Chapter 6

“I understand,” she said, ending the call. Half an hour later, a text arrived: “Headquarters approved. You’ll pilot tomorrow’s first flight to Paris.”

Meanwhile, she had safely landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport, where over a dozen Air France colleagues warmly welcomed her.

This was her third time in Paris. Logically, she shouldn't have been unfamiliar with the city, but despite the unfamiliarity of her surroundings, she felt incredibly light. She knew that from this day forward, she only needed to live for herself.

At Pan American Airways, she had been the airline's best flight attendant for seven consecutive years. She could achieve the same here. Moreover, she could finally pursue all the things she'd never had the chance to do with Thaddeus: skiing, mountain climbing, skydiving, seeing the Northern Lights—the possibilities were endless.

But she never expected that on her second day in Paris, upon returning home from work, Thaddeus would be standing there. As a pilot, he never drank; yet, today, he reeked of alcohol. In just two days, he seemed to have aged considerably. He tried to approach her, but she instinctively stepped back.

“Claire, I was wrong,” he began. “For the past three years, I’ve been overly concerned with Scarlett. I thought I had feelings for her, but after you left yesterday, I realized it was all a delusion. I saw in her what you were eight years ago.”

He continued, “During these three years, you always outperformed me in company evaluations, which made me feel pressured. That’s why I wanted to mentor her, to make her become like you, even surpass you—to alleviate my pressure. But I’ve always loved you, and I never intended to marry anyone else!”

“Before coming here, I brought my documents. I swear, if you’re willing, we can return home immediately to register our marriage. This time, I won’t break my promise.”

“Regarding my work in Paris, I’ve already applied to headquarters to fly only Paris routes. If you don’t want that, I can resign immediately and come to France.”

“Please, give me a chance to correct my mistakes.”

Thaddeus was crying, but her heart remained cold. So this was the real reason for his emotional affair? Because she performed better at work, he felt pressured? He fell for Scarlett and neglected her because of it? What an absurd excuse.

Unspoken Farewell at 30,000 Feet 3.5%

But wrong is wrong. If mistakes were so easily corrected, what had these past three years been for? From the moment she boarded that plane, they were over.

“No need to say more. We can’t go back.” “Mr. Pierce, we’re finished!”

She smiled, stepped back, and entered her apartment. Thaddeus didn’t try to stop her. But that night, like a tree, he stood rigidly outside her door all night. Through wind and rain, he didn’t move. But what was the point? Some relationships, once lost, are lost forever. And in these three years, she’d given him seventeen chances, and he’d squandered them all.

The next day, Thaddeus flew back home. But as he’d promised, he began flying only Paris routes. Almost every week, he would arrive in Paris, and each time, he would stand outside her door all night, but she never opened it.

Later, her life in Paris settled into a rhythm. She got certified in scuba diving, flying, and gliding. In the summer, she visited the Rhine River.