Chapter 4

The sound of the lock turning suddenly pulled me out of my thoughts.

Yvonne was back, with Colin right behind her.

The moment she stepped inside, her gaze landed on my suitcase.

"Nathan, what do you think you're doing?" she asked, her expression darkening. "Ms. Brooks is critically ill, and you still have the nerve to leave just to spite me?"

Colin stood behind her, his eyes widening. "Nathan, did I somehow upset you? Whatever it is, we can talk about it later.

"Please… don't be angry right now. You know how serious Ms. Brooks' condition is. She should be our priority."

My throat felt tight.

So now they remembered how important Mom was? Then why hadn't either of them answered their phones yesterday?

In the end, they made me look like the unreasonable one throwing a tantrum.

Colin walked over and reached for my hand, but I pulled away.

"Nathan, is this because of the pictures?" he choked out, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'm genuinely sorry. I'll keep my distance from Yvie from now on.

"But really, this isn't the time to be stubborn. Ms. Brooks isn't doing well. If she knew you and Yvie were fighting like this, she'd be heartbroken."

My chest tightened.

The most heartbreaking moment of Mom's life had been her final one, when she kept waiting for them to come, but they never did.

"You don't need to apologize to me," I replied coldly. "And you don't need to worry about my mom anymore."

A sneer crossed Yvonne's face as she stepped forward, placing herself between me and Colin.

"I don't need to worry about her?" she echoed. "She's my teacher and my future mother-in-law. Why shouldn't I worry?"

I stopped and looked her in the eye.

"You're only remembering that she's your future mother-in-law now? Where were you yesterday when she was waiting for you? Where were you when all she wanted was to welcome you into her family?

Yvonne's expression immediately changed.

"Nathan, stop being so sarcastic!" she hissed. "I told you, I was with Colin picking up a cake for Ms. Brooks. It's not like I wasn't coming back. Who knew you'd make such a big deal out of it and cancel the entire wedding?"

Sensing the tension, Colin quickly stepped in and took hold of her arm.

"Yvie, don't…" he pleaded. "Everyone's upset right now. It's my fault. I shouldn't have let things get this far."

He had always been good at reading the room, and he knew exactly how to put on the helpless act whenever he needed to.

Just as expected, Yvonne instantly looked at him with concern before turning back to me with a cold expression.

"Fine. Leave if you want. But don't use Ms. Brooks' illness to pressure me into backing down. I'm not going to forgive you so easily every time."

With that, she grabbed Colin's hand and turned to leave.

He glanced back at me as she led him out. There was hurt in his eyes, but there was also a hint of satisfaction he couldn't quite hide.

The door closed behind them, leaving me alone in the apartment.

I stood still, unmoving for a long time.

In every argument we'd had before, I'd waited for Yvonne to come back. I'd waited for her to calm down, to listen to my explanation, to give me a chance to make things right.

But this time, I didn't want to wait anymore.

I picked up my suitcase, left my keys at the entrance, and walked out without looking back.

When my phone rang, I'd just barely reached the lobby. It was a nurse from the hospital.

"Mr. Kiehl, we need you to come in and sign your mother's death certificate and the arrangements for transporting her remains."

I tightened my grip on the phone and quietly acknowledged her.

Once I took care of everything, there would be nothing left tying me to this place.

…

The next morning, I arrived at the hospital.

After signing what felt like a huge pile of paperwork, the doctor asked me to wait in the hallway. She handed me an envelope before I left.

"These belong to your mother," she said.

I opened it and found a wedding speech Mom had written for me in advance. Her handwriting was a little shaky, but every word had been written with care.