Chapter 9

When Thea woke up, she found Terrence and Alyssa downstairs, having breakfast. Noticing her arrival, he pulled out a chair for her and handed her a bowl of soup he'd set aside to cool. Watching her sip it quietly, his expression softened with guilt. "Thea, something urgent came up at the company, and I have to leave on a business trip. You can just talk to the planner about the wedding stuff these days. "I'll finish up as quickly as possible and get back soon. Once the wedding's over, I promise I'll take a full week off just for you and be wherever you want to go for our honeymoon." Thea had known since last night that work wasn't pulling him away. He was leaving to appease Alyssa. But she no longer cared where he went. She simply gave a faint nod in reply. Just before Terrence walked out, she called his name one final time, "Terrence." He paused, then gave her hair a fond tousle. "Thea, don't tell me you're already missing me. It's only a few days. We're getting married soon. After that, you'll be stuck with me every day." Alyssa's voice carried in from the other side of the door. Terrence kissed Thea's cheek before leaving in a hurry. She watched him go, certain this was the last time they'd ever see each other. Not long after Terrence and Alyssa had left, Thea got a message from Alyssa. "Ms. Lundy, you saw everything last night, didn't you? I never thought you'd take it so well. Terrence promised he'd be with me these next few days. Your fiancé is spending his time with another woman right before your wedding. "You must be the saddest bride alive. Oh, and we're picking out a new house today. Terrence says it'll be our home from now on. You're welcome to visit, Ms. Lundy." Thea didn't respond. She had the housekeepers gather all her belongings in the villa, including the pictures of her and Terrence, and pile them in the backyard. One of the housekeepers pointed to the wedding photos and asked uncertainly, "Ms. Lundy, do you want these removed, too?" Thea looked at the enormous wedding photo that dominated the living room wall. There she was, meeting the camera's lens head-on, while Terrence's gaze remained fixed on her, his affection so palpable that it seemed to transcend the frame. What had once seemed a portrait of perfect love now felt bitterly ironic. With a quiet nod, she signaled the housekeeper to take it down. Once every photograph and belonging had been collected, Thea set them aflame. She remained still as the fire slowly consumed five years of their life together. When the last ember died away, so did her five-year relationship. Her departure was scheduled in just two days. Alyssa texted her, attaching a pregnancy test result. "Oh, my, I never thought I'd actually be pregnant! This will be Terrence's first child, and he's over the moon. He's even talking about putting some of his company shares in the baby's name. "Even though it's all his fault for being so insistent and passionate last night. Now the doctor says I need bed rest because of some bleeding. Poor thing was so worried. "He even made me soup and fed me himself. I've never been happier. Ms. Lundy, you must be happy for me, too, right?" This time, Thea didn't reply, either. She collected her wedding dress from the bridal shop, then took a pair of scissors and slowly cut it to shreds. The dress, designed especially for her, now meant nothing at all. The day Thea was set to leave, Alyssa sent her another photo. Her hand flaunted a diamond ring as big as a marble. "Terrence finally put a ring on it. He's giving me the same lavish wedding treatment and has promised that our baby and I will never have to worry about a thing. Be smart, Ms. Lundy. Do everyone a favor and leave Terrence. He doesn't love you anymore." This time, Thea texted back, "May all your dreams come true." Then, she pulled up the villa's security footage. Time after time, Terrence had brought Alyssa into their villa for passionate encounters. Without a doubt, they'd done it in the living room, too, all captured by the surveillance cameras. She copied the video footage and sent it to the wedding planner. "I've prepared a last-minute surprise for Terrence. Make sure this plays on the big screen during the ceremony. And keep this completely confidential." The confirmation came through immediately. After finalizing the screening time, Thea received a video call from Terrence. His face held a hint of apology. "Thea, work is taking longer than I thought. I won't be back until tomorrow morning. But I promise I'll be there before the wedding starts." She gave a quiet laugh. "That's fine. I have a surprise waiting for you at the ceremony." Terrence's expression brightened with eager expectation. "Sweetheart, what's this surprise you've got for me? I can't wait to see it. Thea, I've waited five long years to make you my wife. Tomorrow's finally our day, and I'm just so happy—" His voice cut off mid-sentence. His body went rigid for a moment before he let out an involuntary gasp. A mocking glint flashed in Thea's eyes. "I do hope you'll enjoy your surprise, Terrence." She ended the call before he could respond and walked out of the villa to the waiting car. It was a vehicle from the death-faking service, its license plate swapped for a counterfeit one. At the airport, she typed a brief message into her phone before handing it to an attendant. "Deliver this to the groom with the replica corpse tomorrow. Tell him that I died at 6:00 pm and that I left him a final message on the phone." Thea had ended the video call at 6:00 pm. She wanted Terrence to know that while he and Alyssa were lost in passion, she had taken her own life in despair. Her final words were meant to haunt him with regret forever. The attendant nodded, took her phone, and handed her new identification documents along with a boarding pass. "Ms. Aurora, we'll make sure all surveillance footage of your route is erased. Have a safe flight, and may the rest of your days be peaceful." Aurora was the name she had chosen for her new life, a symbol of leaving the past behind and stepping into a future as unburdened as the dawn. From that day on, her journey would begin anew.