Accueil / Mafia Histoires courtes / The Voice Message Went Unheard / Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Chapter 1

When I saw that voice message, William was still fast asleep beside me.The phone's cold glow lit up my face.I subconsciously opened our chat, and the long line of unplayed messages made my eyes sting.In the dead of night, my tears began to fall.William always said he was busy with work, that he hated pointless online chats and disliked listening to voice messages even more. I knew all of this.Over the last seven years, I had tried to rationalize it, to make my peace with it. This was just the person he was.But that long, fully played voice message was a sharp blade that shattered my defenses.Tessa. The girl he grew up with, and his so-called business partner.They played polo together, went to the opera together, spent weekends together, and could discuss the latest financial market trends every day.Their chat history took up more storage space than all seven years of our conversations combined.It’s only through comparison that you realize how fragile love can be.The image of

Chapter 2

"I have a meeting with Tessa about a new deal."He turned his back on me, leaving me with the dirty dishes and an empty, pushed-back chair.In that instant, all the oppressive weight in the room seemed to press down on my chest.I felt like I was suffocating, as if my mouth and nose were sealed shut with plastic wrap.The study door was ajar. They were already on a voice call."William, the polo open at White Sail Bay is next week. Interested? I've been looking forward to this for half a year.""I knew you'd want to go. I already got the VIP tickets. I'll take you tomorrow.""You always know me best!""I happened to hear some investors mention it today, so I pulled some strings to get the tickets right away. Wanted to surprise you."Every word out of William's mouth was like a blow, landing one after another.For Tessa, he always had time. He was always thoughtful and considerate.For me, all I ever got was: "She's a friend. You're my fiancée. Can you even compare the two?"William, di

Chapter 3

Or the fact that under every single one of Tessa's social media posts, William never missed a like, never failed to leave a comment.He could send Tessa long voice messages when he had insomnia at two in the morning, but in those moments, he never once thought of me.It felt like I had swallowed a handful of broken glass.That night, William didn't come back to the bedroom.He stayed in the study, talking to her all night, their conversation punctuated by bursts of synchronized laughter.The next morning, I left a note on the console table in the entryway.Before I wrote it, I glanced at the calendar on my phone. Only three days left of the fifteen-day countdown.[See you at the bridal shop.][There's something I need to discuss with you.]He could ignore voice messages and pretend not to see messages.But this was a place he had to pass before leaving. A note, in black and white. Surely he couldn't pretend not to see this.But I had forgotten that some people aren't blind; they just c

Chapter 4

The next day, I was woken by William's voice."Why are you sleeping out here?""What happened to your face? Why are you covered in hives?"He knelt beside the sofa, his deep eyes filled with genuine alarm.It was the first time in days that we had truly made eye contact.But the feeling was so foreign, it only made me feel more distant."Shit!""I can't believe I forgot you can't have white truffles!"Guilt finally registered on William's face. He immediately canceled all his meetings and rushed me to the hospital.In front of the doctor, he played the part of a flawless, incredibly attentive fiancé."Your fiancé is so caring."The nurse who changed my IV drip glanced at William, who was standing by the window on a call, and gave me a conspiratorial wink.But as I watched his frantic figure, my heart felt like a pool of stagnant water, without a single ripple.If he really cared about me, I wouldn't be lying here getting emergency treatment.A humorless smile touched my lips, but I sai

Chapter 5

In that instant, William's breath caught in his throat.The phone hit the carpet with a muffled thud. Only then did he realize the entire apartment was empty.Her usual perfume and all her bottles and jars were gone from the bathroom. He rushed into the bedroom and tore open the closet door.Her entire row of dresses, trench coats, and silk scarves had vanished. So had the valuable pieces of jewelry from her box.Every scent, every trace of her in this home, had been wiped clean.William stood in the middle of the living room, his gaze vacant, like a man whose very soul had been stolen.That short breakup message replayed in his mind, a relentless, damning loop.He looked around, bewildered. The home he knew so well suddenly felt alien.He had never imagined that one day he would be the only one left here.He suddenly remembered that morning. He remembered fastening his cufflinks that morning, ready to leave, while she sat quietly on the sofa, making no move to get changed."Not going

Chapter 6

The lock clicked behind him.He turned, like a drowning man spotting a lifeline.It was Tessa."How did you get the code to my apartment?"William frowned, the impatience clear in his voice.Tessa paid him no mind, strolling into the living room with two bottles of wine and a bag of takeout. She set everything down on the marble coffee table."You gave it to me."She smiled, looking perfectly at home."That time you got drunk and I brought you home, remember?"She sat down beside him and patted his shoulder."William, what's wrong? Talk to me. I'll help if I can."In the dim living room, Tessa's perfume was thick and cloying.He noticed the strap of her low-cut silk blouse had slipped from her shoulder.William stared at her, dazed."Charlotte wants to break up with me."Tessa's hand, which had been twisting the cap off a bottle, froze.She turned to him and let out a forced, lighthearted laugh."So what if she does? It's not the end of the world.""I'll take you out for a few drinks,

Chapter 7

Tessa was still chattering in his ear. "It's not a big deal to be single again, William. Stop torturing yourself...""Or... I could go talk to Charlotte for you. Plead your case?"William shook his head."Tessa, you should go.""I want to be alone."Tessa opened her mouth to speak, then simply closed it and shook her head. "No, I can't. Seeing you like this... I'm worried...""Tessa."William looked up, his gaze fixed on her face."Do you have feelings for me?"Tessa's fingers, which had been clinging to William's forearm, slowly fell away.The living room was so quiet he could hear the hum of the chandelier.After a long moment, Tessa bit her lip and nodded."Yes.""For a long time."William's brow furrowed. "But I don't feel the same way.""The only woman I love is Charlotte."William suddenly remembered.Charlotte had hinted at it before, asking if Tessa had other intentions.Back then, he had been indignant, thinking she was being paranoid and petty.He had even defended Tessa, tak

Chapter 8

The evening Charlotte saw William again, she had just finished at the private shooting range and changed into a workout tank for her run home.The dim yellow streetlights stretched his shadow long and weary. The moment he turned and saw her, she had a fleeting vision of the dashing young man who had waited for her outside her apartment building seven years ago."Charlotte!"A wild joy erupted in his eyes as he strode toward her.But when he saw the lack of expression on her face, his steps faltered, and his hands hung awkwardly at his sides."How did you find me?" she asked, pulling the towel from her neck and looking at him coolly."I went to Mia... I begged her..."His voice was weak, lacking its usual confidence.She rarely saw him like this.The confident man from the financial district who could close a major deal without batting an eye now looked haggard and lost, a deep exhaustion weighing on his eyes.For a moment, she was lost in thought.Logically, he should have been more a

Chapter 9

Charlotte took William's phone, unlocked it, and opened his chat with Tessa.She scrolled up casually. The screen was filled with text, emojis, and one voice message after another.Long and short, every single one marked as read, every one listened to."You always use the excuse that you don't like listening to voice messages, but you listened to every single one Tessa sent.""But the ones I sent you... you never even opened them."She exited the chat and switched back to their conversation. A quick scroll up revealed a screen full of red dots, like tiny drops of blood.William opened his mouth, then closed it again."William, sometimes I honestly couldn't tell which one of us was your fiancée."He was silent for a long time.He didn't speak until the owner brought over the grappa and grilled meat.Not until I placed a piece of grilled mushroom onto his plate for him."Say it.""This might be the last time we sit and talk like this."Under the dim light of the hanging lamp, she clearly

Chapter 10

The transfer of power was arranged quickly. Her father handled the transition at the headquarters on Cora Island, leaving her one month before she was due to take over.During that month, William showed up outside her new apartment building every day."The kid's got stamina, I'll give him that," Mia joked as she kept Charlotte company.She had never even dreamed of seeing him put on such a fawning display.At her core, she craved passion and romance, but that hope had been worn away by years of his neglect.In the beginning, they had argued a few times at that little pub.He had once sworn that roses were tacky, that anniversaries were just a marketing gimmick, and that simple companionship was true love.In the end, he would always be the one to give in and do as she said.But after a while, she grew tired of it herself.She was tired of always being the one to book the restaurant, order the flowers, and arrange the cake. She was tired of always having to remind him, "Do you know what

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