Chapter 2

Billy stood in front of the small apartment door, his jaw clenched. He pressed the access card against the panel. The door opened.

“Thabita,” he called as he stepped inside.

However, there was no answer.

He shut the door with a rough motion. The room felt silent, with no trace of Thabita’s presence—she who usually always welcomed him nervously.

“Don’t play games,” Billy muttered.

He walked farther inside. The living room was empty. Billy opened the bedroom door.

He saw the wardrobe standing open, but it was almost empty. Only bare hangers and a few faint clothing creases remained. The vanity table was clean, without the cheap cosmetics Thabita usually used.

“This is impossible,” Billy said in a low voice.

He turned around, his steps quick as he headed toward the kitchen. On the small table, he saw a neatly folded piece of paper. Billy picked it up.

His hand stopped moving.

The writing was clear. Thabita’s handwriting.

I’m sorry, Bill.

I have to go far away.

Don’t look for me.

Thank you for this past year.

I will marry the man I love.

My first love.

He has returned.

Billy read the letter again.

And again.

His hand trembled. The paper was slowly crumpled, then clenched tighter until it was crushed in his grip.

“Married?” his voice sounded cold. “To another man?”

Billy let out a short laugh. It sounded loud and harsh.

“Nonsense,” he hissed.

He slammed the letter onto the table. His chest rose and fell, his breathing heavy. Anger slowly surfaced, replacing the confusion.

“Since when was there another man?” he muttered. “Since when did you have a first love?”

Billy rubbed his face roughly. His mind was crowded. He felt toyed with. Deceived. Abandoned just like that after a year with Thabita.

“There’s no way a man would want to marry you,” he said coldly, full of conviction. “You know that.”

He paced back and forth in the cramped room. Every corner felt as if it were mocking him. The silence made his anger feel even more real.

Billy pulled out his phone and dialed his assistant’s number.

“Cakra,” he said as soon as the call connected. “Find someone for me.”

“Who, Young Master?”

“A woman,” Billy replied briefly. “Her name is Thabita Salton.”

Cakra paused for a moment. “Description?”

Billy smiled faintly, coldly. “Fat. Very easy to recognize. Track her wherever she goes.”

“Understood, Young Master. Any other clues?”

“She just ran away,” Billy said sharply. “And make sure of one thing.”

“What is it, Young Master?”

Billy looked around the empty apartment. “I don’t care who the man claiming to love her is. I will not allow Thabita to marry another man.”

Cakra took a breath on the other end. “I understand.”

The call ended.

Billy slowly lowered his phone. His jaw tightened again. Then he sent Thabita’s photo to Cakra.

“You think you can just leave like that?” he said quietly. “You’re very wrong, Thabita.”

He grabbed his jacket and stepped out of the apartment without looking back. The door closed with a loud sound, as if marking something that had just changed.

That night, Billy Harvey made a promise to himself. He would find Thabita. And he would not let her slip away so easily.

“Thabita Salton! You’re the most shameless woman I’ve ever known. Just wait! I will definitely find you.”

Three days passed with no results.

Billy sat in his office chair with a dark expression. In front of him, Cakra stood straight, a tablet in his hand, his expression serious.

“No news yet?” Billy asked without looking up.

Cakra shook his head. “We’ve swept the entire capital. There’s no record under the name Thabita Salton.”

Billy clenched his fist. “It’s impossible for her to just disappear.”

“We also checked her family and close friends, Young Master. Almost all of them are inactive or have been out of contact for a long time.”

Billy stood up abruptly. His chair scraped harshly.

“Keep searching,” he ordered coldly. “I don’t care how much it costs.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Cakra left the room. Billy rubbed the back of his neck, his breathing heavy. An unpleasant feeling kept pressing on his chest. Not longing, not regret. It felt more like his pride had been trampled.

“How dare you,” he muttered.

His phone on the desk vibrated. A social media notification appeared from a fake account he rarely opened. Billy frowned, then swiped the screen.

A photo appeared.

Billy froze.

A woman wearing a white wedding dress stood in front of a large mirror. Her body was still full-figured, her face plain, but the smile on her lips looked sincere.

It was Thabita.

The caption under the photo was short.

Today I am getting married. To the man I truly love.

Billy’s hand trembled.

“What the hell is this?” he hissed.

He zoomed in on the photo. Observing every detail. A simple dress. Light makeup. No luxury. But there was one thing that made his chest burn even hotter.

Thabita looked happy.

“Damn it!” Billy shouted.

He threw the phone at the wall. A loud sound filled the room as it fell to the floor.

“How dare you,” he said harshly. “How dare you toy with me like this.”

Billy paced back and forth. His breathing was heavy, his thoughts chaotic. He grabbed a spare phone from the drawer and immediately dialed Thabita’s number.

Inactive.

He tried again.

Still the same.

“Pick up!” he barked at the blank screen.

Billy slammed the phone onto the table. His chest heaved, his face flushed.

“I was the one who accepted you as you were,” he said in a low voice filled with anger. “I was the one who gave you a place, money, attention.”

He let out a short, cynical laugh. “And now you’re getting married?”

Billy roughly grabbed his own hair. His pride felt completely crushed.

“Since when could I be played by a woman like you?” he said sharply. “A fat, unattractive woman who should be grateful to have ever been touched by me.”

He stopped pacing and stared at his own reflection in the window glass.

“And now you dare to leave me?” he continued coldly. “Marry another man?”

Billy grabbed his phone again and called Cakra.

“Cakra,” he said as soon as the line connected. “Have you seen her social media?”

“What is it, Young Master?”

“She’s getting married today,” Billy said flatly. “Find the location of that photo. Now.”

Cakra fell silent for a moment. “Alright. I’ll do my best.”

Billy ended the call. He sat back down, staring at the floor with dark eyes.

“Don’t dream of living peacefully,” he muttered. “You’re not done with me yet, Thabita.”

Inside his chest, anger mixed with resentment hardened even more. Not because of love—but because he felt defeated.

“Billy Harvey does not accept defeat.”