Chapter 4

After the procedure, a dull ache lingered in my lower abdomen, as if something had been forcibly taken from me.

I stood by the side of the street, leaning against a lamppost. It took me ten minutes before I finally managed to get a cab. When I got home, I collapsed onto the bed and drifted into a hazy sleep.

In the middle of the night, my phone rang. Mark’s name flashed on the screen.

I answered, but it wasn’t him who answered.

“Kaia? Mr. Henderson drank too much while attending to a client at dinner tonight. He refuses to leave unless you come pick him up. We’re at a bar. Hurry.”

It was Tonya.

I glanced at the time. It was two o’clock in the morning. My lower abdomen still ached, and my whole body felt weak. I opened my mouth, but my throat was so dry I couldn’t make a sound.

After hanging up, I lay back down. Then, my phone rang again. Even when I declined it, it rang again. On the third call, I forced myself up and got dressed. Every movement pulled at the pain, but I was used to it. It had been five years of being on call whenever he needed me, swallowing my own pain, and putting him first. This time, I’d consider it a final goodbye.

It took me an hour on the subway to get the bar. When I pushed the door open, the lights were dim, and the music was deafening.

I looked around, but didn’t see Mark. So, I called him, and the line connected.

“Hello? Mark? Where are you–”

There was a rustling sound of fabric shifting on the other end, followed by Tonya’s voice.

“Mr. Henderson… go slower…”

Then came Mark’s drunken voice, low and hoarse. “Okay.”

I stood frozen at the entrance of the bar, phone in hand, listening. My stomach churned. I leaned against the wall and gagged, but nothing came out.

After hanging up, I turned to leave. Suddenly, three drunk and foreign men appeared in front of me. Their eyes roamed over me.

“Young woman, are you all alone?”

“Why don’t you come have some fun with us?”

One of them, his teeth yellowed, stepped closer and reached out to touch my face. I stepped back, my back hitting the wall. Taking the opportunity, another grabbed my wrist. His grip was so tight that I couldn’t break free.

“Get away from me! My friend is on his way!” I shouted, but my voice trembled uncontrollably.

“Friend? Where is this friend of yours?”

They burst into laughter, closing in tighter around me.

“Help–” I barely got the word out before someone covered my mouth.

Before long, they dragged me toward the alley. I struggled with everything I had, my nails clawing across someone’s face, earning me a hard slap in return.

My vision went dark. My ears rang. With trembling hands, I tried calling Mark again, praying he would hear me and come save me. On the other end, those nauseating sounds seemed to pause for a brief moment. Then, the call was abruptly cut.

When I tried again, his phone was switched off, and my phone was kicked away. As someone forced me down, the stench of alcohol filled my face, and rough hands yanked at my shoulder strap, despair swallowing me whole.

I closed my eyes. Just as my consciousness began to fade, a blinding white light cut through the darkness.

“Hey! What are you doing? Let her go, or I’m calling the police!”

The weight on me suddenly lifted. The men cursed and scattered. The person who saved me was a middle-aged woman. She asked if I wanted to call the police, and I shook my head.

After thanking her, I picked up my phone and staggered to my feet. By the time I got home, dawn was breaking. I stood in the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My lip was split. My hair was a mess. My eyes were red and swollen. Then, I opened the back of my closet and pulled out the suitcase I had packed long ago.

On the way to the airport, my phone kept ringing. Mark’s name flashed again and again, but I didn’t answer. At the airport, I removed my local SIM card from my phone and tossed it into the trash before walking into the departure hall.

The boarding announcement echoed overhead.

I stood up, picked up my suitcase, and walked forward.

At security, a staff member asked, “Ma’am, are you traveling alone?”

I nodded.

I looked out the window at the white plane waiting on the runway, and suddenly, a smile broke out on my face.

Goodbye, Mark.