Chapter 5%
D
I got the text while I was still at the hospital.
I had just picked up Milly’s test results. The doctor said it was nothing serious–just minor soft tissue bruising. She’d be fine in a few days.
I was about to call Virginia. I wanted to calm her down, tell her to stop being so unreasonable, to stop blowing things out of proportion.
But no matter how many times I tried, she wouldn’t pick up the damn phone.
I was already frustrated when I got her message.
[We’re done.]
Just two words–but they cut deep like a rusty blade stabbing straight into my chest, twisting slowly and brutally.
I stared at the text, my fingers tingling.
‘We’re done? She’s the one dumping me? When did she ever grow the nerve? Since when did she start using words like this as threats just to get her way?!‘
Grinding my teeth, I dialed her number again.§
“Sorry, the number you dialed is currently in Do Not Disturb mode–“>
”
Refusing to believe it, I switched to WhatsApp and fired off message after message.”
[Virginia, what’s going on?]{
[Haven’t you had enough of this?]}
[I don’t have time for your games. Pick up the damn phone right now!]}
[If you keep this up, I’m going to be seriously pissed.]}
But each message sent turned into a red exclamation mark.
“She blocked me?!‘
My mind went blank. My throat tightened. A cold wave churned in my stomach and shot up to my skull.
‘in all the time we’ve been together, she’s never blocked me. How dare she?!‘
“What’s wrong?”
Milly had sat up on the hospital bed, watching me cautiously, though her voice remained soft and sweet. “Did you and Virginia get into a fight?”
My brows were furrowed, my face stormy. The screen of my phone still lit in my hand, in Milly’s full view.
“She’s never dared to block me before. This is the first.”
“Maybe she’s just trying to get your attention?” Milly’s voice was gentle, her eyes gleaming. “A lot of girls pull something like that to make their fiancés behave.”
I snapped. “Isn’t that ridiculous? She’s the one who messed up and she still thinks she has the upper hand?“}
I walked to the window, ran a hand through my hair, tugging hard, pacing the room like a trapped animal.
I didn’t realize early on that Virginia had been different lately.
‘Colder. Quieter. She’s stopped arguing, stopped crying, stopped fighting with me…
In the past, no matter how upset she got, she’d always come back. At the very least, she’d yell at me or make a scene.}
‘But this time, she said nothing. She… just cut me off completely…’
“She’s really… pushing it now.” I muttered through gritted teeth, but my chest felt hollow–like something essential had been ripped out. At that moment, a wave of panic engulfed me.
Milly was still talking, but I wasn’t listening anymore. By the time I came to, I was already sprinting out of the hospital and jumping into my car.
The drive home was a blur; I floored the gas the whole way.)
When I stepped through the front door, the apartment was eerily empty.
The little ceramic cat she loved was gone from the entry shelf. The two pots of mint she grew on the balcony–gone too.“]
Half the clothes were missing from the closet. Her vanity was spotless, like no one had ever used it.
‘She’s erased every trace of herself here…”
Even the small diary she used to track our baby’s kicks was missing.
With everything about her gone, panic hit me like a freight train.
I tore through the apartment like a madman–opening every drawer, every cabinet, even checking the washing machine for any forgotten laundry.
Nothing.
Then my private phone rang. It was a call from home.
The moment I picked up, Mom’s voice exploded through the line.
“Slade, are you out of your mind?! Virginia gave birth and you didn’t even show up? She had premature labor! She almost died! Do you
2/2 20.0%
11:30 AM
Even the small diary she used to track our baby’s kicks was missing.
With everything about her gone, panic hit me like a freight train.
I tore through the apartment like a madman–opening every drawer, every cabinet, even checking the washing machine for any forgotten laundry.
Nothing.
Then my private phone rang. It was a call from home.
The moment I picked up, Mom’s voice exploded through the line.
“Slade, are you out of your mind?! Virginia gave birth and you didn’t even show up? She had premature labor! She almost died! Do you
have any idea what you’ve done?!“}
Just then, the world went silent. But my mind exploded.
SU AM
Slade’s POVE
“What… What did you just say?”
