All Chapters of The Day the River Stopped Singing: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Jim, it's fantastic that you're coming home after all these years. As your uncle, I can't tell you how happy that makes me."The middle-aged man's voice lifted with emotion on the other end of the line.The moment the call ended, Holly Jones swung the door open, and with her entrance, the room filled with an unfamiliar masculine scent, a mix of tobacco and leather."Who were you talking to?"Her question was more of a formality than genuine interest; her gaze was glued to her phone screen, not bothering to look up at me.I was about to respond when Holly's phone interrupted us with its own ring. A man's voice, dripping with feigned frailty, came through, saying, "Ms. Jones, I owe you for the medicine you brought me. Without your help, my cold would've turned nasty. I don't know what I'd do without you!"Holly, sensing something off, quickly lowered the volume.I shut my mouth, bored with the whole charade, thinking, 'We're already heading for a divorce, aren't we?'In silence,

Chapter 2

I pushed the door open and walked in. Holly looked surprised to see me, her brows knitting in a frown."What are you doing here? Are you tracking me?" she asked in an accusatory tone.I held up my phone, showing her the message she had sent.Charles draped an arm around her shoulders, his grin looked innocent. "Ms. Jones, my stomach's acting up. I just wanted a laugh, so I had Jim bring some yogurt. You're not mad, are you?"Holly's tense expression melted.Oddly enough, I felt nothing. No inner turmoil, no fit of rage like before, just a calm nod to show I got the message.Holly, who rarely felt the need to justify herself, said, "Jim, Charles was just…"I handed her the yogurt, cutting her off mid-sentence.Holly had had a few drinks, so driving was out of the question.She made sure Charles was okay, then came back with me.The taxi waited across the street.As I stepped off the curb, Holly's hand shot out and yanked me back, just as a car zoomed by, missing me by inches.

Chapter 3

"Wait, didn't the head honcho tie the knot with Jim?""Shh, Jim's right over there!""Jim, don't mind us, we're just messing around. Don't take it seriously."One glance at the sea of lattes and chocolate cakes, and I knew the score.Holly felt bad for Charles' grueling diet, so she treated the whole office to a snack.I would have loved to savor that sweet gesture of their love.Too bad chocolate is off-limits for me.Holly used to court me with the same zeal, constantly fretting I would skip meals because of work. She would find excuses to keep me around, to share a bite.When I was sick but stuck at my desk, she would sneak meds into a cupcake, delivering it herself, all to catch a glimpse of my awkward grimace.Our office romance once brought that place to life.However, now, that thrill and thoughtfulness have shifted to someone else.I could not dwell on it; my workload was a beast.This project had me burning the midnight oil for nights on end, and today was no diffe

Chapter 4

Tomorrow would mark the end of our divorce's cooling-off period. After that, Holly and I would truly be nothing to each other.I was out on the balcony, tending to my little plant, when the ring slipped off my middle finger and tumbled over the edge.Without thinking, I leaned out to grab it."What are you doing?!" Holly yanked me back to safety. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?!"There was a flash of genuine concern in her eyes, as if we were still the inseparable couple we once were."The ring fell," I explained.She had made that ring for me, crafted it with her own hands, and I loved it. That was why I had worn it all this time, and why I had risked so much to catch it.Holly let out a sigh. "It's just a ring. I'll get you a new one. You shouldn't risk yourself like that."Just a ring.I glanced at her hand; her middle finger was empty. She had removed her ring long ago."Tomorrow's our anniversary," she said softly. "I'll come by, and we'll spend the day tog

Chapter 5

As the city shrank away from the airplane window, I finally felt the weight of my departure.I wondered how Holly would look when she realized I was gone. Stunned? Or maybe she thought she was finally free of me.We used to be so close, the perfect team at work, inseparable, the couple everyone envied.She knew I lost my parents when I was young. She once held me tight and promised, saying, "I'll take care of you. From now on, I'm your family."How did that turn into her thinking that I would never leave her because my parents were dead?How did my pain and her sympathy become her assurance that I would never walk away?Thinking about it made my head ache; I did not want to think anymore.They said if a relationship brought someone down, the best thing to do was to end it.I shut my eyes, bracing myself for the journey that would whisk me away to a different world.The moment the plane touched down, I made my way through the terminal, suitcase in tow.Suddenly, I caught the s

Chapter 6

"You think you can just do this and walk away scot-free?""Holly, why don't you do some digging to find out if it was really me? And while you're at it, tell Charles he may want to spend less time on these little schemes and more on boosting his job performance."With that, I ended the call and erased Holly's number from my phone for good: no more ties, no more calls. I would only have freedom.I hesitated for just a second before I also deleted my entire chat history with Holly. My phone lagged, burdened by the heavy load of memories, and I watched in silence as the digital footprint of our love story, from our first hello to the heat of romance, slowly vanished. My heart was a tangle of emotions.Slipping the phone into my pocket, I managed a reassuring smile for my grandmother and uncle, who had looked on with concern.When I got back, I found that my uncle had already set up a clean, welcoming room for me."Jim, I hope you like it. I'm not sure what you're into these days, so

Chapter 7

Her eyes were tinged with red, her voice a raspy whisper as she said, "Jim, why did you block me?"I remembered the day I deleted our chats and blocked her without a second thought."Holly, we're divorced, remember? I've even quit your company. What are you doing here?"Her eyes welled up at my words, and she struggled to keep her composure."I messed up, Jim. It was all a big misunderstanding that led me to sign those divorce papers in haste."I've looked into that project issue, and I've realized now that I've accused you unfairly. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. Now that I know better, can we try again?"I could not help but look at her with a touch of scorn.She had a whole month after signing the papers to rethink the divorce, two chances to change her mind.However, she was clueless about the real reason I left. It was not just a false accusation. That was merely the final blow to our seven years together, five of them as husband and wife.The truth was that her he

Chapter 8

Filled with curiosity, I went to meet that mystery person, only to discover it was a childhood friend.Back when we were kids, Sienna Larson and I would always sneak out to play, our little secret until junior high came along and life took us in different directions."Jim, it's been ages," Sienna said, her smile a ghost of the bubbly girl I used to know.We circled the lake, catching up on the years gone by. What caught me off guard was that she was still single.I thought that after all that time, our chat would be filled with awkward pauses, but it was like we just picked up where we left off.Sienna and I still had a lot in common, like our love for long walks and live music.So, it was not long before our paths started crossing more and more.One evening, after a casual drink, Sienna and I strolled down the street, a little unsteady on our feet."Why haven't you tied the knot yet? Isn't your dad worried?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.Her cheeks flushed a

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