Chapter 6
Christy clung to him, refusing to let go.
Patrick, feeling a rare surge of annoyance, snapped at her.
“Christy, can you stop being so willful and unreasonable?”
Christy’s expression darkened, and she pushed his hand away sharply.
“Willful? You said an eighteen–year–old should act like one. It‘ s cute to be a little
stubborn!”
Patrick instantly regretted his words. He had always been drawn to Christy’s bold. personality. She had been entrusted to him by an old friend, and he had taken care of
her ever since.
But Lora’s face suddenly appeared in his mind. She, too, had been willful at times, but never like this. Lora gave him genuine love and emotional depth. At that moment,
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he realized how deeply she cared for him.
Patrick left without another word, driven. by the urgency to go home and make amends. He had neglected Lora and promised himself to make more time for
her from now on.
As for Christy, he decided to send her abroad to study. After a few years of maturity and growth, she would become ast thoughtful as Lora.
In his mind, he thought that once Christy had grown up, her willingness wouldn’t matter as much. If she chose to marry and have children, he would ensure she lacked nothing–offering her financial security for the rest of her life.
When Patrick arrived home, his excitement. quickly turned to confusion as he called.
out for Lora.
“Lora, I’m back.”
But there was no answer.
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He walked through the house, a sense of unease creeping in. Where could Lore be m
Then he saw in–the photo on the linting room well on neatly in half. A sharp pang hit his chest. His gaze moved to the remaining items in the room–octane half of their shared belongings were left.
He rushed into the bedroom, his heart pounding. Every trace of Lora s presence was gone from the closet
Panic set in as he fumbled with his phone. dialing her number again and again. Each call ended with the cold. mechanical voice. “The number you are trying to reach is unavailable.
“Lora, where are you?”
His frustration and fear grew with each unanswered call. He threw the phone against the wall, the sound of shattering glass filling the room.
Patrick s breath quickened, a sense of
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abandonment overwhelming him. He
couldn’t bear to believe that Lora had left him like this. Even after she had said she had prepared a surprise for him.
Then, a glimmer caught his eye–a small box resting on the bedside table.
His heart cased slightly as he picked it up. “Lora loves me, she wouldn’t leave me.”
But when he opened the box, his world. crumbled once again. Inside, the words “divorce agreement” stared back at him.
His hands trembled as he flipped through the pages, and his breath caught when he saw Lora’s signature on the last page.
“Why… why?” he whispered, his voice breaking.
“Lora, don’t scare me! Why are you doing this? You can’t just… leave me!”
The thought was unbearable. No one could love him the way Lora did.
He remembered the year when he had
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fallen ill–a high fever that wouldn‘ t subside, threatening his life. The doctors. had said there was no hope, yet Lora never left his side. She had fought for him, her love unwavering. How could it have come
to this?
