Chapter 4

Dad was taken into the ER and brought back out an hour later.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him. Just make sure he doesn't get too upset. Let him rest and take good care of him. He'll be fine."

The nurse wheeled Dad into his room.

I leaned over the side of the bed and held his hand. When Dad woke up, I fed him breakfast.

Then, I went home to get our luggage and bring it back to the hospital.

"I've already put the house up for sale. Once you're discharged tomorrow, we'll go straight to the airport," I said.

Dad gently patted my hand. "Okay. Don't blame yourself. What happened to the tie wasn't your fault."

I blinked hard, my eyes dry and sore. "Yeah. I know, Dad."

When I got home, my bedroom door was slightly ajar.

I was sure I had closed it yesterday.

Frowning, I pushed it open.

A heavy, intimate scent filled the room. Edith and Blake were lying on my bed, with clothes scattered all over the floor.

I stared at the scene before me in disbelief. "Why would you do this in my bedroom?"

That woke Blake up. He put on my pajamas without a care, then complained to me, "Connor, your bed is way too hard. My back feels like it's going to break."

His shamelessness left me speechless.

Edith slowly opened her eyes. She sat up, came over to me, and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Don't be mad. We did this for you."

She always claimed it was for me.

Edith went on. "You didn't like how close Blake and I were, right? Last night was our last time. From now on, you're my only one. So, are you happy now?"

I looked at her. "Don't you hear how disgusting that sounds?"

Edith angrily let go of me. "Blake and I already agreed not to contact each other anymore. You're still not satisfied? What exactly do you want?"

She was always like this. Somehow, everything was always my fault.

Blake tried to reason with me in a low voice.

"Connor, Edith told you from the start that she only develops romantic feelings when they're not returned. You said you accepted that. We've both given up so much for you over the years. Can't you just be satisfied with that?"

I stared at them.

I felt nothing at all.

"I'm not asking for more, and I don't want either of you to keep doing things for me. I just want you to leave and never come back," I said.

I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.

"Where are you going? What are you trying to pull this time?" Edith asked.

Her expression shifted when she saw the suitcase in my hand.

Blake cut me off with a laugh. "I know what he's doing."

Edith looked at him.

"Remember the last time we left him out in the mountains for a whole day and night? He came back, packed his bags, and said he was leaving then too."

Blake's voice turned scornful.

"He's just throwing another fit. He wants to see how much he matters to you."

Edith no longer looked like she was trying to stop me from leaving.

To them, my anger and hurt had always been nothing more than a tantrum.

Edith was certain I wouldn't leave.

I didn't bother explaining. I simply picked up my suitcase and walked out.

Once I reached downstairs, Edith sent me two messages.

One was a hotel location.

The other message read, "Come here once you've cooled off. It'll just be the two of us tonight."

I looked at the hotel address, and a bitter smile tugged at my lips.

I had planned 20 proposals at that hotel. Every time, all I got in return was humiliation and heartbreak.

I would never set foot in a place full of hurt like that again.

I didn't reply to Edith's message.

Instead, I calmly blocked Edith and deleted her contact.

Early the next morning, I took a cab to the airport with Dad.

When the plane was high above the city, I looked down and took one last look.

There was no love, hate, or regret.