Chapter 7
March 2018
I don’t even know how I ended up sleeping with Caleb Lane.
I accepted his proposal.
Because his features bore an uncanny resemblance to Zane Cooper.
June 2021
When I was nearly beaten to death, Zane Cooper appeared.
He came to save me like a hero in a movie.
I accepted his proposal.
1/10
I’ve always feared that if I get too happy, fate will take it all back.
I just want to be able to stay with him, just a little longer.
October 2023
Fourteen years.
I don’t love you anymore, Zane Cooper.
Zane Cooper’s eyes were red as he slowly read through the pages.
When he finally read the diary, he understood why it had been discarded.
Because it was all about him.
2/10
From theiem first meeting to the endhd.
Fourteereyears in total.
He had finally lost the one person who aldad loved him unconditionally–Zoe Parker.er.
He clutched the eidiary and sobbedad uncontrollablyleveventually collapsing to thehe floor, feeling empiptarand lost.
He wasn’t sure howwolong he stayed there, but then his phone buzzeded.
“Could it be news aboutz Zoe?” he croaked.
Caleb Lane’s voice cameththrough the phone. “I reviewed the surveillance eofootage. I found that the day we met, Zoe Parkcker was just outside the door. She overhearard everything we said. I’ll send you the footage.”
3/3/10
Zane Cooper’s trembling hand opened the message.
“You think I enjoy living with a blind woman? It’s disgusting. If it weren’t for securing Lila’s name on that patent, I would’ve kicked her to the curb long ago.”
He heard his own voice saying those vile things.
Outside the door, Zoe, with red–rimmed eyes, bit her lip.
How hopeless must she have felt?
Zane Cooper slapped himself hard across the face twice.
His throat tightened, and he felt drained, as if life had been sucked out of him.
4/10
He asked in a raw voice, “Is there any news about Zoe?”
“None. I’ve searched every database across the country. There’s no trace of Zoe Parker. The only possibility is-”
Caleb Lane hesitated, then added, “It’s possible she’s dead. After everything, who could survive knowing they were treated like that by someone they loved?”
Zane Cooper’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I don’t believe it. She’s still alive. She has to be alive.”
He paused, then something clicked in his mind.
If she wasn’t in the country, there was still one other possibility.
5/10
“Find out where Zoe Parker’s advisor is,” Zane ordered. “Book me a plane ticket. I’m going abroad.”
After we flew overseas and had a layover in another country, we returned to Sylerith.
I looked at my advisor, confused. “Weren’t we supposed to go abroad?”
He explained, “The trip abroad was just to throw people off. This research is crucial. We can’t afford any leaks.”
I nodded. To me, it didn’t matter whether it was domestic or foreign. It was all the same.
From then on, I threw myself into the work.
For three whole years, I practically lived in
6/10
the lab, eating, drinking, and sleeping there.
My colleagues jokingly called me a workaholic.
They thought my obsessive dedication was because of heartbreak, so they took extra care of me.
Occasionally, they would ask, “You’re still so young. Doesn’t your family mind you being away for so long?”
Every time, I didn’t know what to say.
Even though I had left the place and the people that caused me pain, the physical and emotional wounds weren’t so easily forgotten.
I felt a weight in my chest and a ringing in my ears.
7/10
A pair of of hands extended toward mene, holdin a cup of of awarm milk.
I lookedeup.p.
It was Coliolis Shaw.
He rarely spokeke, spending most of his is time on his owwe sesearch. He had a cold,ld, distant presenceceklike someone you’d neverer approach.h
I hadn’t expected amino to comfort me.
I said thank you..
He nodded slightly, not oftatering a single word, nor did he look at menegagain.
But strangely, I found his quijeti et presence comforting.
8/8/10
Q
In the following three years, whenenever! downorarvoverwhelmed, Colin Shawawawas
formene.
He nevevepspoke. He’d either sit nexexoto a with a bondote or hand me a cup of wararmi
But after woo failed marriages, I no longer knew how toto interact with men.
I knew he likekechene, but he never brought it o or said anything inappropriate.
S So, I pretendedebdi didn’t notice.
U Until three years latererron the last day of olour research, whenthehecconfidentiality acagreements were lifteted.
A A colleague stood at thehdotoolD“Dr. Parker, ththere’s someone here totsesee you.”
I furrowed my brows, stepped outside, and froze when I saw who was waiting at the door.
It was Zane Cooper.
He had lost so much weight that I almost didn’t recognize him.
“Zoe.”
It was only then that I realized, seeing Zane Cooper again, there was a surprising calm in my heart, no ripples whatsoever.
“Is there something you need?”
Zane Cooper’s eyes were red, and he stared at me.
10/10
