Chapter 4

Sybilla lay in Rod's arms, weeping like a fallen flower in the rain.

"Rod, don't blame Sonia. It's my fault, I intruded on the two of you. Maybe I should just move out."

Rod's head snapped up toward me.

"Sonia Swanson! She's sick, how can you be this vicious?!"

Looking at the Rod in front of me, a sudden violent pain shot through my head.

Wasn't he the man who loved me most? How could he treat me like this?

I pressed a hand to my forehead in pain, unable to say a single word.

Rod took my silence for guilt. He gave a cold snort, then carefully lifted Sybilla and carried her inside.

"Take a good look at yourself. When you've come to your senses, then you can come back!"

With a slam, the door shut hard in my face.

I stood outside, fragments of images flickering through my mind.

It was back when we'd just bought this place.

Rod had held me tight from behind, pointing at the empty living room, his eyes full of hope.

"Sonia, we'll put your favorite couch right here, and fill the balcony with all the flowers you love."

"This is our home, for the rest of our lives."

Tears slid down without a sound, and those images began to blur.

My phone rang. It was the overseas lab.

"Miss Swanson, we've approved your application. You can come whenever you're ready."

I hung up and opened the notes app on my phone.

I deleted the line that said 【Rod is the man I love】

Then I wrote a new one.

【Sybilla isn't sick. She's going to marry Rod.】

I made a trip back to my parents' house and told them Rod and I had broken up, and that I was going abroad to study.

I thought they'd scold me for being reckless. After all, both families had spent so long preparing for the wedding.

But my mother only rubbed my head, her eyes rimmed red.

"Broken up is broken up. My girl can go wherever she wants, and your dad and I will always be behind you."

Looking at the gray at my parents' temples, I felt a sudden fear that one day I might forget them too.

Over the next few days, I started processing my passport and visa.

My memory was slipping worse and worse.

Sometimes I'd even forget where I was walking to in the middle of the walk.

The day I went to the hospital to print my medical records, I ran into Rod and Sybilla in the corridor.

Sybilla was clinging to his arm, the two of them murmuring about something with their heads bent close.

When Rod saw me he clearly froze, and instinctively let go of Sybilla.

"Sonia!"

Rod walked quickly over to me, his brow tightening as he looked at the thick stack of papers in my hand.

"What are you doing at the hospital? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

I looked at him and said flatly,

"Nothing. Just picking up some routine checkup reports."

Sensing that something was off in my tone, Rod hurried to explain.

"Sonia, I only came to keep Sybilla company for her treatment. Don't get the wrong idea."

Rod was about to say more when Sybilla, behind him, suddenly clutched her stomach and moaned in pain.

"Rod, my stomach hurts so much……"

Rod's face changed in an instant.

"Sonia, I need to get Sybilla to a doctor first. I'll contact you later."

With that he scooped Sybilla up and hurried off.

I stood where I was, watching him walk away.

The strange thing was, there wasn't the slightest ripple in my heart.

In my mind, the memories about this man called Rod seemed to be down to only a few scraps.

I opened the notes app on my phone again.

I deleted 【My wedding with Rod has been postponed.】

I turned and walked in the opposite direction.

The day I left, my mom and dad came to see me off at the airport.

"Sonia, once you're over there, take good care of yourself."

"I will. You two take care of yourselves too."

The boarding announcement began to play over the speakers.

I pulled my suitcase toward the security checkpoint, and my phone suddenly buzzed.

It was a message from Rod.

"Sonia, I miss you. Let me bring you home."

I stood in the surging crowd at the airport, staring at that pinned chat, and no matter how I tried, I couldn't remember why this person and I had said so many tender things to each other.

I opened the notes app. Only two lines were left on it.

【Sybilla is Rod's first love. She's sick, and he has to take care of her.】

【Sybilla isn't sick. She's going to marry Rod.】

Oh. So it turned out he was going to marry someone else.

Calmly, I backed out to the messaging app, deleted him, blocked him.

Then I pulled my suitcase and walked through the boarding gate without looking back.