Where Love Lingered, Hatred Burnt

Simon already felt restless became more upset, which made him to storm. But when he opened the door, no one was there. Immediately, he ran upstairs to check the closet. It was empty too. Louisa usually left a few clothes in her closet when she travelled. Not a single cloth left this time.

Simon’s voice shook as he shouted for the servant, “Where are Louisa’s things?”

“Miss Jacobson had everything thrown out, Sir,” the servant replied nervously.

Simon stared in disbelief, his face pale. Not long after that, he ran to the study. Only to find that nothing of Louisa’s remained there either. A sharp pain gripped his chest as if someone had stabbed him.

He fumbled for his phone and called his assistant as he spoke desperately, “Find out where Louisa went! Check every travel record, every hotel booking, every trace you can find. I want all of it, now!”

The moment the call ended, Simon paced wildly through the house. He was searching for anything reminded him of Louisa. Even though he already looked everywhere, there was nothing. It felt as if Louisa had been erased from his life.

Simon couldn’t help but lean against the wall. His legs felt weak, while his breath was coming in gasps. Nevertheless, he opened his chat with Louisa. It was empty. There hadn’t been a single new message from her.

Louisa used to text him every day. She sent pictures of food she liked, little trinkets she wanted to buy and stories about her day. She always filled his world with her words every minute. She never held back her love for him.

But ever since Simon brought Rebecca home, Louisa had grown quiet. Slowly, she had stopped sharing herself with him. And he hadn’t even noticed.

Half an hour later, his assistant called him.

The assistant carefully informed him, “Mr. Griswolds, we couldn’t find any trace of Miss Jacobson’s travels. There are no plane tickets, no train tickets, no hotel bookings. Whether local or overseas, her name doesn’t appear anywhere. It’s as if … as if she vanished completely.”

“No way!” Simon shouted, nearly dropping the phone.

“Louisa told me she was going on a trip. How could there be no record? Search again! Use every name she’s ever used, even nicknames. I don’t care what it takes. You must find her!”

When he hung up, Simon started calling all of Louisa’s friends. But one by one, every call went unanswered. For the first time, he felt afraid. Louisa had gotten angry at him before, but never like this.

And now, even he couldn’t find her. When he almost felt despair, a thought suddenly struck him like lightning. It was Micah.

Louisa adored her younger brother more than anyone. If Micah was still in the hospital, she would never just leave him behind. Perhaps she hadn’t gone anywhere at all. Perhaps she was still in New York, just hiding to cool off.

Clinging to this hope, Simon snatched up his car keys and ran out the door. He sped to the hospital, running through two red lights. When he reached Micah’s ward, he flung the door open. But the bed was empty with the sheets neatly folded.

The flowers on the table beside the bed had wilted, but Louisa used to change them every single day.

“Where’s Micah?”

Simon desperately asked as he grabbed a nurse who was passing by, “Where’s the patient who was here? Is he in surgery?”

The startled nurse stammered as she responded by pointing toward the doctor’s office next door, “I … I’m new here. I don’t know. Please, ask the doctor.”

Without further ado, he burst into the doctor’s office. He even waved the other patients aside. After that, he asked in a demanding tone, “Where’s Micah Jacobson?”

“His surgery … did it finish already? Why is his room empty?”

The doctor blinked in confusion. He then adjusted his glasses on his worried face. After that, he responded, “Mr. Griswolds, what are you talking about? Micah Jacobson has … passed away.”