Chapter 12
After all, when he had promised to pick Victoria up at nine yesterday, she had agreed.
So, he called her name, but the silence was the only reply.
The morning sun streamed in through the windows, yet instead of filling the room with light, it only emphasized the emptiness that lingered.
Then, something caught his eye–the photo wall in the living room. It was completely bare. The house suddenly felt hollow, as if every trace of Victoria had vanished.
“No, she must’ve packed everything away. She always kept things tidy, rearranging
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things every so often. Maybe she moved everything to another place.”
William kept telling himself that. But the unease gnawed at him as he hurried into the bedroom. The wardrobe was almost empty- only his clothes remained. The drawers, too, held nothing but his identification and a few documents. Even the bedsheets were freshly changed, the scent of detergent lingering, but there was no trace of her, no hint of the warmth that used to fill this space.
The study was the same. On the desk, the only thing left behind was a yellowing diary. Victoria’s diary.
He flipped through the pages, and with each one, his chest grew heavier. The diary chronicled their love, from their first meeting to the growth of their affection. It was a record of shared dreams and promises, a
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love that had once felt unshakable.
But now, every word felt like a jagged knife, each sentence twisting deeper into his heart. The air in his lungs felt thick and suffocating, as if there was no space left to breathe.
Memories flooded his mind–memories of their shared youth, their mutual support, how they had saved each other time and time again. They had walked through life together for eight years, two orphans who had found a family in each other. They were supposed to marry.
The last page of the diary was written in fresh ink:
“William, this is where we end.””
The date on the page was today’s.
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His eyes moved to the wedding dress hanging on the wall. Scissors had torn through its bodice, cutting all the way down to the skirt. His throat tightened, and for a moment, his vision blurred as tears threatened to fall.
He clenched his fist, struggling to stay composed. But as he reached for his phone, his hand shook uncontrollably. “Victoria Amelia, pick up the phone. Please… pick up.”
His voice cracked, thick with emotion. But on the other end, there was only silence–no familiar voice greeting him, no answer at all. He searched the house, his gaze falling on every familiar corner, every object that held a memory of her. But then, his eyes landed on the calendar on the dining table.
The date had once marked the final countdown–just two days to go. Now, it
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was a blank page, with one simple message written in her hand:
“William, I won’t marry you. I wish you and Ava happiness”
It hit him like a blow to the chest, cold and suffocating. The air seemed to freeze around him, starting at his feet and climbing upward, tightening like a vice around his chest, making it hard to breathe.
And then, just as the weight of it all threatened to pull him under, the phone rang.
For a moment, it felt like a lifeline.
Desperately, he grabbed the phone, heart racing.
“It had to be Victoria. It had to be her”
But when he looked at the screen, his heart
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sank. The name flashing there was “Ava.”
“William, has your wife picked up? We’re all waiting for you up here in the mountains. Is she still mad at me? Is she not coming?”
A wave of frustration and helplessness surged through him. He thought of Victoria’s final words-“I wish you and Ava happiness.” They echoed in his mind, and with them came a sense of loss so sharp it threatened to tear him apart.
She still cared. She always had. But she had pretended not to, all while preparing to leave him.
She had grown so disillusioned with him. She no longer had the strength to argue, to fight for something that had long since faded. She had watched as he hurt her, choosing Ava time and time again, each
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decision a betrayal.
He was a fool. He should have seen the signs, the distance growing between them. But what had he been doing all that time?
She had been elated about their wedding dress, a symbol of the life they were supposed to share. But he had shamelessly allowed Ava to wear it instead. He had promised her a trip they had always dreamed of, but he broke that promise to spend time with Ava’s parents. He had vowed to revisit their alma mater, yet abandoned that plan when Ava called.
And now, she was gone.
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