

Tabitha asked, “Why did you stop?”

Christian put away his phone in a hurry. Keeping his cool, he kept the topic on the wedding venue.

However, his gaze kept wandering outside the window.

“It’s late. We should get some rest.”

Tabitha turned off the lights, and a bolt of lightning split the sky outside.

Without warning, heavy rain poured down.

Seeking comfort, Tabitha shuffled closer toward Christian.

She wasn’t one to be meek, but thunder was her kryptonite.

Understanding her fear, Christian once promised to never let her face a storm alone.

However, Christian’s heart and mind were elsewhere.

The last thing on his mind was Tabitha’s need for reassurance and her fear of thunder.

All it took was five seconds of the rain, and he rolled out of bed. Without a word, he bolted out of the house.

Curled into a ball, Tabitha pressed her hands over her ears.

At that moment, her heart felt as if it had been split apart by the thunder and washed away by the pounding rain.

Christian didn’t come home the entire night.

Waking up to her alarm first thing in the morning, Tabitha dragged her weary body out of bed.

Her visa appointment was today.

Given Christian’s resources, Tabitha knew the harassment was bound to follow, even when she left him at the altar.

She was better off planning ahead for the post-wedding escape.

Her plan was to travel overseas for a change of pace. She could even attend seminars and conferences she had missed many times before.

Tabitha came home after the visa appointment, only to find that something in the air was off.

She sneezed repeatedly, her throat itchy and dry.

Then came the sound of a cat meowing.

Tabitha glanced down and saw a cat sitting right under the coffee table.

Terrified, Tabitha recoiled.

Her allergy to cat hair was severe enough to trigger respiratory failure.

Tabitha struggled to breathe. However, the cat, seemingly taking a shine to her, drew closer.

Whipping her hands to the hand, Tabitha tried to shoo the cat away, but it had little effect.

Despite her heaving chest, Tabitha couldn’t get oxygen into her airway.

Amid her disorientation, Tabitha smashed the glass to scare the cat away.

The approach somewhat worked.

The cat let out a sharp hiss before scurrying to a corner in shivers.

Slumped against the wall, Tabitha fought for air.

Meanwhile, Christian burst through the door in a panic.

His priority was not Tabitha’s well-being, though. He simply rushed over to scoop the cat up with the utmost attention.

“What did you do?

“It’s just a tiny kitten. You shouldn’t frighten the little thing even if you don’t like it.”

Everything went dark before her eyes, and even Christian’s voice seemed faint and far away.

Tabitha crawled to the doorway, desperate to fill her lungs with fresh air. The suffocating pain in her chest just wouldn’t let up.

Moments later, Tabitha fought back the agony in her throat and asked Christian, “I’m allergic to cat hair, Christian, and it can be fatal. Have you forgotten?”

The revelation hit Christian like a ton of bricks, and his mind went blank.

Christian’s expression turned to one of terror.

He had witnessed one of Tabitha’s allergic episodes, and it was serious.

Not only would Tabitha break out in hives, but she would also suffer respiratory failure and risk of asphyxiation.

He could not believe that such important information slipped his mind.