Leaving Without a Trace

Even on the day I was discharged from the hospital, there was still no sign of Isabel Eaton. Throughout the time I was hospitalized, she didn't drop by to visit me, not even once.

With my right arm still in a cast, I had no choice but to take a cab home. Yet, when I got there, I couldn't unlock the door no matter what I tried. Left with no other option, I called Isabel.

When the call connected, it was the voice of Cameron Dunn, Isabel's first love, that I heard through the speaker.

"Oh. You're back, Jeremy? Izzy is in the shower," Cameron said.

Before I could say anything, I heard a click, and the door was unlocked from the inside. Cameron cheerfully ushered me in.

"It's my fault, Jeremy. I kept forgetting the password because of my poor memory, so Izzy changed the password to my birthday. You don't know when that is, right? I'll write it down for you later," Cameron offered.

He was wearing a new set of pajamas, and his hair was still damp.

Just then, Isabel emerged from the master bedroom. She was wearing my favorite nightgown of hers—the black one that was rather translucent.

In the past, I would've blown up at the sight of them alone in the house and both having just come out of the shower. I would've argued with Isabel to no end. But this time, I merely nodded in greeting before entering with my suitcase.

Seeing that I wasn't angered, Isabel tossed aside the towel she was holding and gave me an explanation that sounded more like an eager attempt to cover something up instead.

"Don't get the wrong idea. The voltage regulator over at Cam's place broke, so he's just staying with us for a few days."

As I looked at Isabel, I was reminded of what happened the other day. She rushed off to go after Cameron, paying no mind to me even though I was hit by a car while trying to follow her. I nearly lost my life that day.

It was from that moment onward that all my love for her vanished.

"I didn't get the wrong idea," I replied as I continued to make my way to the bedroom.

"Cam's family has gone abroad. It's not easy for him to stay here all by himself. We grew up together. Now that he has nowhere else to stay, who else would take him in, if not me?" Isabel continued to explain.

I calmly waited for her to finish. She probably forgot that for the sake of pursuing this relationship with her, I had cut off contact with my family for three years now.

Cameron didn't have it easy, huh? What about me?

She was standing in my way, so I had no choice but to halt in my tracks and repeat myself. "I already said I didn't get the wrong idea about anything."

Grabbing my arm, Isabel snapped, "You've been giving me attitude since the moment you entered the house, Jeremy. And now, you won't even listen to me properly when I'm trying to explain the situation to you. What more do you want?"

I finally lost all my patience. Shrugging her hand off, I uttered icily, "I told you. I haven't misunderstood anything."

My broken arm hadn't fully recovered yet. It was giving me so much pain that I had no choice but to drop my suitcase, allowing it to fall with a low thud.

After turning the lights on in the bedroom, I was immediately greeted by the sight of a pale blue men's underwear on the bed along with a black women's underwear with one strap broken.

Startled, Isabel scrambled to grab them.

"We accidentally got some of our things wet just now, so we left them here to dry. Don't read too much into it," she hastily said.

I looked around the bedroom. It was a complete mess. There wasn't even a place for me to set my things down.

Humming in acknowledgment, I headed off to the second bedroom.