Chapter 7

"Where else would I go?" I calmly returned the question.

"The gas company came by for an inspection today," Keith said in a cold voice. "No one's home, so they called me instead. Why weren't you at home?"

That made sense.

I thought he had finally noticed something off with me.

Lowering my head, I let out a chuckle. I was laughing at myself for having such unrealistic expectations.

"Why should I be at home?" I asked, "Can't I have my own matters to deal with?"

For a moment, things went silent on the other end of the line. Then, Keith said matter-of-factly, "You're not even working. What matters could you possibly be dealing with?"

I scoffed. "Can't I leave the house if I'm not working? Can't I have my own life, or go on a trip?"

Keith's tone grew even more grave. "Clara, what's up with you lately? You stopped cooking, you're not home anymore, and you even threw a fit out of the blue. And now, you're even going on a trip on your own? Have you lost your mind?"

I gazed at the evening glow through the window as I answered softly, "No, I didn't lose my mind. I only came to my senses."

Keith fell silent in an instant.

Some time later, he scoffed. "Fine. Keep playing your games. Since you're not going home, then I won't go home, either. Let's see who gives in first."

With that, he hung up straight away.

Hailey was so pissed that she almost smashed my phone. "What's the deal with that jerk? He's the head of a department, so he just needs to ask around to find out you're hospitalized. He doesn't care about you at all!"

As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and she reached out to hug me. "Clara, just cry if you want to. Don't hold it in, okay?"

I leaned on her shoulder and fell silent for a long while. Then, I lightly shook my head. "The tears won't come."

After all, my tears had already dried up a long time ago.

Three days later, I had pretty much recovered. After signing the discharge papers, I went home to get my luggage.

As soon as I opened the door, I froze.

Keith was actually home.

As our gazes met, the air grew heavy for a moment.

In the end, he was the one who broke the silence. "Finally home, huh? Where did you go on your trip?"

I didn't reply. Instead, I headed straight to the bedroom, opened the cabinet, and checked my documents.

Keith's voice rang out behind me. "You've always wanted to go on a road trip along Ridgecrest Highway, right? Since we just signed the papers for our new house, it's about time we get a new car, too. Let's check out some cars tomorrow. We can go on the road trip during my next leave."

I froze.

If I had heard those same words in the past, I would've been so excited that I wouldn't be able to sleep.

But now, it was all too late.

I said calmly, "It's okay."

Keith frowned. "Why?"

I wanted to tell him, "Because I've already bought a new car. Because no matter where I go next, you will no longer be part of the picture."

But instead, I said indifferently, "Just because."

Seeing how stubborn I was behaving, Keith finally ran out of patience. "Sonia kept telling me to treat you better, and this is how you react?"

I scoffed. "So you'd do anything she tells you, huh? Would you jump off a cliff just because she told you to?"

Keith's expression darkened. "Clara! What's gotten into you? Why are you talking like that all of a sudden?"

I lowered my head and continued organizing my documents. I didn't even spare him a glance.

Keith stood where he was, chest heaving violently.

A while later, he scoffed. "Fine. Looks like we both need some time to cool off. I'll sleep in my office for the next few days. You'd better reflect on your actions."

With that, he grabbed his coat and left, slamming the door on his way out.

Throughout the whole ordeal, I didn't even look up.

I waited for the door to close before slowly making my way to the bed.

I took out two documents from my bag.

The first document was the divorce agreement we had both signed.

The second was the record of the abortion and an ultrasound photo that no longer meant anything.

I arranged them neatly on the bedside table.

Then, I left with my luggage in tow.

I simply couldn't stand another second in this house filled with reminders of Keith.

For my last night in Avenville, I decided to stay in a hotel.

The next morning, I headed to the car dealership.

The salesperson enthusiastically came forward to greet me. "Ms. Watson, your car is ready."

I was about to sign the papers when I heard a familiar voice.

"How about this one?"

I turned around. Just a dozen steps away, Keith was standing next to an off-road vehicle.

Sonia was right next to him, and her head was lowered as she examined the specs.

The two were talking about something, then they laughed at the same time.

They were totally in sync, as if they were lovers who had been in love for years.

The sales consultant was all smiles. "You have great taste. This one is perfect for road trips, and many young couples end up going with this model. You're welcome to take it for a test drive."

Without any explanations, Keith got into the driver's seat, ready for the test drive.

Sonia blushed, but she didn't say anything as she hurriedly got into the passenger seat.

They drove off.

The shop assistants were whispering among themselves.

One of them said, "They're the perfect match! They're both so good-looking."

Another said, "I heard they graduated from the same college, and now, they're working at the same hospital. Are we in a romance movie?"

Someone said, "That's some chemistry right there."

I was silent as I listened in. It didn't hurt as much as I had imagined.

"Ms. Watson?" the salesperson quietly prompted.

Returning to my senses, I decisively signed my name.

After swiping my card, I took the car keys and walked toward my own car.

I started the engine and shifted into gear. Then, I drove off.

In the rearview mirror, I could see Keith's car headed in the opposite direction from mine.

But I didn't turn around.

A whole new life lay ahead of me.

It took five years, but I finally found myself again.