Chapter 7

For a moment, William's heart softened, but he quickly remembered her past actions. With a frown, he spoke coldly, "Linda, what kind of tricks are you playing now?" Linda felt her heart shatter again at his words. Pride kept her from begging, but she knew this was her last act of love and her final compromise. With downcast eyes, Linda held up three fingers that turned red from the cold. "I'm not playing any tricks, William. I don't have the energy to. "I just want to give our broken marriage a proper ending. I'm leaving Osmo tomorrow and will never be back. You won't ever see me again." As William's gaze met her clear eyes, a sudden tension gripped his temples. It felt like he could see someone else through her eyes. He clenched his fists tightly to stay clear-headed. For some time now, he'd been plagued by headaches, as if some buried power was trying to break through into his memories. William had a strong feeling that these were his memories, though he didn't know when he lost them. In his dreams, he always saw a sweet young girl, smiling and calling out to him. Astonishingly, the face in his dreams overlapped with Linda's. Suddenly, a wild thought crossed his mind—could Linda really be the girl who saved him all those years ago? But he quickly dismissed it. How could Linda be that girl? She was nothing but a liar who used her family to force and manipulate others. Seeing his pale face, Linda blurted out, "Are you feeling unwell?" She had always been attuned to his every move and could sense even the slightest change. William opened his mouth to reject her, but the words stuck in his throat. He couldn't seem to say no to Linda. He frowned, and he spoke in a hoarse voice, "Can you really do what you promised?" Linda's heart sank. The bitterness in her heart made tears well in her eyes. She was unsure if it was his doubt or the cold night wind that made them uncontrollable. After a few seconds, Linda looked at his handsome profile. "You don't have to worry. I have no reason to lie to you." "Get in the car." William opened the door for her. "Can we go to the apartment?" Linda asked hopefully. "It's the perfect place to watch the snow in winter." The snow descended quickly. The streetlights around Wilson Group illuminated the snow, making it sparkle. William neither agreed nor refused. He released the door handle and headed toward the path to the apartment. Following him, Linda felt a pang of bitterness. He was never hers and never would be. It was time to wake up. After more than ten years of loving him, she had nothing left. There was no point in holding on. Their footprints in the snow looked like those of a loving couple. In reality, they were divorced and would never cross paths again. The snow fell heavier. Linda suddenly stopped and held out her chilly hands to catch the falling snowflakes. Hearing the footsteps fade, William thought she was up to something and turned around. Linda was standing there in a daze. "What are you doing?" he asked. Linda snapped out of her thoughts and quickly walked to his side. "I once heard a poem that goes, 'If we walk through the snow together, we can grow old together.' Have you heard about it?" She had found it romantic ever since she first heard it in school. But William sneered. "No. You are quite superstitious." Linda laughed at herself. "Yes, I am. I heard that wishing upon the Northern Lights would make dreams come true. So, I went to Ferland alone on our honeymoon. I saw the lights, but my wish never came true." She laughed again. "That must be a lie, too. How could walking through the snow together mean we'd grow old together? We're divorced now. "After tomorrow, we'll be strangers. We each have someone else to grow old with, but it wouldn't be you or me." Linda seemed to have moved on to be able to speak these words with genuine detachment. But she wasn't trying to provoke William and truly meant every word. Soon, the wind and snow wrapped around them. Though Linda wasn't dressed lightly, she couldn't escape the biting cold. A gust of wind made her shiver, and she raised her hands to her mouth to blow warmth into them. "Are you cold?" William asked. Linda was caught off guard. In the past, she would have denied it flat out. But now, she simply replied, "Yes, I am." She stopped him from removing his coat. "No need. We're almost there, and I don't want you to catch a cold. I couldn't afford it, and I don't want to be scolded." But William draped his coat over her anyway. "Your ability to lie has always been impressive." The walk from Wilson Group to the apartment wasn't far, but they were taking their time. Linda looked at the coat on her shoulders and laughed. Truthfully, she still loved William and didn't want him to get sick. She had begged for this dinner. However, she expected nothing more and was unwilling to linger for his affection. During her hospital stay, Linda's sister, Chloe Felix had called. "Now that you've made your decision, stick with it. You've wasted enough years on him. Don't be foolish any longer." Yes, she couldn't afford to be foolish anymore. While lying in the hospital bed, Linda had reflected on her more than ten years of love for William. William had truly been heartless, and he was completely unmoved by her. But perhaps she'd been too pampered, believing she could have anything she wanted because of her family's influence. But the world wasn't as she'd imagined, and this life wasn't fiction. She deserved the reality she faced today. Unknowingly, their shoulders brushed as they walked. Linda sniffled. "I never thought I could walk so peacefully with you." Their past meetings had always been cold and distant. She had grown used to it, but today felt oddly different. For the first and last time, Linda felt she had made the right choice. Whether they met again in the future or would never cross paths, she no longer harbored any regrets. William remained silent. Linda spoke again, "I'm really not that annoying." As they entered the apartment elevator, he said, "Yeah." She didn't know which of her statements he was responding to, but Linda smiled, and a hint of sorrow crossed her heart. In the end, he still hadn't remembered her.