All Chapters of Seven Years, I Finally Stopped Waiting: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Three days earlier, I had received an offer from a Fortune 500 design firm in London.But accepting it meant leaving Felix and moving across the ocean.The night before Christmas Eve, I stood outside the private karaoke room, torn over what to do."Felix, aren't you bringing your girlfriend with you tomorrow?"I smoothed my clothes with shaky hands, forced myself to smile, and reached for the door.Then a soft voice stopped me cold."We already have reservations at that seafood place that's almost impossible to get into. We'll hang out with everyone another time."My breath caught. I froze.Felix didn't correct her.Laughter spilled from the room as a Christmas song drifted through the door.I hesitated, unsure whether I should go in. Before I could decide, the server opened the door.The room fell silent."Eunice, over here." Felix waved me over with a smile.I sat down without a word.Soon, the conversation picked up again, with Gracie still at the center of it all.Her long, golden

"Work, of course."Felix looked at me coldly, as if my calm question had caught him off guard.Gracie frowned and reached for my hand."Eunice, how could you think that? Lix is your boyfriend. Why would he lie to you? Besides, if he doesn't work, where will your pocket money come from?"Her hand casually brushed the ruby pendant at her throat, making it sparkle beneath the restaurant lights.Felix had given it to her for her birthday earlier that year.I ignored the little show and turned to Felix. "Then I'll come to the office with you tomorrow."He said nothing."Great! When you're both done, the three of us can have dinner together," Gracie said, clapping her hands.Then she paused, frowning thoughtfully."Though I don't know if we'll be able to get a table this late.""Don't worry. I'll take care of it." Felix dropped another shrimp onto her plate.I said nothing.Apparently, that was enough for them to take it as a yes.Colored lights lit up the giant Christmas tree as night settl

The next day, Felix moved our Christmas Eve dinner up to noon.It would be the last time I ate with him.He had chosen one of the most famous three-Michelin-star restaurants in Los Angeles, where a meal cost more than 400 dollars per person.He had reserved the chef's table with its special Christmas menu.Almost every dish featured Gracie's favorite food—seafood.For me, there was only the cheapest garden salad on the menu.Felix held a piece of crab to Gracie's lips.At some point, Gracie glanced across the table at me and smiled."Eunice, is the salad okay? If you don't like it, say something. I'll have Lix get you something else."There was just one problem. Everything else on the menu was seafood.Felix offered Gracie another bite. "Eunice will eat anything. She's not picky."They flirted right in front of me without the slightest shame.Anyone looking at us would have thought they were the couple celebrating Christmas together. I looked like some stranger who had invited herself

Felix couldn't focus on anything.The minutes crawled by, and his unease only grew.Gracie snuggled against him, clearly unhappy with his distraction.Suddenly, he pushed her away and got to his feet."Something is wrong with Eunice."He called his assistant immediately."Find out what Eunice has been doing these past few days."Gracie grabbed his arm before he could leave.Her face immediately crumpled into a pitiful expression."Didn't you say you'd stay with me?"Felix hesitated.A dark look flashed in Gracie's eyes.Then his phone rang."Mr. Grant, Eunice Parker bought a ticket to London three days ago for a flight tomorrow. She just changed it. Her flight leaves in two hours."Felix's heart lurched."Impossible! She loves me! There's no way she'd really leave!"He called her immediately, but she didn't answer.Panicking now, he sent her a message.Not delivered.Felix stared at the screen, frozen."There's one more thing," his assistant said nervously. "Grant Group received a comp

Felix was ordered to pay massive restitution.After that, he seemed to lose all sense of purpose.He locked himself inside the house and drank himself unconscious night after night.Eventually, a stomach bleed nearly killed him. If his assistant hadn't found him in time, he might not have survived.Felix checked himself out of the hospital the very next day.He stopped attending board meetings and spent every day shut inside the house.The curtains stayed closed, leaving every room dark.It was so quiet that even the sound of his own breathing seemed deafening.Felix wandered from room to room, searching for Eunice like a madman.He still couldn't accept that she was really gone.He drained bottle after bottle of whiskey."Eunice, my head hurts. Make me some lemon tea."Silence.Then, after a long moment, reality would hit him again.Eunice wasn't there anymore.It happened over and over, every single day.He called her number again and again.In just a few days, he'd called her more t