The projector kept playing scenes of Gabriel and Rachel over and over, each time hurting Anna more as Gabriel’s doubt about her became clearer.
A new clip showed up. Gabriel was cooking for Rachel, his earlier toughness gone as he smiled warmly.
The way he looked at Rachel with tenderness and love was exactly how he used to look at Anna.
“Anna, when can I finally call you my wife?”
“Annie, I love you so much. Please say yes to my proposal.”
“Gabriel loves Anna for all eternity. Anyone who dares to bully her will have to answer to me.”
“Honey, my cooking is excellent. Let me take care of your three meals. You’re the only one in the world worthy of eating my food–not even my parents!”
“Honey, Rachel saved you, which means she saved my life, too. She’s an orphan after all… let’s take care of her.”
“Of course, my feelings for Rachel are real. She just wants a lasting marriage, and I can give her that.”
***
Gabriel’s words kept echoing in her ears–his promises, confessions, and lies–each one stinging like a needle.
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The man she remembered loving slowly became different from the Gabriel on the screen, slipping away from her heart piece by piece.
As night fell completely, she fell helplessly to the ground, letting the darkness and cold take over.
When she came to, she moved forward slowly, leaving a trail of dried blood across the floor with each step.
Her stomach felt numb, but she forced herself to stand and stumble outside.
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Warm sunlight poured down, but it couldn’t warm her frozen heart and body.
She finally collapsed by the roadside and was taken to the hospital.
“Ms. Mitchell, your stomach took a real beating, and it caused a tear in your uterus. We need to operate to take out the leftover tissue,” the doctor said.
Anna didn’t show much emotion when she heard the news. After losing the baby, she had already accepted that she couldn’t have kids anymore.
So be it…
At least she was alive and could get away from Gabriel.
The surgery went well. After resting in the hospital for about four to five hours, Anna checked herself out.
She got a new phone and called the maid, finding out that Gabriel wasn’t at the villa. She rushed back to pack her things.
She only took her mom’s heirlooms and some new documents, then made up an excuse to send the maid away.
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She then grabbed a baseball bat and smashed the Lego set they had built together. Then, the couch they had picked out together, the TV they had ordered together.
With her last bit of strength, Anna destroyed everything in the living room. Looking at the mess, she laughed–a bitter, sorrowful laugh.
Anna dropped the baseball bat and used lipstick to write two lines on the wall.
“Gabriel, you once said those who betray true love must swallow ten thousand needles. Do you remember?
“Gabriel, from now on, there is no more ‘we‘.”
Without looking back, Anna left the villa, leaving behind all the memories she and Gabriel had shared in the wreckage.
She bought tickets for all flights departing at the same time, but instead went to the long–distance bus station.
She would make sure Gabriel could never find her.
Through thick and thin, Anna and Gabriel would never meet again!
