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Chapter 3

Author: Michelle
Don's pride wouldn't let him ask what was really wrong with me. He said nothing and turned away. The distance between us that night felt like an entire city.

When I woke the next morning, he was already gone. The estate manager told me he had been called away before dawn. He had left breakfast on the table, a note said, "Don't skip meals."

A text came in soon after.

“The dress is at the estate. Try it on and send me a picture. It was made for you anyway. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll have them alter it. If you don’t like it anymore, I’ll order you the newest design from Milan.”

I had no intention of trying it on. I started clearing out my things.

In the study, I boxed up our framed photos, books we had read together, and piles of notes and receipts. A journal fell out of a drawer: old notes from the early days of our relationship. The pages had yellowed. I sat and flipped through them. In the end, I set the journal aside. I kept it.

On the console table near the sofa was a collection of gifts from Vincent: a custom chain from the Graves family, a few pieces of jewelry, a watch he had picked up at a family auction. Most days, the seat he sat in most was the leather armchair by the door. I sat down there, went through my phone, found a few emails, and sent the items off.

Then I scheduled a courier for the next day.

At six in the evening, my phone reminded me of a concert at eight. I had bought the tickets months ago. A touring indie band with a reputation for pulling couples onto the big screen during their final song. Anyone caught on camera was expected to kiss.

I did not bother asking Vincent if he still planned to go. He had probably forgotten.

Sure enough, before the show started, he texted: "Family business tonight. Don't wait for dinner."

I replied with one word: "Okay."

The seats I had managed to get were near the aisle, off to the right. I did not mind.

The band was excellent. During the final song, the camera swept across the crowd and stopped. The spotlight landed on Vincent in the front row, Cora beside him, her head tilted toward his shoulder.

The lead singer laughed and said, "Our lucky couple looks perfect together. Should we give them a moment?"

Cora laughed and turned up to meet his lips.

Vincent froze for a second, then jerked his head away and looked to the side. Across the crowd, he found me.

I slid my phone into my bag, got up, and walked toward the exit.

He caught up with me by the corridor. His hair was tousled, his breathing uneven.

"Claire—"

His expression was uncertain, maybe because I was not crying or angry. "That was part of the show. Everyone was watching. I could not just refuse…"

I nodded. "I understand."

He paused, frowning. "Are you being sarcastic?"
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  • The Bride Who Vanished Before the Proposal   Chapter 11

    Two more years passed. I saw Vincent again in a restaurant in Rome.The restaurant was at the end of a narrow street. The light was low. The tables were spaced far apart. I had not planned to be there. Daniel had chosen it. He had become my husband by then, and he said the food was good, good for the end of a long day.When I walked in, Vincent was already seated by the window. He saw me before I saw him. His hand stopped midair. He was old now. His hair had gone mostly gray. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, and there was a long scar across his wrist, old and healed but deep. He looked like someone who had been pressed down many times and had barely gotten back up.He rose and came toward me. He stopped a few steps away. I introduced Daniel as my husband. Vincent looked at him, then back at me. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He looked like a car that had sat too long and could not start again."Hello," Vincent said.Daniel smiled. "Hello."The meal was quiet. Vincent di

  • The Bride Who Vanished Before the Proposal   Chapter 10

    Three years passed. I sat in my room at the research facility, flipping through case notes. Outside, the sky had grown dark. I had removed my phone card on the third day after I left.I received one message from Vincent. "Where are you? I will come find you." I did not reply. I never saw his name on my phone again. I thought he would eventually stop. He did.Tessa later made it into the same program. She told me what she knew about Vincent. He had found the paper. He knew who C. L. Moreau was. He had searched for my travel records, my flight history, every place I might have gone. I had left no trace. "He knows about the child," Tessa said. "The report you sent. He never told anyone about it. But someone told me he locked himself in his study that day. When he came out, his eyes were red."Tessa said he wanted to apologize. He had drunk too much after I left, and he had been hospitalized a few times. But he never mentioned my name in public. One researcher said he had stood outside th

  • The Bride Who Vanished Before the Proposal   Chapter 9

    Vincent called Cora. "Fifteen minutes. My study."He hung up and leaned back in his seat. He remembered the last time Claire had smiled. One night she came home from the lab late, holding a journal. She sat on the edge of the bed and flipped through a few pages. She did not look up, but her mouth curved a little. He had been checking messages. He had not asked what she saw. He had thought there would be time.Cora arrived in a new dress, lipstick freshly applied. She walked into the study with a smile. "Vincent, you wanted to see me—""You sent Claire a video," Vincent said. "The night she left."Cora's smile faltered. "I only wanted to—""You said, 'Who will be Donna in the end?'" Vincent said. "What were you thinking when you sent that?"Cora stood still for a moment. Then she lifted her chin slightly. "I was telling the truth. Claire left. Someone has to take her place. Are you going to keep the seat empty forever?"Vincent said nothing."I have known you longer than Claire has," Co

  • The Bride Who Vanished Before the Proposal   Chapter 8

    The next morning, Vincent called Claire. Seven rings. No answer. He tried again. Nothing.He stood in the bedroom and sent her a message: "Are you awake? I will come get you." No reply.He drove to the estate. The house was quiet. The curtains were still drawn. There was no coffee smell in the air. Her slippers were gone from the shoe rack. He walked quickly to the bedroom. His clothes were still in the closet. Her side was empty. The dresser was bare. The drawers held only a few old files.He went to the study. On the desk lay a worn journal. He opened it. It was from their first year together. The last entry was written in fresh ink: "Vincent. This is where we end. Today's date."He called her phone. It went to voicemail. Again. Voicemail. He kept calling until the phone turned off.He drove to the research institute and found Tessa. "Where is Claire?" Tessa looked at him without pity. "She left. Did you not know?"He asked where she had gone. Tessa laughed without warmth. "When you

  • The Bride Who Vanished Before the Proposal   Chapter 7

    I was not sure if he had heard what I said earlier. I answered lightly, "One of Tessa's cousins. Family issue. She was just telling me about it." Vincent let out an audible breath of relief. A smile crept into his eyes. He told me he had cleared two days to take me to the coast. I said yes. He said, "Claire, I love you. If anything is bothering you, tell me. I promise I will spend more time with you from now on."I nodded, just as he wanted me to.The next morning, he broke his promise again. A text message came through: "Something came up with the family. I am sorry. I will make it up to you next time." I had expected it. It did not hurt. His promises had long stopped meaning anything. I had booked my own ticket the night before.The coast was quiet. I sat on the balcony in a rattan chair and listened to the waves. I felt lighter than I had in months. Three days left until I left for good.I remembered there were still things at the new house. When I arrived, the lock code had been c

  • The Bride Who Vanished Before the Proposal   Chapter 6

    At the campus gate, Vincent pulled a small velvet box from the trunk and handed it to me. Inside was a strand of pearls. Vintage. His mother's."I know you have been upset. I am sorry about the dress. If it bothers you, I will get you another one. And the necklace, if you don't want it anymore because Cora wore it, I will have it redesigned. Whatever you want."I looked at the pearls. They were beautiful. They were also not what I wanted. I closed the box and gave it back to him. "You choose about the dress. And do not worry about the necklace. I have to go."He caught my wrist. "Claire, what is going on with you?"I pulled away gently. "I will tell you later."In Dr. Shaw's office, she handed me the journal reprint. "This paper puts you on the map. You should be proud."She paused. "Still, the research institute is hard. Days of repeating experiments. Endless data. Are you sure you are ready for that?"I remembered Vincent in the car saying he did not need a researcher for a wife. "Ye

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