Chapter 2: The Man by the Fields

I didn't expect that finding a place to stay would be harder than escaping my husband. At least with Logan, I knew exactly what I was running away from.

Here, I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

I had no relatives in the province, no friends waiting for me, and barely enough money to last a few weeks. The only thing I had with me was a small bag, a phone that barely had a signal, and a name I desperately wanted to leave behind.

Aurelia Laurent.

For the first time, I wondered if even my name was dangerous.

I kept walking until the houses became fewer and the road turned into a narrow path surrounded by fields. The afternoon sun was beginning to soften, and the wind carried the scent of freshly watered soil.

It was peaceful.

Almost too peaceful.

I stopped beside a wooden fence and looked at the rice fields stretching as far as I could see.

For a moment, I forgot to be afraid.

Then my stomach growled.

I closed my eyes.

"Okay," I whispered to myself. "Apparently, freedom also comes with hunger."

I almost laughed.

Almost.

I continued walking until I saw a small house with a handwritten sign outside.

"ROOM FOR RENT."

My heart immediately lifted.

I hurried toward it and knocked on the wooden door.

An elderly woman opened it.

"Yes?"

"Hi. I was told there might be a room available."

She looked me up and down before opening the door wider.

"You're the girl from the bus?"

I blinked. "How did you—?"

"This is a small place, hija. News travels faster than the internet."

I smiled awkwardly.

"Right."

She stepped aside.

"Come in."

The room was small. There was a narrow bed, an old wooden cabinet, a small table, and one window overlooking the fields. It wasn't luxurious. It wasn't even close to the kind of room I was used to living in. But the moment I saw it, I felt something inside me loosen.

"I'll take it."

The woman raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't even asked how much."

"I'll take it."

She laughed.

"You're either very desperate or very easy to convince."

I smiled faintly.

"Probably both."

She introduced herself as Aling Rosa, and after I paid for the first few days, she gave me the key.

"There's a sari-sari store at the end of the road. There's also a small market every morning. If you need anything, just ask."

"Thank you."

She looked at me for a few seconds.

"You sure you're okay?"

I hesitated.

Then I gave her the safest answer I knew.

"I'm fine."

She nodded, but I could tell she didn't believe me.

I went inside and placed my bag on the bed. The room was quiet. No cameras, no guards, no expensive furniture, no footsteps outside the door, and... no Logan.

I sat down slowly.

And suddenly, I started crying.

Not the kind of crying I used to do quietly in the bathroom. This time, there was no reason to stop myself.

I covered my face with both hands and cried until my chest hurt. I cried for the woman I used to be. I cried for every night I had pretended everything was okay. I cried because I missed my family. I cried because I was scared. And most of all, I cried because I had finally realized that I had actually left.

I didn't know how long I sat there.

Eventually, exhaustion took over.

I fell asleep without changing my clothes.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of roosters.

I opened my eyes slowly.

For a few seconds, I forgot where I was.

Then I remembered.

I sat up and looked around the small room.

No Logan.

No mansion.

No reason to be afraid.

I smiled faintly.

"Good morning, Aurelia."

It felt strange saying my own name out loud.

I washed my face, changed into a simple blouse and jeans, then went outside.

The province was already awake. People were walking along the road, children were riding bicycles, and somewhere nearby, someone was selling breakfast.

I followed the smell until I reached a small roadside stall.

I was looking at the food when I heard a loud voice behind me.

"Careful!"

I turned around.

Too late.

A motorcycle was coming toward me.

I stepped backward instinctively.

Someone grabbed my wrist.

"Hey!"

I stumbled.

A strong arm wrapped around my waist for a second, keeping me from falling.

My heart stopped.

I looked up.

And that was the first time I saw him.

He was standing in front of me, slightly out of breath, wearing a faded gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was messy, his skin was tanned from working under the sun, and there was a small streak of dirt across his cheek. But, it was his eyes that made me forget everything else.

Warm.

Calm.

And annoyingly beautiful.

He stared at me for a moment.

Then he looked at the motorcycle that had already passed.

"You okay?"

I couldn't answer.

He tilted his head.

"Miss?"

I blinked.

"Yes."

My voice came out embarrassingly soft.

He smiled.

"Good."

He let go of my waist and stepped back.

Only then did I realize how close we had been.

My face immediately warmed.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I don't know."

He laughed.

It was a quiet laugh, but something about it made my chest feel strange.

"You almost got hit by a motorcycle, and you're apologizing to me?"

"I wasn't paying attention."

"I noticed."

I frowned.

"Are you always this annoying?"

His eyebrows lifted.

"First day here?"

I nodded.

"Thought so."

"Why?"

"Because everyone here already knows I'm annoying."

I couldn't help it. I laughed. It was small. Barely there, but it was real.

He looked surprised for a second.

Then he smiled again.

"I'm Zayn."

I hesitated before answering.

"Aurelia."

He repeated my name slowly.

"Aurelia."

The way he said it made my stomach flutter.

I looked away.

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

There was a pause.

Then he looked at the food stall.

"You haven't eaten?"

"Not yet."

He nodded toward the table.

"Sit."

I frowned.

"What?"

"Sit. You're going to faint."

"I'm not going to faint."

"You look like you haven't eaten in three days."

"I ate yesterday."

"When?"

I thought about it.

"Afternoon."

His eyes widened.

"Yesterday afternoon?"

I shrugged.

"I was busy."

"Doing what?"

"Trying to figure out how to survive."

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

His expression changed.

Not dramatically, just enough for me to notice.

He didn't ask what I meant.

Instead, he pulled out a chair.

"Sit down."

I stared at him.

"You always order strangers around?"

"Only the ones who look like they're about to collapse."

I sighed and sat.

He ordered breakfast for me before I could protest.

When the food arrived, I stared at it.

"How much?"

He waved his hand.

"Don't worry about it."

"I can pay."

"I know."

"Then let me."

He looked at me for a moment.

"Fine."

He pushed the plate toward me.

"Eat first. Argue later."

I smiled despite myself.

"You're bossy."

"And you're stubborn."

"I just met you."

"Exactly."

I looked at him. He grinned. And for some reason, I couldn't stop smiling.

I didn't know it then, but that morning would become one of the memories I would hold onto when everything else around me started falling apart. Because I had spent so long believing that every man's kindness came with a price.

But Zayn didn't ask for anything.

He didn't demand anything.

He didn't even ask why I was alone.

He simply noticed that I was hungry and made sure I ate.

Maybe that shouldn't have meant so much.

But to someone like me... It meant everything.

"By the way," he said while drinking his coffee, "you're older than me, right?"

I nearly choked.

"What?"

He laughed.

"I can tell."

"How?"

"You have an older-sister vibe."

I stared at him.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven."

I slowly put down my spoon.

"I'm twenty-nine."

His eyebrows lifted.

"Really?"

"Yes."

He smiled.

"So you're my Noona."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't call me that."

"Why?"

"Because it makes me feel old."

He laughed.

"You're only two years older."

"Exactly."

He shook his head, still smiling.

"Okay, Noona."

I sighed. I should have been annoyed. Instead, I found myself smiling again. And that scared me more than I wanted to admit, because it had been a long time since someone had made me feel something other than fear.

I looked at Zayn across the table. For just a second, our eyes met. And there it was again. That strange flutter in my chest. I didn't know what it meant. I didn't want to know.

I had just escaped a marriage that nearly destroyed me. The last thing I needed was another man. Especially a younger one who smiled too much and seemed determined to annoy me.

So, I looked away.

I told myself it was nothing.

Just gratitude, just curiosity, just a moment, but somewhere deep inside me, I already knew I was lying. Because sometimes, love doesn't arrive loudly. Sometimes, it begins with a stranger catching you before you fall. And sometimes, you don't realize you're already looking at the beginning of your new life until it's too late.