Love Burns Without a Trace

"I'll sign the consent form for the ectopic pregnancy abortion," Isobel Sutton told the nurse.

Her hand, bruised from all the needle insertion, picked up a pen and shakily signed the form.

A drop of tear rolled down her cheek when she was wheeled into the operating theater. She wondered whether taking that morning-after pill was the right decision at all.

…

When Isobel was recovering at the hospital, she bought a plane ticket to Airland, which was dated a month later.

She checked her phone. The netizens were still passionately discussing Halthorne City's tycoon's extravagant love confession to his girlfriend. And she was the subject of the discussion.

At a press conference three days ago, Anthony Johnson announced that he would send a vinyl record to space in the spaceship he had spent seven years building, financed with his private wealth.

The vinyl record would play Anthony's love confession to Isobel in space forever, proving his love for her to every being in the universe.

After the successful launch of the spaceship, someone dug out the details of Anthony and Isobel's relationship. Everyone thought it was the most miraculous love story of the 21st century.

She scrolled through the online comments while sitting through the dull stomach cramps.

"Everyone knows that Mr. Johnson and Ms. Sutton are childhood sweethearts. They have known each other for 25 years. They dated for seven, but they're still in their honeymoon phase. I'm so envious of them!"

"You may have heard about the money he spent on Ms. Sutton. But did you know that he took a bullet for her abroad? He was shot under his left shoulder. The bullet missed his heart by an inch!"

"They're perfect for each other—my daddy and mommy!"

"From what I heard, Mr. Johnson threw himself at her without any hesitation. I still have that media photo of him lying on the stretcher and locking fingers with Ms. Sutton. I ship them so much!"

Every single detail—from their subtle, sweet gazes at events to their extravagant display of love—was proof of their love for each other.

Tears blurred her vision. She wiped them away, thinking about the irony of the situation.

Their families went way back. In fact, Anthony was just two years old when he waited outside the operating room when she was born.

She couldn't recall a time without Anthony in her life.

When she was ten years old, her parents took their own lives after they went bankrupt. The Johnson family immediately took her under their care. It was all thanks to Anthony's company and care that she managed to make it through the grief and trauma.

In her teenage years, she once felt that she was not good enough for him. She never hoped that he would see her as a lover. All she wanted was to stay by his side, even if she was just like a sister to him.

To her surprise, he solemnly confessed his love to her on her 18th birthday in front of all the Halthorne City socialites.

Without a second thought, she accepted the red roses he passionately offered her—a symbol of eternal love.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered in his ear, "Thank you, Tony, for being my family. Promise me you'll never betray me or dump me. I love you."

He hugged her tighter. Between sobs, he vowed, "Belle, I swear on my life that I will never betray or dump you. I will love you until I die."

When they dated, Anthony was nice to her. He was a gentle, thoughtful, and caring boyfriend. Too bad he couldn't keep that up for seven years.

She had never doubted his love, but sadly, true love was not guaranteed to last.

Had she not found out that he was cheating, she would have still thought that she was a lucky woman.

On the other hand, Anthony thought that he had covered all his bases, but the evidence of love—or lack thereof—was painfully obvious. She'd rather leave him than put herself through the pain and despair of being abandoned.

Placing the receipt of the abortion in an expensive gift box, she wrapped it up and wrote on a card. It read, "For Anthony Johnson on his 27th birthday".