Chapter 9

Throughout the whole thing, Graham did not say a word. He did not even open his eyes. It was only when one of the officers politely but firmly asked him to get up that he slowly opened them.

His gaze passed over his parents, who could not meet his eyes, and over Holly, whose expression was impossible to read. At last, it settled on Colin's face, which was full of relief.

There was no hatred in his eyes, no anger, and no hurt. There was only a dead, lifeless calm.

He silently pulled the IV needle out of the back of his hand, sat up slowly, and got out of bed.

Holly watched how frighteningly calm he was, and it felt as though an invisible hand had clenched around her heart, squeezing so hard that she could barely breathe. As he passed her, she suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm.

Her voice was terribly hoarse, and it shook in a way even she did not notice. "Graham, wait for me. Three days at most, and I'll get you out. I promise.

"After that, wherever you want to go and whatever you want to do, I'll be right there with you. I'll make it up to you. Whatever you want, it's yours."

Graham stopped and looked down at the hand gripping his arm. Then he raised his head and looked at her. Gently but firmly, he pried her fingers off one at a time without saying a word.

After that, he turned and followed the officers out of the room, one step at a time.

Lionel and Joyce mumbled behind him, "Graham, we don't have a choice. Once Colin's in the clear, we'll make it up to you. We promise."

Graham did not break his stride for even a moment. It was as if he had not heard them at all.

Holly stood frozen in place and watched him disappear around the corner of the hallway. The hand he had pried loose was still curled as if it were holding on to something, and it trembled slightly.

…

The three days in jail dragged on endlessly.

The cell was cold, damp, and noisy, and the other inmates shot him hostile looks and made ugly remarks. The food was plain and coarse, and the bed was a hard plank.

His injuries still hurt, and between that and the conditions, Graham barely slept.

Yet he stayed quiet the entire time. He did not cry, did not make a fuss, and did not talk to anyone. He simply sat silently in his corner and looked up at the small, barred window high on the wall.

On the afternoon of the third day, he was finally released.

When he stepped out through the heavy iron door, the sunlight was blinding. He narrowed his eyes slightly and let them adjust to the light.

When he turned on his phone, there were two text messages waiting.

One was from Joyce.

[Graham, your father and I have to attend an important charity gala, so we can't come pick you up. Take a cab home and be safe. When you get back, I'll cook you something nice to make up for it.]

The other was from Holly.

[Graham, a very important international merger meeting came up at the company at the last minute, and I really can't get away. Go home first and get some rest. I'll come see you tonight, and after that, I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Wait for me.]

Graham read them with a blank face, then opened social media.

The first post that showed up was one Colin had shared just ten minutes earlier.

[Just a tiny cold, and everyone is fussing over me like it's an emergency. It feels so good to be someone's whole world. Grateful for everyone who loves me.]

In the photo, Lionel, Joyce, and Holly were all gathered around him.

Graham looked at the post and at the genuine smiles of contentment on every face in the photo. All of a sudden, he let out a soft laugh.

The laugh was quiet, and the wind on the empty street quickly carried it away. He kept laughing, yet something cold slid from the corners of his eyes.

It was not sadness, and it was not hurt. It was a complete sense of release, as though everything had finally settled.

Just then, his phone buzzed again with a new email notification.

He opened it.

It was from the immigration agency.

[Congratulations, Mr. Winthrop! Your application for permanent residency has been officially approved. We wish you a wonderful new life in your new country!]

Graham stared at the message for a long time. Then he slowly let out a long breath.

It felt as though that breath carried away everything he had bottled up, along with all the pain, struggle, and despair of the past five years.

At last, it was over.

He hailed a cab and went back to the Winthrop mansion.

The house was empty. Clearly, everyone was busy with Colin.

He went into the cramped guest room, took two documents out of a drawer, and laid them neatly on the coffee table in the living room, where no one could miss them.

One was the declaration voluntarily severing his relationship with his parents. The other was the agreement dissolving the engagement.

At the bottom of both documents, he had already signed his name, Graham Winthrop.

Finally, he took one last look at the luxurious yet cold house that had never given him any real warmth. He pulled up the handle of his suitcase, turned, and walked out without a shred of reluctance.

Night had fallen when the cab pulled away toward the airport.

The departure lounge was bustling with people coming and going.

Graham sat in a seat by the window and watched the planes taking off and landing on the runway outside. Their lights blinked like distant stars.

When the boarding announcement came over the speakers, he picked up his phone and opened his messaging app for the last time.

His parents and Holly were pinned at the top of his chats. His finger hovered over the screen for a few seconds. Then he closed the app, took out his SIM card, snapped it in half, and tossed it into the trash can beside him.

He pulled his suitcase along and walked toward the gate without ever looking back.