Love’s Empty Echo

When I handed the divorce papers to Callum Kipling, he was on his tablet, helping his step-sister, Hannah pick out her graduation dress.

Her silky voice could be heard clearly through the phone.

"Cal! I want a dress with a night-sky backdrop, adorned with stars, just as romantic as the meteor shower we watched together that night."

"Alright, we'll take our time finding one. If nothing fits, we'll have it custom-made. The little princess must be satisfied, right?"

Callum indulged her and almost signed his name at the bottom of the contract without glancing at the document I handed him.

It wasn’t until they had finished their tender exchange and he reached for a glass of water from the table that he casually glanced at the paper.

Then he laughed in disbelief.

“You’ve got quite a temper, don’t you, Eloise? All this just because I didn’t go with you to the hospital? And then you jump straight to a divorce?"

Why wouldn’t I?

That day, I had already been unwell due to my period, yet he insisted I join them at the mountaintop resort.

By nightfall, I had developed a fever.

When I begged him to take me to the hospital, he left me stranded halfway down the mountain.

"There's a clinic ten minutes down the hill. Buy some medicine yourself. I have something urgent to take care of," he said before leaving.

But with my fever reaching 102°F, how was I supposed to make my way down the mountain alone in the middle of the night?

The moment he left, I fainted.

Later, I found out that the so-called "urgent matter" was watching a meteor shower with Hannah.

"Whether I dare or not, I've already done it," I said calmly. I changed my shoes and headed for the door, utterly indifferent to his questioning.

"Since you've already signed it, I’d appreciate it if you could have someone take it to the courts to finalize the process."

I thought Callum would readily agree, relieved to end things. Instead, he erupted in anger.

"Do you really think I won't go through with this? You’re going to regret this and come crawling back to me."

Regret? That was impossible. I waved him off, shut the door, and left.

Driving to my studio, I didn’t bother deciphering the deeper meaning of his words.

The studio had recently taken on a custom dress order, and by the time I finished, it was already late.

A message from Callum awaited me on my phone.

[Come to Willow Creek. Bring your sewing kit.]

With the countdown to our divorce ticking away, I had no intention of sacrificing any more of my time for him.

Yet, his messages kept coming.

[If you don’t show up, I can’t guarantee I’ll make it to the divorce proceedings. Or is this divorce just another ploy to play hard to get?]

Ha! I let out a cold laugh. I was exhausted but grabbed my sewing kit before heading out.

The evening traffic was dreadful. By the time I reached Willow Creek, Callum and the rest had already drunk their fill.

Callum and Hannah, along with a few others, were laughing and joking together.

Emmet Porter whom I shared a bit of rapport with, tried to reason with Callum.

"Look Cal, sisters are sisters, but a wife takes priority. You’d better not mix up what matters most."

Hannah clearly didn’t like that.

She held Callum’s face and planted a bold kiss on him.

"I’m the one Callum raised so of course, I’m the most important person in his life," she declared arrogantly.

"Yes, yes, you’re the most important thing in my life," he replied lightly.

Callum was long accustomed to Hannah’s intimate gestures. He ruffled her hair and smiled at her affectionately.

"Does Eloise really think she’ll go through with the divorce? She’s just playing me.

"All these years, I’ve given her a place to belong. Without me, she wouldn’t even have a home. Leave me? She wouldn’t dare.

"Just wait. Before the cooling-off period ends, she’ll come back crying and begging me to take her in."

I stood frozen, gripping the sewing kit tightly in my hands.

When Callum abandoned me halfway down the mountain, I didn’t cry.

When I signed the divorce agreement, I didn’t cry.

But now, a sharp ache rose in my chest, and my nose stung with the threat of tears.

When I was young, I let myself believe in him because he promised me a home.

As someone who had drifted for so long, that promise had moved me and made me fall for him.

But years later, that very promise had become the blade that now pierced my heart.

It turns out the people closest to you know exactly where your weaknesses lie—and how to strike at them.