Chapter 8
It was a funeral night, and I stood in a cold room, slowly removing the cheap, rented wedding dress. Ten hours earlier, I had sent Hugo Roberts a breakup message. This wasn't the first time I'd experienced betrayal.
Five years ago in Paris, I thought I had learned to face life's cruelty alone. At the time, I lost my pilot husband, believing that to be life's biggest blow. Unexpectedly, life had more trials in store for me.
Now, after my father's funeral, I faced another suffocating reality. Hugo, just like Thaddeus, had destroyed my life with another woman. This seemed to have become an unavoidable destiny.
This wasn't the first time Hugo had abandoned me for his secretary, Bella Lopez—my stepsister. After Bella appeared, every single one of our dates was interrupted by her, intentionally or not. Sometimes she claimed an allergic reaction; other times, stomach pain. These common ailments became matters of grave importance to Hugo.
Initially, I protested, but I eventually learned my place. All that remained was numbness.
I sat on the cold tiles, unknowingly drifting off to sleep. When I woke, Hugo was sitting on the sofa, smoking and looking at the wedding dress with obvious irritation.
“Why aren’t you sleeping in the bedroom? What’s wrong with you sitting here? You nearly scared me to death when I came in.”
He frowned at my swollen eyes. “It’s just a fake wedding, isn’t it? It was fake anyway; we can make it up to you later. Are you never going to let this go?”
As he finished speaking, Bella walked in with a bag of breakfast, using her own key.
Unspoken Farewell at 30,000 Feet 4.9%
Chapter [The word "Lhapter" should be corrected to Chapter]
All my vulnerability was suddenly exposed. Seeing the tense atmosphere between Hugo and me, Bella spoke innocently:
“I’m so sorry, Sophia. This afternoon my period started, and I nearly fainted from the pain. If Mr. Roberts hadn’t found me in time and carried me to the hospital, I might not be here now.”
I gave her a cold glance, not bothering to respond. But Bella seemed to remember something and quickly pulled a black plastic bag from her purse.
“Mr. Roberts ran several kilometers to buy these for me, but they’re not really appropriate for me to…” [The sentence cuts off abruptly; it needs completion or removal].
Her innocent eyes blinked repeatedly. She thought I still cared about this laughable relationship.
I curled my lips in mockery and coldly said, after she finished, “Hugo, let’s break up.” Whether the wedding was real or fake, I didn’t want it anymore. Even the air around him made me feel nauseous.