In the following days, messages from Samuel and Jennifer kept coming in.
Three days before their anniversary, Isabella checked her messages.
Jennifer: The sea breeze in Hawaii is so nice! The seafood is delicious too, but he says I can’t eat seafood because I’m pregnant. So, he ran really far to buy me Eastern food!
Attached was a picture of a Hawaiian beach scene.
There was the sand and a coconut grove. Not far away, Samuel was opening a take-out box.
Samuel: There are so few choices of Eastern food here. I had to travel far to find some. Bella, what did you eat today?
Isabella had spent the day with her close friends.
They had a barbeque and had a great time.
After all, she was about to change her identity and leave. It would be hard to see them again, so she wanted to cherish this last time.
Two days before their anniversary, Isabella’s phone vibrated with incoming messages.
Jennifer: The baby is only a month old, and he’s already studying early childhood education. He’s going to be such a great first-time dad!
The attached photo was of Samuel’s desk, stacked high with books.
Isabella skimmed the titles—Baby Prenatal Education Guide, The Wisdom of Early Education, and so on.
Samuel: Bella, I spent the whole day reading books. I’ve learned a lot. What about you? What did you do today?
Isabella had gone to the bank.
She exchanged all the funds from her account into foreign currency, withdrew cash, and closed all the bank cards under the name “Isabella Jones”.
One day before their anniversary, Isabella glanced at her phone.
Jennifer: He’s so sweet and caring. He doesn’t want anyone else to touch my clothes while I’m pregnant, so he’s washing them himself. Look!
The attached photo was of Samuel, busy in the laundry room.
Samuel: I didn’t realize how exhausting laundry is. I think I’ll leave it to the maid from now on. I don’t want my darling wife working so hard.
Isabella laughed.
For five years of marriage, she had washed all of his clothes by hand. And now, he was washing clothes for another woman.
How ironic.
Just then, the charity organization arrived.
Isabella carefully cleaned and packed her old clothes, handing them all over to the charity.
When she came back and saw the house nearly empty, she felt a sense of lightness she had never experienced before.
It turned out that the end of love was just a moment’s decision.
Once she stopped loving him, she could be so carefree.
–
The night before their anniversary, Isabella went to the mountaintop alone. She just looked up at the vast night sky, dotted with stars, the crescent moon hanging low.
It was beautiful.
When she received Samuel’s call, it was already late.
He sounded happy. “Bella, I’ve just landed. I’ll be home soon. I’ll bring you some snacks, how about it?”
“I’m not home.”
“It’s so late. Where are you?”
“On the mountaintop.”
“What are you doing on the mountaintop?”
“Watching the stars.”
“Wait for me, I’ll come right now…”
Suddenly, there was a loud noise on the other end of the line.
It sounded like a woman was speaking.
Samuel snapped something in a low voice.
The woman seemed persistent, and Samuel didn’t say anything for a long while. Then, Isabella heard what seemed to be the sound of a kiss.
Isabella sneered. “Samuel, are you still coming?”
His voice was somewhat hoarse as he said, “Bella, starting tomorrow, I’ll be with you all the time. I just need to go to the office tonight and wrap things up. After that, I can focus on being with you. How does that sound?”
Isabella laughed. “Sounds good.”
“My darling wife is so understanding. Let’s meet at the ceremony venue tomorrow. Oh, and don’t forget the gift you got me. I’m really looking forward to the surprise you’ve prepared.”
“Samuel,” Isabella called him one last time.
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
