The Way She Sparkled

The next morning, I returned to the home I once shared with Chuck. It was time for me to clean up the traces of all the memories we once shared.

Our wedding photo was still hanging on the wall in the living room. I was smiling brightly at the camera while Chuck was looking at me adoringly. Under the wedding photo were different photos of us on vacation.

Endless seas and grasslands stretched on and on in the photos, along with an expanse of starry skies. All of them were once witnesses to everything that we shared.

I didn't hesitate for even a second, throwing all the photos into the trash bag. It didn't matter how beautiful the memories were. It was all in the past now. I was also no longer the young woman who believed she had found her true love.

My phone started ringing then. Chuck was calling me.

"Don't forget to come to Garden in the Sky tonight, Jules. There are some things that I want to tell you in private if that's okay."

I was momentarily dazed after hanging up and couldn't help but think about how he had risked his own life to take the blow for me all those years ago.

After we got married, Chuck began to disregard my feelings more and more. He would only inform me of things instead of having a discussion with me. It had been a long time since he asked me for my opinion.

I ended up going to Garden in the Sky. I still had enough time to make my flight, and besides, I liked the dishes at the restaurant. I wouldn't mind having one last meal there before leaving the country.

I sat at a table next to the window—the same table we had sat at during our first date.

Warm sunlight streamed into the restaurant as a classic song played on repeat, the melody sounding familiar but melancholic.

The seconds ticked by.

Chuck didn't show up at 6:00 pm.

He didn't show up at 6:10 pm either.

At 6.30 pm, there were still no signs of him.

I didn't have any notifications when I pulled out my phone and glanced at it. I didn't have any missed calls or messages explaining why he was late.

Just then, Nancy sent a link to a news article. I tapped on it.

It was a headline in the financial news, and a photo of Chuck and Rebecca standing together. They were posing for a new project's signing ceremony.

The title read, "Chuck Garrison Shows up at Important Signing Ceremony with Rebecca Kerry. Is There Trouble in Paradise Between Him and His Wife, Julia York?"

Rebecca was sweetly leaning against Chuck in the photo. The article had been posted at 6:00 pm.

I tapped on Rebecca's interview video. She was smiling brightly as she explained, "Actually, I was the only one who needed to attend this ceremony. But Mr. Garrison was worried about me, so he decided to tag along."

It felt like my heart was being crushed. The pain was so overwhelming that I couldn't breathe. However, the pressure disappeared in the next second, leaving nothing in its wake. The last traces of emotion I had also faded away completely.

I didn't feel angry or sad. I didn't even feel disappointed. I only felt a sense of relief at coming face-to-face with what I expected.

I returned to Nancy's apartment and grabbed my suitcases, which I had packed beforehand. I made sure I had my passport and flight ticket before leaving for the airport.

On the way to the airport, I stared at the city that I had lived in for so many years. I didn't feel any reluctance to leave it behind, only anticipation for the new life that awaited me.

I watched the planes take off and touch down as I sat in the waiting hall, feeling oddly calm. Chuck's message popped up on my phone screen just as the announcement for boarding resounded throughout the hall.

"Jules, where are you?"