C06
Without waiting for a response, I turned my phone off. For the first time in years, I slept soundly.
The plane touched down at seven the next morning. As I walked through the departure gate, my heart pounded.
Then I saw him.
William stood tall in the crowd, his sharp features unchanged by the years. If anything, time had made him more striking–mature, steady, and even more captivating.
The moment my eyes found him, I knew. Quietly, I slipped behind him and tapped his shoulder. He turned instantly, his eyes lighting up before he swept me into his arms. We held onto each other for what felt like forever. When he finally pulled away, his gaze softened, but his nose was slightly red. His fingers brushed against my face, his voice hoarse. “Karen… after all these years, you’ve lost weight.”
Then, forcing a smile, he pinched my cheek. “Come on. I called all our old friends from school. They’re waiting for you at my place.”
For the first time in years, I felt something lift from my chest. Freedom. Hope. And maybe–just maybe–a second
chance.
I turned my phone on, ready to let my parents know I was okay. The family group chat had exploded with over ninety–nine unread messages. Ferry’s name kept flashing across my screen, his messages coming in rapid succession, making my messenger lag slightly.
I didn’t bother opening the group chat. It didn’t matter what they said anymore. My decision was final. I had was final. Thad escaped. There was no going back. Without hesitation, I swiped left and deleted the entire chat. But I did open
Birth Control Pills from My Husband Made Me Ran To An Old Love
—
Ferry’s messages–not because I had forgiven him, but to see if he had signed the divorce papers.
Scrolling to the top, his first message stared back at me.
[Karen, there’s no way I’m divorcing you. You’re imagining things.]
Attached was a picture–the divorce agreement, torn into shreds, the pieces scattered across the floor.
His voice messages filled the rest of the screen, an entire page of them.
“Karen, before we got married, we agreed to fulfill our parents‘ wishes. We’ve been playing along for five years- how can you just quit now?”
“Karen, you’re playing dirty. You ran away and left me to clean up this mess alone.”
“I’ve been going to your house every day, trying to find you. You can’t just never come home.”
His voice grew more irritable with each message, but I didn’t bother listening to the rest. I exited the chat.
Right then, my phone rang–it was him. I hesitated for a second, then declined the call. He called again. And again. And again. Like a man possessed. Frustrated, I removed my SIM card, tossed it into the nearest dumpster, and walked away without looking back.
***
That night with William was one of the best I’d had in years. The gathering stretched into the early morning hours before the last of our friends finally left, leaving just the two of us. Fueled by wine and unspoken emotions, we opened up to each other. One bottle turned into two, then three. I hadn’t drunk so freely in years–not since I began preparing for pregnancy three years ago. Now, I was finally letting go. I leaned against William’s shoulder, drinking until everything blurred into unconsciousness.
The next morning, I woke up with a pounding headache and a gnawing sense of reality settling back in. I opened my laptop. Three years of focusing on pregnancy had wrecked my career. Ferry had always dismissed my ambitions, “Our family is rich. You just need to be a good wife at home–why do you need a career? “Why suffer when you could just enjoy life?”
I had fought back at first, refusing to let my family pressure me into giving up my job. But time passed, and I eventually caved. Everyone convinced me it was the right choice, that I just needed to focus on having a baby. But the whole time, while I was sacrificing my career and independence, Ferry had been secretly drugging me.
Looking back, I felt like a fool. Everyone had pitied me when they heard what happened. I wasn’t looking for pity. I wanted my life back. I pulled up my resume, carefully refined it, and started submitting applications to every major IP firm I could find.
Then, by sheer coincidence, I stumbled upon a news post on an international forum. It was from Ferry. A message written in flawless English.
[My wife arrived in Newtown on July 6, but I can’t find her. If anyone has seen her, please help. I’m offering a $1,000,000 reward for any useful information.]
I stared at the screen, my stomach twisting.
Just then, my phone buzzed. My mom was calling me on video. I hesitated for a moment but picked up. Th moment she saw me, she burst into tears.
“Karen, how long are you going to keep this up?” she sobbed.
“Do you think we can’t track you down just because you ran away? As long as you’re even remotely connected to me and your father, we can go to the police for assistance.
“There are surveillance cameras everywhere–you can’t run forever. And now Ferry has flown abroad to look for
you.”
She wiped her eyes, her voice breaking. “Just talk to us. Whatever it is, we can discuss it properly.” Properly? I had tried for years to talk to them properly. Had anyone ever listened?
