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홈 / No Longer Mine / Chapter 4

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Chapter 4

작가: Honey
The voice on the other end of the line faltered noticeably. “A war correspondent? Eliza, why so suddenly? It’s risky out there! Active combat, bullets flying everywhere, and not to mention the brutal living conditions. You’re a young woman–”

“It was my dream back in college,” Eliza said softly. “It’s just that… because of my family, I put it on hold. Now, I want to fulfill it.”

“But you have a husband, two kids, and a happy family. Why take such a risk? Even if you want to go, your family would never agree to it!”

Eliza smiled bleakly.

“Mr. Fox, I’m preparing for a divorce. The children… will go with their father. My mind is made up.”

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Mr. Fox was clearly stunned by the news.

Eventually, Mr. Fox sighed. “Well, that is your personal affairs, so it’s not my place to pry. Since you’ve decided… Alright. I’ll submit your application to upper management. Rest up and recover over the next few days, get everything in order, and prepare to head out on schedule by the end of the month.”

“Thank you, Mr. Fox.”

After hanging up, Eliza dialed her lawyer’s number.

“Ms. Summers, I’d like you to draft divorce papers for me, please. The father will have sole custody of the children, and I am surrendering my rights. As for asset division, we will go with standard legal guidelines. I only want what I’m legally entitled to. The sooner, the better. Ideally… I’d like the divorce to be finalized before the end of the month.”

After taking care of all of that, she closed her eyes, exhausted. Finally, though her heart still felt empty and cold, she was starting to feel something again.

Over the next few days, Connor and the two children never showed up once. It wasn’t until Eliza’s birthday came that Connor—perhaps out of a desire to make amends or just to maintain a peaceful facade—arranged a rather grand birthday party for her.

At the party, Sofia arrived uninvited. Dressed in a soft pink gown and sporting exquisite makeup, she walked gracefully up to Eliza and handed her an elegantly wrapped gift box.

“Happy birthday, Eliza. What a coincidence. It happens to be my birthday today too.”

The same birthday?

The two children immediately turned to Sofia in surprise. “Sofia, today is your birthday too? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

Leo turned to Connor right away. “Daddy! Today is Sofia’s birthday too! Why don’t we… make this a joint birthday party for Mommy and Sofia? Can we?”

Maya tugged at Connor’s hand, swaying it back and forth. “Daddy, please? Spending a birthday all alone must be so lonely for Sofia!”

Connor looked at the expectant eyes of his two children, then glanced at Eliza, who stood quietly aside, not saying a word. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face.

He walked over to Eliza’s side and whispered in a negotiating tone, “Eliza, look how much the kids want this… Sofia really is all by herself today, so… why don’t we celebrate her too? I know this feels unfair to you, but–”

“Sure.” Before he could finish his sentence, Eliza cut him off coldly.

Connor froze. All the arguments he had prepared to persuade her with were stuck in his throat.

“That’s it?” He couldn’t quite believe it. “You don’t mind?”

He had assumed she would throw a fit, that she would tearfully interrogate him and accuse him of being partial, just like she used to. He had even planned out how to soothe her and reason with her. Yet, she had agreed so easily.

Eliza flashed him a nonchalant smile. “You explained your reasons. You said she’s just the kids’ piano teacher, that there’s nothing between you two, and that you only interact because of the children. Why would I mind?”

She paused and looked up at him. Her gaze was flat and unbothered.

“Rest assured, Connor. From now on, I won’t make a scene ever again.”

For reasons he couldn’t explain, even though she had become reasonable and generous, Connor’s heart suddenly sank, and he was filled with anxiety and panic.

She was far too calm, so calm that it felt like she didn’t care about anything anymore; she didn’t care that they were good to Sofia, and she didn’t care… about them anymore either.

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  • No Longer Mine   Chapter 22

    Time went by, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed.It was yet another quiet night. Having processed the final document, Connor rubbed his temples.The kids were already fast asleep, and Hazel had turned in for the night as well. The house felt empty and so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat.He walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured a glass of whiskey. Without adding ice, he downed it in one gulp. The burning liquid slid down his throat, yet it failed to warm his icy chest.He turned on the television and aimlessly flipped through the channels, solely to dispel the suffocating silence. A certain international channel was broadcasting an awards ceremony live. Men and women dressed in suits and gowns, dazzling crystal chandeliers, and thunderous applause filled the screen. Uninterested, he was just about to change the channel when the host read out a name and an award.“The International War Correspondent of the Year is… Ms. Esther Lowry!”Following

  • No Longer Mine   Chapter 21

    He sobbed so hard his whole body convulsed. Several times, he lost consciousness from the suffocating grief and excruciating pain, only to be revived by the accompanying medical team.Every time he woke up, he would go right back to clutching her body, softly calling out her name. His eyes were hollow, as if his soul had been ripped away, leaving behind nothing more than a weeping shell.In the end, faced with the dual pressure of the search and rescue team and the deteriorating security situation, his bodyguards and the doctor sedated him. They dragged him away from her side and pulled him away from that riverbank.Before he left, he held onto that battered press badge with a death grip, clinging to it like it was his last hope. Even on the flight back to Mauricia, he sat as still as a statue, clutching the clear evidence bag containing the press badge in his hand. He did not shed another tear. His eyes were painfully dry as he stared out the window at the sea of clouds, watching

  • No Longer Mine   Chapter 20

    The private jet took off once again, soaring through the clouds, toward the very place that had swallowed all of his hope. This time, Connor brought the top medical team and the most elite search-and-rescue squad, sparing no expense whatsoever.Stepping onto the soil of Evia once more, the war seemed even deadlier than before. However, Connor ignored every attempt to stop him. Disregarding his own unhealed injuries, he led the team to the site of the incident.It was a rugged mountain road, with a cliff on one side. The signs of a crash were clearly visible: charred vegetation, scattered car parts, and, at the edge of the cliff, harrowing drag marks and large patches of dried blood stains. Connor stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down into the bottomless, fog-shrouded river valley below. A sudden violent dizziness washed over him. It felt as if an invisible hand had seized his heart, squeezing so tightly that he could not breathe.“Go! Follow the river valley and search both

  • No Longer Mine   Chapter 19

    In the days that followed, Connor worked on soothing the traumatized children while taking action on Sofia.Not only did he hand over evidence of her child abuse, but he also used his influence to unearth all of her past vile schemes, including how she had staged set-ups to frame Eliza and how she had paid off the paparazzi. He sent every last bit of evidence directly where it belonged.In the end, Sofia was sent to prison on multiple charges, her reputation ruined. Her days behind bars were guaranteed to be anything but easy.Yet, Connor felt no relief whatsoever. Every day, he dialed the satellite phone number provided by the news agency, even though he never got through.He wrote long letters after long letters, pouring out his remorse, his yearning, as well as the children’s changes and hopes, mailing them to any potential location where she might be working. Every letter went unanswered; some were even returned to him unopened.He attempted to pressure the news agency’s high-

  • No Longer Mine   Chapter 18

    Connor watched the video, feeling an intense rage boil over, and his entire body trembled. His fists cracked as he clenched them tightly, veins popping on the back of his hands.“Sofia!” he hissed the name through gritted teeth. There was a terrifying, murderous glint in his eyes.“Where is she?” His voice was cold as ice.“U-Upstairs in your master bedroom…” Hazel whimpered through her tears. “She said that from now on, it’s going to be her room…”Without a word, Connor turned on his heel and strode upstairs, kicking the master bedroom door wide open.Sofia was lounging on their former king-sized bed, wearing Eliza’s silk nightgown. She also had a face mask while flipping through a fashion magazine.When she saw Connor, she was startled at first, but she immediately broke into a delighted smile. Peeling off the mask, she sat up. “Connor! You’re back! I was worried sick–”With all the strength he could muster, he slapped Sofia across the face!The force sent her tumbling of

  • No Longer Mine   Chapter 17

    “No… Eliza… Don’t go… Please… Come back…”Connor reached out toward the empty doorway, a broken wail escaping his throat.The searing pain in his chest hit him in waves. It was not just from the gunshot wound, but it felt like his heart was being torn out alive, leaving behind a bloody, hollow void.He could not hold on any longer, and everything went dark before his eyes. The monitors began emitting an even sharper, piercing beep. Doctors and nurses rushed in.“The patient is too emotional, and it’s causing the wound to open and bleed! Quick! Prepare for emergency resuscitation!”Amidst the chaos, Connor’s last moments of consciousness were those ice-cold eyes of hers, the view of her back as she walked away, and her saying, “I don’t hate you anymore, but I don’t love you, either.”As it turned out, what was far more terrifying than hatred was her indifference and her wanting nothing to do with him. He had lost her forever.Connor was forced to transfer home to receive follow

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