The city was still half asleep when I woke up.
Sunlight slipped through the curtains of my apartment, landing softly on the floor. I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, listening to my own breathing.
This kind of quiet was something I never had in the Blake villa.
There, even silence felt heavy.
My phone buzzed on the bedside table.
A message from Auntie Lin.
Did you sleep well
Big day today
I smiled faintly and replied.
Yes. I am ready.
But the truth was, my heart was not as calm as my words.
I sat up and pressed my hand against my chest.
Why was my heart beating so fast?.
Because of the meeting with Zenith Medical Group.
Or because Adrian's face still appeared in my mind when I closed my eyes.
I pushed the thought away and got up.
After a simple breakfast, I put on a clean white shirt and black pants. No makeup. No jewelry.
I wanted to face today as Doctor Yvonne Carter.
Nothing else.
At the Blake villa, Adrian woke up late.
He had barely slept.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the same scene.
Me pulling my wrist away.
Me saying do not touch me.
The cold in my voice hurt more than any slap.
He sat up and stared at the empty side of the bed.
His phone was on the table.
He picked it up and opened our chat window again.
Still nothing.
He scrolled up.
Good morning
Did you sleep well
I left soup on the stove
Message after message.
All sent by me.
All unanswered.
His throat tightened.
He suddenly realized something terrifying.
I had been talking to him for three years.
And he had never replied.
He threw the phone onto the bed and stood up.
In the bathroom, he looked at his reflection.
His eyes were tired.
When did this happen
When did his life become so quiet
He remembered a night from last year.
He came home drunk.
I waited for him in the living room, worried.
He walked past me without a word.
That night, I cried quietly in the kitchen.
He heard it but he choose to ignore it
The memory stabbed him sharply.
At the hospital, I walked out of the building and stopped a taxi.
"Zenith Tower," I told the driver.
The car moved smoothly through the morning traffic.
My fingers rested on my bag.
Inside it was my CV, it looked simple and clean but it carried years of effort
When the car stopped in front of Zenith Tower, I looked up.
The building was tall and modern, shining under the sun.
This was a place I never dared to imagine while I was married.
I took a deep breath and walked inside.
The meeting room was bright.
James Moore stood up when he saw me.
"Doctor Carter," he said warmly. "Thank you for coming."
He was in his early forties, with calm eyes and a gentle smile.
"Thank you for the invitation," I replied.
We sat down.
He went straight to the point.
"We want you to lead our emergency response team for an international medical program," he said. "The project will last two years."
Two years.
My heart skipped.
"That is a long time," I said.
"Yes," he replied. "It will involve traveling abroad."
I hesitated.
Traveling abroad meant leaving this city.
Leaving everything.
Including Adrian.
James seemed to notice my pause.
"You do not have to decide now," he said. "But we hope for an answer within a week."
I nodded.
"Thank you for considering me."
As I stood up to leave, he added, "Doctor Carter, talent like yours should not be hidden."
Hidden.
That word stayed with me, for years I had hidden myself not because I had to,but because I loved someone who never noticed me .
Outside the building, the wind was strong.
I wrapped my arms around myself.
A strange mix of emotions filled my chest.
Excitement, fear and sadness.
At the same time, Adrian drove to Bright Star Hospital.
He did not know why he came.
He just knew he had to see me.
When he arrived, he went straight to the emergency department.
The nurse recognized him.
"You are here again," she said.
"Yes," he replied. "Is Doctor Carter on duty"
"She is off today."
He felt sad.
"Do you know where she went"
The nurse shook her head.
"I am sorry."
He stood there for a moment, feeling foolish.
For three years, he never asked where I went.
Now he was asking strangers.
He walked out of the hospital slowly.
As he passed the lobby, he heard two nurses whispering.
"Doctor Carter is amazing."
"Yes. I heard Zenith Medical Group invited her today."
"Really That is huge."
His steps stopped.
Zenith Medical Group.
The name echoed in his head.
That afternoon, I returned to my apartment.
I placed my bag on the table and sat down.
The room felt small but warm.
I opened my phone and stared at the screen.
There was no message from Adrian.
There never would be.
I closed my eyes.
Why did it still hurt
Why did I still feel sad
I hugged my knees and leaned against the sofa.
"I am free now," I whispered. "So why does it feel like I lost something"
Tears fell silently.
I cried not because I loved him.
But because I had once loved him so deeply.
At night, the rain fell heavily
The rain hit the windows hard.
There was a loud thunder sound.
I stood by the window, watching the rain.
This weather reminded me of another sad memory.
Three years ago.
I had a high fever that night.
I called Adrian.
He did not answer.
I waited until morning, shaking under the blanket.
When he came home, I was already better.
He never knew.
Outside, lightning flashed.
At the same time, Adrian stood alone in the villa.
The power went out for a moment.
The house fell into darkness.
For the first time, he felt fear.
Not fear of the dark.
But fear of being alone.
He remembered that memory too.
He remembered me laid quietly alone on the sofa the next morning.
He thought I was sleeping.
Now he knew better.
He sat down heavily.
"I am sorry," he said into the empty room.
My phone rang suddenly.
The sound startled me.
I looked at the screen.
Adrian Blake.
My fingers stiffened.
For a long time, I did not answer.
The phone kept ringing.
My heart pounded.
Finally, I answered.
"Hello"
His voice came through the line, low and tight.
"Yvonne," he said. "Where are you"
I closed my eyes.
"That is not your concern," I replied.
"I heard about Zenith," he said. "Are you leaving?"
Silence filled the line.
I did not deny it.
"You are really leaving?," he asked slowly.
"Yes."
"When"
"I have not decided."
He took a sharp breath.
"Do not go."
Those three words shook me.
I laughed softly.
"You did not say that when you asked for a divorce."
"I was wrong," he said. "I did not know what I was losing."
I leaned my forehead against the cold window.
"You lost me the moment you gave me the divorce papers to sign" I replied.
The rain poured louder.
"Give me another chance," he said. "I will make it right."
I opened my eyes.
The city lights blurred with tears.
"I gave you three years," I whispered. "You did not even give me one look."
He was silent.
Then he said something that made my heart stop.
"If you leave," he said, "I will follow you."
"What did you say"
"I mean it," he continued. "Wherever you go, I will go."
My hand tightened around the phone.
And in that moment, I knew.
If I walked away now, everything would change.
For both of us.
But if I stayed, I might lose myself again.
I closed my eyes.
And made no answer.
The call ended.
Outside, thunder roared.
Inside, my heart was breaking.
And I did not know yet which path I would choose.