Gone with Yesterday

“Miss Bray, are you sure you want to release these photos and videos of Mr. Loader and Miss Nash on the day of the wedding?” Tabitha paused before replying firmly, “I’m certain. I also need you to take care of a visa for me. I’m flying out on my wedding day. I expect you to keep this between us.” After the call, Tabitha stood in the silence of the room. Just this morning, Tabitha stumbled upon a secret love nest Christian had set up with his old flame. “Kelsey, since you’re so against the wedding, you should come and steal me away at the wedding next month.” Tabitha reached the door of Christian’s other residence, only to overhear Christian telling Kelsey to crash the wedding. Soon enough, Christian and Kelsey locked arms and shared a hot kiss. Tabitha watched on, her heart breaking into pieces. Fighting back the urge to barge in on them, she turned on her heel. Right there and then, she made a choice that would leave everyone reeling. She planned to leave Christian at the altar before Kelsey would come and whisk him away! Chapter 1 Opting out of the comfort of taking the wheel, Tabitha Bray headed home on foot instead. Horrified to see Tabitha covered in biting frost, the maid ushered her inside to get some warmth and scrambled to get her a hot drink. “Why didn’t you wear something warmer, Miss Bray? Mr. Loader is going to be upset if you catch a cold.” Tabitha appeared numb to the world. Without a word, she turned on her heel and retreated to her room. The moment the door was shut, Tabitha clutched her chest and sank to the floor. She had never once doubted Christian Loader’s love for her. All it took was a hint of interest from Tabitha for Christian to take the next flight out to South America, just to oversee the creation of a bespoke diamond bracelet. Christian was the kind of man who would flip a table and throw away a multimillion-dollar deal if anybody pressured her to drink. The same CEO, hardened by the cutthroat turbulence of the business world, set his pride aside to propose to Tabitha, his hands shaking with nerves. Once Tabitha accepted the marriage proposal, the elites of Port Haven buzzed in anticipation of the wedding of the century happening a month later. Only Tabitha knew that it was over. Christian cheated on her. She had planned to sit down and talk things through with Christian. However, she didn’t expect the bombshell she had overheard. Crashing a wedding? What did Christian take her for? Did her family’s reputation mean nothing to Christian? Tabitha ran her fingers along her engagement ring while closing her eyes. She wondered how Christian had planned for Kelsey Cook to crash a wedding that would never take place. Tabitha’s focus was to ditch Christian at the altar before he could have the chance to pull his stunt. The wedding, set to take place a month later, would be the day she would disappear from Christian’s life. Tabitha’s parting gift to Christian would be one he would never forget. … Christian arrived home late at night. Without time to take off his coat, he scrambled to hold Tabitha and apologize. “I’m sorry, Tabitha. I got tied up in a meeting with a client and lost track of time.” He caught a glimpse of the untouched food on the table. “Why haven’t you had dinner? Did you lose your appetite?” Tabitha simply shook her head and distanced herself from him discreetly. The sickly sweet stench on Christian made her head spin with nausea. Oblivious to her odd behavior, Christian grinned helplessly. He pulled up a chair to sit next to her and served her some food. “Things are hectic at the office lately, so I might not make it back for dinner. Don’t starve yourself while I’m not around.” With downcast eyes, Tabitha spotted a smudge of red running down his shirt collar. She had to stop herself from gagging as her stomach churned. There was a time Christian would sulk whenever she would miss a meal with him. On one serious occasion, Christian even shed tears of frustration. He once claimed that life was too short to miss out on even one dinner with her. Ironically, Christian was the one who had neglected his promise. Staring at the food on her plate, Tabitha smiled wryly. She pondered the moment when Christian had begun to change. It was probably around the time of their engagement two months ago. That day, Christian’s mind was elsewhere. It was supposed to be a day to remember. However, Christian was glued to his phone, completely distracted when she spoke to him several times. At one point, Christian walked out on Tabitha after a phone call, leaving her to face both their parents on her own. Later, Tabitha found out that the day of their engagement happened to be the day Kelsey flew back. Kelsey was the woman who stirred up all kinds of emotions within Christian, be it love or hatred. Four years earlier, Kelsey had Christian completely under her spell, persuading him to pour almost all his assets into a venture she had pitched. Nevertheless, Kelsey simply took the money and vanished abroad without a trace. Unable to locate Kelsey, the investors turned their sights on the Loaders, demanding their money back. Those were Christian’s darkest days. Crushed by financial ruin and the weight of his parents’ and partners’ expectations, he reached the point where suicide seemed like the only escape. Just as Christian stood on the edge of the bridge, ready to jump, it was Tabitha who risked her life to pull him back from the brink. Tabitha even stepped in to inject funds into his failing company. She worked tirelessly alongside Christian to save the business, building it into the powerhouse it was today. Since then, Christian moved on and poured all his devotion into Tabitha instead. It took Christian a year to win Tabitha over and another three years before she said yes to his proposal. However, all that changed when Kelsey slipped back into his life. Now, Christian was even entertaining the idea of letting Kelsey swoop in and steal him away at the wedding. With that in mind, Tabitha said indifferently, “I’m fine. I’m not hungry, and I don’t eat shrimp.” Christian was taken aback, especially when his gaze met Tabitha’s emotionless eyes. It hit him that Tabitha was never one to touch shellfish. Even a single bite would make her sick. Feeling bad, Christian summoned the sleeping maid with his loud voice. “Didn’t I give strict orders not to serve shellfish in this house? I expect a certain level of competency.” Snapping out of her drowsy daze, the maid explained, “Mr. Loader, didn’t you have the shellfish delivered to the house? The instructions were to serve the food fresh, so I—” Christian shot her a look. “Why the heck would I send shellfish to the house?” Chapter 2 When a realization hit him, Christian’s eyes became shifty. The maid immediately took the plate of shellfish away for disposal. However, Tabitha raised her arm to stop her. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s not waste food. Just pack it up for freezing.” Tabitha turned to Christian. “You can take the shellfish to the office tomorrow. I’m sure someone there is bound to appreciate it.” Caught between a rock and a hard place, the maid looked to Christian for a decision. With his heart sinking, Christian grabbed Tabitha’s hand and asked, “What’s wrong, Tabitha? I thought you couldn’t stand the sight of shellfish.” “You’re right, so it’s a treat for your staff since everybody has been working overtime lately. It would be a shame to waste such a luxury.” Tabitha’s airtight logic eased Christian’s nerves. “You’re so thoughtful. Wrap the food up.” “Of course, Mr. Loader.” To think Christian could put on an act so flawlessly. Tabitha quietly watched as Christian packed the food and added a sticky note that read, “From my dear wife, Tabitha.” Well, Tabitha hoped Christian could keep up with the facade when he was to receive her gift. … Tossing and turning into the night, Tabitha couldn’t shake the gloom that kept sleep at bay. Her phone on the nightstand lit up. Tabitha unlocked her phone, only to find a notification from a familiar number. The text message contained several screenshots of chats with the profile pictures removed, the words dripping with flirtation as always. Without a doubt, Kelsey had sent her private conversations with Christian just to rub her smugness in Tabitha’s face. The harassment had been ongoing for two months. Tabitha tapped on Kelsey’s profile to browse through her social feed. Her most recent update was from two hours ago. “Adopted this adorable little thing with my love today.” Attached was a picture of a cat. Christian had always been a cat person, and his avatar proved his love for the furry animal. Alas, due to Tabitha’s serious allergies, they couldn’t keep a cat. To Tabitha’s surprise, Christian went ahead and adopted one together with Kelsey anyway. Kelsey’s post on social media was basically hinting that only she could provide Christian with his idea of a picture-perfect family, which included a cat. Tabitha scrolled through Kelsey’s feed until the screen light burned her eyes. Eventually, she put her phone down. Though Christian slept right next to her, the emotional distance between them was an infinite void. Tabitha was jolted awake by a sharp pain in the dead of the night. Between her pre-existing gastric issues and the day’s emotional rollercoaster, her stomach was now cramping with intensity. She reached out to switch on the lamp, only to knock over her glass of water on the nightstand. The noise startled Christian awake, and he found Tabitha curled up into a ball of agony. He fumbled for the lights, and the sight of Tabitha in cold sweat threw him into a panic. “What’s the matter, Tabitha? Is your stomach acting up again?” “My pills… They are in the drawer.” At the sound of Tabitha’s fragile voice, Christian bolted to his feet and rummaged through the drawer. A ringtone cut through the air. While Christian searched for the pills in desperation, the phone kept ringing. In the end, Christian snatched the phone and answered the call in frustration. “Who is it? What do you want? I don’t care what it is, but now isn’t the right time. Do you hear me?” Seconds before Christian would terminate the call, the sound of sobbing from the other end of the line stunned him. Chapter 3 Through the silence of the night, Tabitha could make out the faint voice of a woman on the other end. “Mittens is gone, Christian! I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find it. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off it. “It’s just a tiny baby. If anything happens to it, I don’t want to live anymore…” “Don’t! Don’t go there. Nothing will happen to it.” Panic clouded Christian’s face. He took a glance at Tabitha before walking out while covering his phone, his voice trailing off. “It’s late. It’s not safe for you to venture out alone to find Mittens. I’ll be there in five…” Moments later, Christian scrambled back to the room, threw on a jacket, and made up a lie about a work emergency before heading out without so much as a glance at Tabitha. Doubling over in pain, Tabitha could only watch as Christian faded into the background. The emotional betrayal hurt far more than the physical illness. Left without a choice, Tabitha had to drag herself across the room to find her medication. Slipping on her foot, Tabitha tumbled out of bed and passed out on the floor. Tabitha woke up in a hospital ward. The nurse was prepping her up for IV therapy when Tabitha opened her eyes. The nurse perked up with excitement and relief. “You’re awake at last. Mr. Loader spared no expense to get you treatment. He was very upset while you were out.” The nurse sounded rather envious. However, Tabitha simply let out a wry smile. The irony wasn’t lost on her. Alcohol had been essential to closing business deals while she fought to save Christian’s dying business, and it had taken a permanent toll on her health. Yet now, she wasn’t even worth more than a pet cat belonging to his ex. Unable to stand the smell of disinfectants in the ward, Tabitha propped herself up and stepped out. She barely took a few steps out the door when she spotted a familiar figure passing by. As her heart skipped a beat, Tabitha quietly kept up. Tabitha caught sight of Christian hiding in the corridor, whispering into his phone. Christian chuckled, his voice full of resignation and affection. “No, I can’t leave right now. She’s still out cold. “Hang in there. I’ll definitely make time to see you. It won’t be long now.” Kelsey must have said something because Christian flashed those cute dimples and responded dotingly, “Got it. I miss you too. “Alright. See you soon.” After hanging up, Christian furrowed his brows. He couldn’t shake the feeling of a pair of eyes on him. Despite turning around and checking several times, Christian didn’t see anyone else in the corridor. Upon learning that Tabitha was awake, Christian dropped his hostile act and became civil with the medical staff. He logged the doctor’s orders into his phone and demanded repeated assurances from the medical staff that Tabitha was fine before agreeing to her hospital discharge. Behind the wheel, Christian seemed to be in a good mood. “Tabitha, my assistant mentioned that your wedding dress is ready. Shall we schedule a fitting?” Chapter 4 Tabitha’s face wasn’t giving anything away. She looked up indifferently and paused for a lifetime before murmuring, “Sure.” With her approval, Christian’s grin widened, and he stepped on the gas pedal. “I have been dying to see you in a wedding dress. Today is the designer’s last day in the city. At least you can voice your opinion if anything needs alteration. “I can’t believe that you’ll be my wife in less than a month. We’re finally getting our happy ending,” Christian rambled on, lost in his emotions. Tabitha looked out the car window in silence, not even bothering to put on a fake smile. She wondered if Christian was truly happy and whether she or Kelsey was his happily-ever-after. The sharp shrill of a ringtone broke Tabitha free from her thoughts. Christian put the call on loudspeaker without a care. “What is it?” His secretary sounded anxious. “You need to get to the office right now, Mr. Loader. Miss Cook is facing some serious issues.” As his face grimaced, Christian swerved the car to another lane and slammed on the gas to get to the office. Thrown by the force of the turn, Tabitha lunged forward until the seatbelt whipped her back against the seat with a thud. She had barely gotten better, and the jerk left her head spinning. Christian managed to cut the thirty-minute drive short by two-thirds. He killed the ignition, jumped out of the car, and bolted into the office building. While they got on the elevator, Christian finally took notice of Tabitha behind him, and she didn’t look quite right. “Tabitha, um… I need to tend to some urgent business. Why don’t you wait for me in my office?” Pale in the face, Tabitha shook her head. The elevator doors opened before she had a chance to get a word out. Not sparing even a second for Tabitha, Christian was out of the elevator and took strides to the conference room. He burst through the door and witnessed Kelsey standing alone against the senior executives, her fists clenched. One senior member threw Kelsey’s business proposal onto the desk brutally. “Oh, give me a break. Don’t talk to me about your academic achievements overseas. You haven’t proven yourself over the years. You’re just Mr. Loader’s side piece. You have no right to put us on this project.” The others let out a snicker. “That’s enough.” An angry growl interrupted their laughter. Christian’s presence pushed Kelsey to tears. Fuming with rage, Christian pulled Kelsey behind him and narrowed his eyes dangerously at the senior executives. “Kelsey is here on my authority. You can take up any issues with me. Don’t take your anger out on a new hire. “Besides, Kelsey has already produced results. She’s behind the new patent we’re filing for.” Christian switched up the tone. A wave of shock swept through the room. The executives exchanged whispers, clearly taken aback by Kelsey’s achievement. Kelsey was baffled as well. She looked into Christian’s eyes, her eyes welling up. “Christian…” He gave her a look of assurance. “Relax. No one gets to look down on you on my watch.” Standing at the door, Tabitha gripped the doorframe to stop herself from falling. It never occurred to her that the secret development project she had been working tirelessly on would be handed on a silver platter to Kelsey by Christian himself. Tabitha dropped her jaw to say something, only for Christian to pull her out in no time. “I’m sorry, Tabitha, but you saw what was happening in there. I had to do that to give her standing in the company. Tabitha’s voice was raspy. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?” “It’s just for now. I’ll make it up to you later.” Fighting back the agony, Tabitha smiled and uttered callously, “Don’t bother.” Christian didn’t have to go through the trouble because there was no future for them down the line. Chapter 5 Stepping out of the building, Christian looked at his watch and suggested that they could still make it to the wedding dress fitting in time. However, the moment was lost for Tabitha. A furious scream cut through the air. Out of nowhere, an armed assailant jumped out and pointed his knife at Tabitha. “You must be Christian’s lover. “You ruined the lives of my family, so I’m taking yours today!” He slashed the knife at Tabitha. “No!” In that split second between life and death, Christian threw himself in front of Tabitha and took the hit for her. As the blade plunged into his flesh, blood gushed out. Christian slumped to the ground in agony, his hands over his abdomen. The sight of blood sent the assailant into a panic, and he threw his weapon aside and took flight. Tabitha held Christian up shakily, her breath hitched. The bleeding wouldn’t stop. Yet, Christian fixated his gaze on Tabitha as if numb to the pain. “Thank goodness you’re safe, Tabitha.” Tabitha was quick to dial the emergency services and stayed by his side all the way to the ER. She couldn’t wrap her head around the whole thing. Christian was in love with Kelsey, even to the point of letting her crash the wedding. Yet, there he was, throwing his life on the line to save Tabitha. What was all that for? Three hours later, the doors to the operating room swung open. The doctor emerged, looking exhausted. He peeled his gloves and mask off. “Fortunately, the blade missed his vital organs by mere inches. However, the patient has lost a lot of blood, so he needs rest.” Tabitha and the secretary, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, were relieved to learn that he was out of the woods. The secretary expressed emotionally, “Mr. Loader risked everything to save you, Miss Bray. He loves you more than life itself.” Tabitha remained silent. Before, she had absolute faith that Christian loved her with all his heart. However, he redirected his devotion to someone else. Yet, he took the knife for her in the face of danger. Tabitha could not read him. Tabitha’s heart only had room for Christian. Christian, on the other hand, could fit a lot more than one person into his. Tabitha lowered her gaze. She would never settle for such cheap, shared affection. Once the anesthesia wore off, Christian demanded to see Tabitha. Despite the medical staff’s protest, Christian yanked the IV off his arm and stumbled out of bed. He bumped straight into Tabitha as she entered the ward with food. Christian held Tabitha tight, his voice carrying fear. “Thank goodness you’re okay, Tabitha. You have no idea how scared I was to lose you when he came at you with a knife.” Tabitha broke free from his grip with composure. “The doctor said that you need rest. You should stay put in bed.” Tabitha’s presence steadied Christian’s nerves. Lying back down, Christian was compliant as the nurse hooked him up on a drip. Noticing the packed food in Tabitha’s hand, Christian said with a smile, “I’m all wrapped up in bandages. I don’t think I can eat on my own.” Tabitha sighed and opened the container to spoon-feed him. With his belly filled, Christian rested his head on Tabitha and squeezed her hand. “I had a terrifying dream that you left me, Tabitha. I woke up terrified, and my only thought was to find you. “I’m so glad that it was just a dream. You’re never going to leave me, right?” He looked up and stared intently into her eyes. Chapter 6 Tabitha paused and turned her head away, attempting to dodge the subject. However, Christian was unusually persistent in getting an answer. “Why aren’t you saying anything, Tabitha? Just tell me—Yes or no?” The secretary emerged, holding a stack of papers. “Mr. Loader, we’ve identified the assailant from yesterday and established his motive. Here are the details.” Christian straightened his back, ruthlessness flickering across his eyes. He quietly took and read the papers. As his eyes scanned the pages, Christian grimaced, and his breathing became shallow. His voice shook. “Hurry! Rally the security team now!” Christian burst out an order before ripping out his IV once again. Not even taking a glance at Tabitha, he scrambled out of the hospital. Tabitha stared at the dumped file on the floor in confusion before leaning over to pick it up. She flipped through the pages, her hands trembling. Everything made sense the moment Tabitha saw the name on the papers. It explained the panic Christian was in. Once more, it all came back to Kelsey. Tabitha wasn’t meant to be the attacker’s target. Kelsey was the intended mark. Kelsey, taking the role of Christian’s assistant, was responsible for external communications, but her incompetence had led to the downfall of multiple projects. The assailant was a victim of one of those failed business ventures. Upon arriving at the office building, the attacker mistook Tabitha, standing next to Christian, for Kelsey. Christian was thrown into a panic, fearing the assailant would turn on Kelsey once he realized his mistake. Surely, Tabitha would be in Christian’s thoughts too since her safety was compromised as well. Maybe he simply didn’t care about her. For the coming week, Christian didn’t even come home. It dawned on Tabitha that Christian had reassigned his security detail, including the office’s security team, to protect Kelsey. He even spared no expense to hire private investigators to track the attacker’s whereabouts. It never occurred to Tabitha that Christian, a man defined by logic and composure, would get carried away over another woman’s well-being. Due to Christian’s blatant favoritism, those in their friend circle were eager to see what Tabitha, the fiancée, would do. Another week passed, and Tabitha read about the assailant’s arrest in the papers. That night, Christian returned home all worn out. He gave Tabitha a hug from behind. “Stay still for me, Tabitha. Let me hold you.” Catching a whiff of another woman’s perfume on Christian, Tabitha felt sick to her stomach. She asked in a dry, hollow voice, “Do you still love me, Christian?” Christian froze as a wave of fluster washed over him. He nuzzled against her neck and pulled her closer into his embrace. “Don’t be silly. Why would I marry you if I didn’t love you? “In less than ten days, I’ll get to tell the world that you’re mine.” With the wedding around the corner, Christian scaled back on his workload. When he wasn’t overseeing the wedding arrangements at the venue, Christian stayed close to Tabitha. One night, Christian left his phone on the nightstand to take a shower. While rummaging through her things for her passport, Tabitha looked up and saw his phone lighting up. She happened to catch a glimpse of the notification. It was a text message from Kelsey. “I’m standing right outside your house, Christian. I must see you today, come rain or shine.” Tabitha furrowed her brows. She unlocked Christian’s phone and scrolled through their chat history. Christian hadn’t been responsive to Kelsey’s messages lately. Christian had been keeping by Tabitha’s side in the last couple of days, and Kelsey was starting to get desperate. Tabitha put down the phone and made sure the message was marked as unread. Chapter 7 Christian stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair while discussing details of the venue layout with Tabitha. He grabbed his phone for a look, and his words trailed off. Tabitha asked, “Why did you stop?” Christian put away his phone in a hurry. Keeping his cool, he kept the topic on the wedding venue. However, his gaze kept wandering outside the window. “It’s late. We should get some rest.” Tabitha turned off the lights, and a bolt of lightning split the sky outside. Without warning, heavy rain poured down. Seeking comfort, Tabitha shuffled closer toward Christian. She wasn’t one to be meek, but thunder was her kryptonite. Understanding her fear, Christian once promised to never let her face a storm alone. However, Christian’s heart and mind were elsewhere. The last thing on his mind was Tabitha’s need for reassurance and her fear of thunder. All it took was five seconds of the rain, and he rolled out of bed. Without a word, he bolted out of the house. Curled into a ball, Tabitha pressed her hands over her ears. At that moment, her heart felt as if it had been split apart by the thunder and washed away by the pounding rain. Christian didn’t come home the entire night. Waking up to her alarm first thing in the morning, Tabitha dragged her weary body out of bed. Her visa appointment was today. Given Christian’s resources, Tabitha knew the harassment was bound to follow, even when she left him at the altar. She was better off planning ahead for the post-wedding escape. Her plan was to travel overseas for a change of pace. She could even attend seminars and conferences she had missed many times before. Tabitha came home after the visa appointment, only to find that something in the air was off. She sneezed repeatedly, her throat itchy and dry. Then came the sound of a cat meowing. Tabitha glanced down and saw a cat sitting right under the coffee table. Terrified, Tabitha recoiled. Her allergy to cat hair was severe enough to trigger respiratory failure. Tabitha struggled to breathe. However, the cat, seemingly taking a shine to her, drew closer. Whipping her hands to the hand, Tabitha tried to shoo the cat away, but it had little effect. Despite her heaving chest, Tabitha couldn’t get oxygen into her airway. Amid her disorientation, Tabitha smashed the glass to scare the cat away. The approach somewhat worked. The cat let out a sharp hiss before scurrying to a corner in shivers. Slumped against the wall, Tabitha fought for air. Meanwhile, Christian burst through the door in a panic. His priority was not Tabitha’s well-being, though. He simply rushed over to scoop the cat up with the utmost attention. “What did you do? “It’s just a tiny kitten. You shouldn’t frighten the little thing even if you don’t like it.” Everything went dark before her eyes, and even Christian’s voice seemed faint and far away. Tabitha crawled to the doorway, desperate to fill her lungs with fresh air. The suffocating pain in her chest just wouldn’t let up. Moments later, Tabitha fought back the agony in her throat and asked Christian, “I’m allergic to cat hair, Christian, and it can be fatal. Have you forgotten?” The revelation hit Christian like a ton of bricks, and his mind went blank. Christian’s expression turned to one of terror. He had witnessed one of Tabitha’s allergic episodes, and it was serious. Not only would Tabitha break out in hives, but she would also suffer respiratory failure and risk of asphyxiation. He could not believe that such important information slipped his mind. Chapter 8 Christian had once been so worried over Tabitha. Yet now, regret overtook his every being. With the cat feeling heavy in his arms, Christian put the ball of fur down and frantically searched for Tabitha’s medication. Color only returned to Tabitha’s complexion once she had her inhaler. Christian carefully helped her to the bed for some rest. “I’m sorry, Tabitha. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions. “The cat belongs to Kelsey. She freaked out when she couldn’t find her cat, so I got a little worked up earlier.” Keeping to herself, Tabitha simply stared blankly at Christian. Christian felt exposed under her piercing gaze. He excused himself to make a call and stepped out of the room. Moments later, Tabitha picked up on his muffled voice outside the door. “Save me the talking. Just get over here and pick your cat up.” For the days to come, Christian became Tabitha’s shadow, attending to her every need with utmost care. Her occasional cough would heighten the anxiety within Christian. He suggested postponing the wedding until Tabitha was all better. Tabitha was completely against the idea. “I’m fine. The wedding should go ahead as planned.” The fact that Tabitha cared so much about the wedding assured Christian. A couple of days passed, and Kelsey showed up outside their home with a basket of fruit. “I’m sorry, Tabitha. It’s all my fault for not keeping an eye on the cat. I didn’t mean to trigger your allergy.” Kelsey seemed apologetic. Her eyes were swollen from crying. However, Christian didn’t buy her story. His voice was indifferent. “Your carelessness nearly cost Tabitha her life, Kelsey.” Kelsey choked with sobs. “I’m sorry. I never meant for things to turn out the way they had. I—” “That’s enough. Tabitha’s well-being is where I draw the line. Her safety means more than anything.” Kelsey’s body language went stiff. She stared at Christian in a daze, the words failing her. Less than two seconds later, tears rolled down her cheeks. She shook violently and bolted out in tears. “You!” Christian rose to his feet, shocked by Kelsey’s outburst. Without hesitation, Christian went after Kelsey. The whole thing unfolded in mere seconds. The drama was all too familiar to Tabitha. After much contemplation, Tabitha trailed behind Christian. Kelsey’s weeping and Christian’s whispers of assurances echoed from the back garden. Tabitha watched as Christian brushed the tears from Kelsey’s face. He hooked his arm around Kelsey’s waist and pressed his lips against hers. … It took half an hour before Christian entered the room. Sitting against the headboard, Tabitha scribbled away in her notebook with great concentration. “What are you writing, Tabitha?” It might have been his eyes playing tricks, but Christian thought he saw what looked like a travel visa. “Nothing.” Tabitha put away her notebook and took her time before looking up at him. Christian asked with a smile, “Our wedding is the day after tomorrow. Are you nervous?” Tabitha shook her head. Then, she was struck by a thought. “Let’s have dinner together tomorrow.” The dinner would mark the end of their relationship. Christian failed to notice the depth in her eyes. He agreed to the dinner plans without a second thought. “Sure thing.” Chapter 9 Christian arrived on time for their dinner date on the eve of their wedding. He even brought an expensive bottle of red to add a touch of class to the evening’s dinner. Just as the pair took a seat, notifications flooded Christian’s phone. The next thing Christian knew, his phone blared with a call. Christian glanced at the caller and rejected the call, but the ringing was persistent. Tabitha observed Christian in composure. “You should take the call.” Christian stood up, his phone in hand. A brief moment later, he returned in a rush to grab his jacket and keys. “Tabitha, I need to take care of some urgent business. Enjoy dinner. Don’t wait up.” With his fading footsteps in the background, Tabitha smiled wryly to herself. She finished her cold steak one bite at a time and took a couple of sips of the red wine. Later, she checked her social media. Sure enough, Kelsey shared a new update. Her post featured a photo of Christian on the rooftop, his eyes glistening with tears at the fireworks. Kelsey posted, “A spectacular fireworks display for my loved one. I’m so glad he came.” Tabitha locked her phone and rose to her feet. She stared at the house, filled with three years of memories with Christian, then pulled out several large boxes to pack. The whole process took her three whole hours. The belongings carrying their three years of memories were sorted into three big boxes. She burned everything without so much as batting an eyelash. Throughout the night, Tabitha compiled all the messages Kelsey had sent and shared on social media onto a USB drive. By the time she finished, it was the break of dawn. Tabitha grabbed her stuff and set out for the wedding venue. The venue had been transformed into a blooming garden, and joy filled the place. Christian had gone out of his way to invite numerous media outlets to document the happiest day of his life. Tabitha, dressed in white perfection, approached Christian. In contrast to Christian’s tearful eyes of anticipation, Tabitha felt nothing. She took the microphone and handed the USB drive to the officiant. “I’d like to present a gift to you before the ceremony, Christian.” Christian grinned widely. He was curious about the surprise. As the officiant plugged the USB drive into the laptop for projection, his nerves got the best of Christian. The content began to play on the massive screen. Christian froze. The screen didn’t show the sweet moments between him and Tabitha. Instead, his chat logs and intimate photos with Kelsey were for all to see. Reality fell on Christian like a bolt of lightning. His eyes darted to Tabitha instinctively. He had some explaining to do. However, the media were on him like sharks drawn to blood, snapping photos and pressing for answers. Christian searched for Tabitha desperately until his eyes settled on one spot. Tabitha watched in silence from across the crowded room as the mob swarmed around Christian. She opened her mouth. The words cut through the room, reaching Christian’s ears. “It’s over between us, Christian.”