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Gone With the Mist
Gone With the Mist
Author: South Twig

Chapter 1

Author: South Twig
Upon getting home, I changed out of my wet clothes into a set of clean pajamas.

The candlelight dinner I had prepared for our fifth anniversary had already gone cold on the table.

At around ten o'clock, someone opened the door.

A gust of wind swept into the house when my husband, Elias Marque, stepped inside.

As usual, he hung his coat on the third hook mounted to the wall of the entrance before slipping into his gray slippers.

When he swept a glance over the uneaten food on the table, he frowned.

“Didn't I tell you I don’t like the house getting greasy after cooking?”

I watched him quietly from the couch.

“Today is our fifth anniversary. You told me you’d be coming home for dinner.“

I noticed the way he paused briefly while untying his tie.

A trace of annoyance flickered in his eyes.

“Sorry, an important project came up today, so I forgot.”

“An important project?”

“Yeah. Don’t be upset.”

He candidly undid his cufflinks before brushing me off in a perfunctory manner. “I’ll make it up to you. We can go to a nice restaurant next time.”

Next time.

It was always next time.

My request for an international transfer had been authorized by the HQ.

There was not going to be a “next time.”

Elias approached the table to pour himself some water.

Moments before touching the cup, he stopped.

He noticed that the cup handle wasn’t positioned at exactly a forty-five-degree angle, pointing southeast as his rules required.

He immediately became angry.

“Alyssa, did you touch my cup?”

Rather than explaining, I looked at a long strand of hair clinging to the collar of his shirt.

“Jade Leigh came back to the country.”

I presented it as a simple fact rather than a question.

Elias froze.

He turned to me as a startled and confused look appeared in his eyes.

“How did you know?”

I fixed a look at him.

My mind wouldn't stop replaying the image of him leaning in as Jade gave him a sip of her latte while I stood under the pouring rain.

“How was the latte she gave you? Was it sweet?”

“Were you following me?”

“I just happened to see you.”

His frown tightened. His irritation and confusion were clear as day.

“Jade just came back and bought the wrong drink.

“I only helped her finish it because it would be a waste to throw it away. Quit being dramatic.”

I smiled dryly while a sick, gross feeling came over me.

“Last year, when I was running a fever of 103°F, I tried to take a sip of water from your cup because my throat was dry.

“You smashed the cup right in front of me and shouted at me to scram.”

Elias’ expression twisted slightly.

However, there was no hint of guilt.

“Alyssa, this isn’t the time to bring up something from the past.

“You should know that I have severe OCD about things like that. You’re my wife, you should’ve gotten used to it over the last five years!

“Jade spent five years overseas and just got back. There was no way she could’ve known.

“As her senior at work, it’s my responsibility to look after her.”

When I looked at the way he explained so self-righteously, I couldn’t help but find the situation absurd.

“You sure are selective about this so-called OCD of yours, aren’t you?”

His face turned white.

“I told you I didn’t even think much of it. Quit being pedantic about it.

“Haven’t I already explained the situation? Why are you being so weird about it?”

Weird, he said.

I closed my eyes as my stomach cramped and spasmed several times.

For five years, I had forced myself to abide by Elias’ rules.

I had to give up on my dream of being a documentary director for his sake.

All I got in return for my sacrifice was to be called dramatic, pedantic, and weird.

Then, his phone rang.

He answered immediately.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll edit the report for you.

“No need to rush, take your time. I’m here for you.”

He spoke in a low, gentle manner. I had never seen his eyes look so gentle before.

After the call, he turned back to me.

“There’s going to be a party to welcome Jade to the institute. Come with me.”

I was just about to refuse when Elias sighed exasperatedly.

“Spouses are expected to be present. Even if you want to throw a tantrum, can you at least wait until after the party?”

“Fine.”

With that, his frown finally eased.

“Alright, go ahead and get some rest.”

With that, he walked into his study and shut the door behind him, feeling satisfied.

As soon as the door shut, I cut off the final thread of longing I had for him.

I immediately reached for my phone.

There was a new message from the HQ that read: [Director Alyssa, we have sorted out your paperwork. Please report to us after three days.]

I replied promptly: [Understood. I’ll be there on time.]

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  • Gone With the Mist   Chapter 10

    Six months later, in Freign.I was nominated for the “Best Debut Director” award at the International Nature Documentary Festival for "The Galaxy Over the Desert.”On the night of the awards ceremony, I walked down the red carpet in an expertly tailored black suit.I faced the audience confidently while countless camera flashes went off in every direction. My composure was calm and steady, befitting someone who had braved the desert winds.Toward the end of the night, I won the award.When I stood at the center of stage and underneath the spotlight, I held the trophy firmly to deliver a brief acceptance speech.“I’m grateful to the land that taught me how to breathe again. I’m also grateful that I found a renewed version of myself in the wilderness.”Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.When the ceremony concluded, people mingled around, and the noise of their chatter filled the hall.I waded through the crowd and made my way toward the celebratory banquet.Soon, I

  • Gone With the Mist   Chapter 9

    In the end, the documentary was titled “The Galaxy Over the Desert.”After a strenuous post-production process, it was finally given the final stamp of approval and soon premiered during prime time on a national channel.On the night of its premiere, viewership skyrocketed, breaking the channel’s five-year record for documentaries. The reception online was equally favorable, and soon, the documentary garnered widespread acclaim.Though I was the director, I didn’t take all the credit or praise for myself.Instead, I jumped head-first into the next project by leading my team to the next location: the Timber Plateau.As night fell, the sky over the plateau turned into a wide canvas of blue that resembled the ocean.It seemed as if all one needed to do was to reach out to touch the sparkling stars.I stood by the edge of a massive salt lake and stared transfixed at the images on my monitor.The brilliant starry sky was reflected on the face of the lake. The mirrored halves from

  • Gone With the Mist   Chapter 8

    Three months later, in the city.The documentary directed by me, “Breath of the Desert,” was internally screened at the National Geographic headquarters.After the closing credits, a suspenseful silence fell over the conference room for a little while before everyone erupted into thunderous applause.It was immediately named the most significant ecological documentary of the year. Shortly after that, I received a message to return to the city to wrap up the post-production and conduct a panel.When I wheeled my luggage out of the airport arrivals hall, I was stopped by a figure who was all too familiar.It was Elias.He looked like a completely different person.His once impeccable bespoke suit was now creased all over, while his tie looked similarly haphazard. It was a level of sloppiness he never would have tolerated in the past.His cheeks were deeply sunken, and dark circles ringed his eyes. He had become so frail that I barely managed to recognize him at all.His eyes wer

  • Gone With the Mist   Chapter 7

    While I was experiencing the wilderness along with my freedom, Elias was a thousand miles away from me.His world, on the contrary, was slowly crumbling.He hardly slept for two whole weeks.It was only after Alyssa left that he realized that the home he had meticulously designed into a “domain of perfection” was riddled with little flaws.The cup’s handle could never quite align to a precise forty-five-degree angle pointing southeast the way he wanted it to.The new towels he bought were not quite the exact color or thickness that he wanted, which drove him mad.Although he managed to arrange the documents in his study in alphabetical order, something still felt off about them.Like a madman, he would rearrange them obsessively until the next morning.Eventually, Elias resorted to destroying every piece of furniture that felt off to him and bought exact replicas for them. He did his best to recreate the same layout Alyssa had arranged when she was still around.However, to hi

  • Gone With the Mist   Chapter 6

    A week later.A gust of wind kicked up a fine mist of sand which lashed mercilessly against my face and prickled me like a thousand micro needles.Despite that, I felt more clear-headed than ever. With every breath I took, I relished a sense of freedom I hadn’t felt in years.I had officially joined the National Geographic team in shooting a documentary titled “Ecosystems: A Century of the Desert” as the lead director.Everything I was experiencing here was a stark contrast to the life I had led for the last five years.I no longer had to be concerned about positioning cup handles at precisely a forty-five-degree angle, or arranging clothes hangers by color. Most importantly, there was no longer a man trapping me in a pitfall of his own rules.Everywhere I looked, there was an endless expanse of yellow sand while headstrong desert poplar trees emerged against all odds. I was here with a team of researchers who were equally passionate about the natural world.Their hearty laughte

  • Gone With the Mist   Chapter 5

    Gabrielle glared intently at the rearview mirror and cussed under her breath, “He’s insane! We're in the middle of the city!”I remained expressionless. My eyes locked on the black speck in the rearview mirror, growing larger by the second.My heart was about to leap out of my chest.What I felt was a mix of fear, anger, and more than anything else, a sense of disgust for having been involved with him for five years.“Shake him off.”My voice was ice-cold.“Hold on tight!”Gabrielle jerked the steering wheel furiously.The car swung up a ramp and merged into the highway with the agility of a fox.She was a skilled driver and managed to weave her way through countless cars in quick succession.Meanwhile, the Bentley soon found its path blocked by a row of massive container trucks.It was starting to lag behind, and eventually, it faded into the distance again.My fingers pressed against my legs were shaking the whole time, revealing my anxiety.The car raced on.It was onl

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