LOGINGemmaIt had been two months since I came to Switzerland, but most days still looked the same. Hospital rooms, treatment, medication, and long hours spent trying to get my strength back had become part of my new routine.I was lying on my bed in a loose hospital gown, staring through the window as the morning light entered my room. The white curtains moved slightly whenever the air conditioner came on, and the beeping of the machine beside my bed had become something I barely noticed anymore. My body still felt weak from the treatment, and even sitting up for too long could leave me exhausted, but I gradually learned not to fight every difficult day.When I first arrived, everything felt unfamiliar. The language, the food, the streets, and even the silence in my new apartment reminded me that I was far away from home. During the first few weeks, I spent most of my time thinking about everything I left behind. I would lie in bed with my phone in my hand, scrolling through old pictures
JulianWhen I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the silence.My head was pounding, my mouth dry, and there was a bitter taste lingering on my tongue. My body felt sore from sleeping in an awkward position on the sofa, and when I tried to sit up, I had to steady myself with one hand against the cushion. The room tilted slightly before settling again, leaving me staring at the ceiling until my vision cleared.Then I saw them.My mother was standing near the window with her arms folded across her chest. Damien sat in one of the chairs, his elbows resting against the armrests, while James stood beside the fireplace with his hands in his pockets.None of them looked happy to see me awake.I pushed myself up slowly and rubbed both hands over my face, trying to clear the heaviness from my head.“What happened?”My voice sounded rough.Anne looked at me without a trace of sympathy. Her jaw was tight, and the way she stood made it clear that she had been waiting for me to wake up.
Julian“Gemma, open this door. I’ve been knocking for almost thirty minutes.”Nothing. “Gemma, please. Just open the door. I need to talk to you.”I called her number again, but it still wasn’t reachable. Something wasn’t right. If she was inside, she would have heard me by now, or at least told me to leave. I went downstairs and asked the building manager if he knew where she was.“Did Gemma leave the penthouse?”He shifted uncomfortably. “Sir, I don’t know.”“Did she tell anyone where she was going?”“No, sir.”“Did you see her leave?”He shook his head.I stood there trying to think of where she could have gone, but nothing made sense. The only person who might know was Gigi, so I drove straight to her house.She opened the door and, the moment she saw me, tried to close it again. But I stopped the door before she could.“What do you want?” she asked.“Gigi, I need to know where Gemma is.”“After everything you did, you came here to ask me where she is? The audacity.”She tried to
GemmaOver the next several days, Gigi helped me make arrangements. She handled some of the things I couldn’t bring myself to deal with while I focused on getting my medical records transferred and contacting hospitals abroad.After several calls and emails, we settled on Zurich, Switzerland.The hospital there could continue the treatment plan I was already following, which made the decision easier. I wasn’t leaving just to escape my problems. My health required proper care, and moving to another country allowed me to receive that care somewhere I wouldn’t be surrounded by memories I wasn’t ready to face.For days, I spoke with the hospital’s international patient department. We discussed my medical records, appointments, treatment schedule, accommodation, and the documents they needed before I arrived.There were times when I sat on my bed with my phone against my ear, listening to someone explain the next step, while my eyes remained fixed on the suitcase lying open on the floor.G
JulianThings at the company had become difficult lately. Everyone walked on eggshells around me.People still worked, meetings went on, and reports arrived on my desk every morning, but the ease that once existed around the office had disappeared. Conversations became restrained whenever I walked past, and employees who once entered my office with confidence now approached my door with fear, carefully considering every word before they spoke.Even the executives who had worked with me for years started watching my reactions before giving their opinions during meetings.Nobody wanted to be the person who tested my patience.A delayed presentation resulted in a dismissal that left the entire department silent for the rest of the afternoon. When one of the senior managers failed to notice a serious problem in a contract before it reached my desk, his explanation barely lasted a minute before I fired him.Every mistake irritated me because everything else already felt out of control. Eve
Gemma“You were only a fling.”Those words wouldn’t leave my head. I kept hearing it in his voice, cold and mean, like it was nothing.I stayed awake all night just staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out what happened to the man I thought I knew. My mind kept picturing his face, looking for a sign that he didn’t mean it, but there was nothing. He just walked away.How could I be so stupid?After everything Richard had done to me, I still allowed myself to fall in love with another man and end up in the same situation. I was an idiot. Here I was, lying awake over another man again.Before sunrise, I finally gave up and climbed out of bed. Lying there was useless. I got dressed, grabbed my bag, and drove straight to the hospital.Dr. Victor was already in his office when I arrived. He seemed surprised to see me so early, but he welcomed me in and motioned toward the chair.“Gemma, what brings you here this morning?”“I want to transfer my treatment.”He stopped going through the f







