The Promise Lost in the Wind

As soon as Caleb stormed out of the house, I did not waste a moment. I followed swiftly behind, driving to the hospital with a racing heart.

I did not even know why I was going. It might be the desire to see with my own eyes just how much sympathy and care Caleb had for another woman. Perhaps I needed that undeniable proof to finally give up on him, to let go of whatever was left between us.

When I arrived at the hospital, I hesitated just outside the door of the ward. From this spot, I could hear their voices clearly.

"The injury isn't too serious. You should be able to leave the hospital in a few days. Just make sure you get plenty of rest. I'll arrange for someone to take care of you in the meantime," Caleb said softly.

"You'll come to see me again, won't you? I don't believe you don't know how I feel about you." Scarlett's voice was soft but laced with sadness.

"Once you're better, I'll help you find a better job. But you need to stop this, Scarlett Myers. I'm married now."

"No matter how good the job is, without you, my life will still feel empty... meaningless." Scarlett's reply was thick with tears, her sorrow evident.

Okay, I had heard enough.

Without hesitating any longer, I pushed open the door and stepped inside. The ward was far too luxurious for an ordinary secretary. This place had to have been specially arranged by Caleb. There was no other way she could afford it on her own.

The moment Caleb saw me standing there, his expression changed in an instant. Panic washed over his face and he quickly walked toward me, grabbing my hand.

"Why are you here? Scarlett was in a car accident and she had no family to care for her. As an old classmate, I came to check on her."

Another excuse, another carefully crafted line. It might work once, but it felt too obvious when he kept repeating it.

I calmly pulled my hand from his grasp, my voice steady but cold as I said, "Go wait for me in the car. I'd like to have a word with Miss Myers."

Caleb did not move. He stood there for a moment, hesitant.

"What? Are you afraid I'll kill her and eat her alive?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

There was nothing left for him to say. Caleb finally turned and left the ward.

There were only two of us left in the wardnow, the sterile hospital air thick with tension. I pulled the chair beside her bed and sat down slowly, locking eyes with Scarlett as her once pitiful expression melted away. It was instantly replaced by an air of smug arrogance.

"I'm afraid Mrs. Hayes doesn't know that Caleb and I have loved each other since high school."

"Whether I know or not is not important at all. That was the past, long before now. I am Caleb's wife and if you were paying attention, you would have heard him clearly reject you just now. I suggest you refrain from meddling in our marriage any further."

I paused for a moment, letting my words settle in the air before continuing, "Or perhaps... Miss Myers enjoys playing the role of a mistress?"

Scarlett's expression darkened instantly, the proud gleam in her eyes flickering away as my words hit home. I watched her composure slip as she let out a small laugh. "So what? You must have heard this saying that the one who isn't loved is the real mistress. I only had to pull a few strings to make Caleb leave you behind. He still loves me the most."

She sat up straighter, puffing out her chest like a peacock on display. "I am Caleb's eternal first love. No matter what you do, he'll never forget me."

I stood up, towering over her as I looked at her. "Miss Myers, you're even willing to hurt yourself just to get his attention. I guess you must not value your life much."

With that, I reached over and swiftly pulled the IV needle from the back of her hand, ignoring her pained gasp as I turned and walked out of the ward.

Opening the door, I slipped into the back seat where Caleb sat in the driver's seat.

"Dear, I swear there's nothing between us anymore. I was young and foolish back then. I didn't know what love really was. Back in high school, it was just... it was just for fun," Caleb explained to me as soon as I closed the car door.

"When I was young, I played plenty of games too. But none of my ex-girlfriends ever came crawling back into my life."

I met Caleb's eyes in the rearview mirror, holding his gaze.

"Nora, I swear I realize how badly I messed up. I'll fire her tomorrow, immediately. You'll never see her again and neither will I."

"Just forget it. I'm tired. Just drive." I did not want to hear any more of his explanations, though I could feel the confusion swirling inside me. I had no idea how to confront Caleb or how to truly handle this situation.

I could not fully disregard what Caleb had done with Scarlett, yet at the same time, I was not ready to let our relationship fractured beyond repair. I needed space to breathe, to process. So, for now, I chose to run away from the harsh reality.

If only I had not loved him so deeply, perhaps I would have left him behind without a second thought, without this suffocating hesitation. But the truth was, I loved Caleb too much. He was not just a man to me. For me, he had always been the pulse of my youth.

Caleb and I had met back in university, a time filled with carefree moments and youthful adventures. During a mountain climbing trip organized by the campus, an incident occurred. I encountered a snake and my legs went weak with fear. I stood frozen in place, trembling uncontrollably, unable to move.

Our classmates were just as worried, but none of them dared to step forward and help me. No one was willing to take the risk. Only Caleb stepped forward without hesitation when he passed by. In doing so, he had bitten himself.

Fortunately, the bite was not from a poisonous snake. From that day on, I began to notice Caleb everywhere, watching him quietly and learning just how exceptional he was. We gradually became friends and with every interaction, the seeds of my secret love for him began to take root in my heart.

By the time we reached our junior year of college, my life took a devastating turn. My mother fell gravely ill and passed away, leaving me utterly lost and broken.

That period of my life was shrouded in darkness and I wandered through it in a daze. Only Caleb, the one friend who truly saw through my façade, stood by my side during that time. He cared for me, helped me through those bleak days and became the light that guided me out of the abyss.

In my senior year, I could no longer hide how I felt, so I confessed my love to him. To my amazement, Caleb returned my feelings and from that moment on, we were together as a couple. He never knew, though, how much I had been panicking inside. I had no ex-boyfriends and no past love to compare to. He was my first love, my only love.

Now, as I sat in the car, staring at his back as he drove, those memories came flooding back, shaking me to my core.

Just as the car started moving, there was a sudden jolt, followed by a harsh brake. The force of it threw me forward and my forehead hit the back of the front seat with a sharp pain. Before I could even raise my head to see what had caused the stop, I saw Caleb already out of the car, rushing toward something.

I followed him out and my eyes landed on Scarlett, who was crouching on the ground. Caleb was beside her, shouting, "Scarlett, why didn't you stay in the ward? Why did you run out here? Are you trying to throw your life away?"

Perhaps, even he did not realize it, but there was no trace of anger in his tone.His voice was soft, full of concern.

"Caleb, the bracelet you gave me... it fell off. It was the first gift you ever gave me and I've always kept it safe. I must have lost it during the car accident. I need to find it... I can't lose it."

Scarlett raised her head, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. Her voice sounded weak and pitiful.

"It's just a bracelet, Scarlett. If it's gone, then let it be. Just leave it," Caleb replied, helping her up with gentle hands.

"No! That's the first thing you gave me. It's all I have left. If I don't find it, I won't be able to live with myself," Scarlett said as she pulled away from Caleb's hand, wanting to run away.

And then it happened. I saw Caleb's expression soften and saw the tenderness in his eyes as he pulled her into his arms. He stroked her head softly, his voice soothing. "It's okay. Stop it, I'll give you another gift."

In that moment, when I watchedthe two of them locked in an embrace, something shattered inside me. I realized that I could no longer believe in Caleb's promises, not even the one about loving me forever.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away. I opened the door and climbed into the driver's seat. I pressed my foot down hard on the accelerator and sped away, leaving Caleb and Scarlett behind.