Chapter 18
After gathering her thoughts, Asteria found a public phone and dialed Primo.
Leaving Asteria’s apartment, Primo felt a sudden emptiness creep into his chest as though a piece of him had been torn away.
It was as if the sweet, innocent girl he remembered was slowly slipping out of his grasp, drifting farther and farther into the distance.
When the unfamiliar number flashed on his phone, Primo almost dismissed it as someone trying to convince him to return. home.
He almost hung up. Yet, something, an unseen force, compelled him to answer.
The moment he heard Asteria’s voice, it felt like the universe had aligned in that very instant. For some inexplicable reason, he knew that answering the phone had been the right choice.
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But as her words began to pierce the air, the ground beneath him seemed to crack, and the chill of reality hit him like an icy
wave.
His illusions and hopes shattered with each word she spoke, leaving him adrift.
“I don‘ t love you anymore, Primo,” she said, her voice calm yet resolute.
“I’ll always be grateful for the kindness. you showed me in my darkest days; for that, I can forgive the wounds you left behind.”
“As for the USB… let’s just say we‘ re even.”
“I’m calling to tell you that running away from the wedding wasn‘ t revenge. It was my choice. I chose to walk away from you, to leave behind everything we had and the years we spent together.”
“From this point on, we owe each other nothing. I hope you find your happiness, and I hope we never cross paths again.”
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Primo stood frozen, his grip tightening on the phone, but not a single word escaped his lips as the line went dead.
Asteria had loved with every ounce of her being, without hesitation, without holding anything back.
Then came the bitter truth of betrayal, and without a second thought, she exacted her revenge and walked away, leaving it all behind.
At last, she had the grace to bid farewell, wrapping it all up with dignity.
She stepped into her new life as if the past had never existed, as if nothing had ever been broken.
But what about Primo? What was he supposed to do now?
Those were over twenty years of emotions, years of memories.
Primo reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, his hand trembling as he
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struggled to light it.
Strike after strike, the lighter refused to catch.
Frustration bubbled inside him, and he nearly tossed it away, but then his gaze landed on the engraving.
It was Asteria s lighter. Her name, alongside his, was carved into the surface.
Primo had laughed at her for being
sentimental at the time, but now, he
wondered where that young, hopeful girl had gone.
He picked the lighter up again, running hist fingers over the worn scratches, a small sigh escaping him.
He never thought he’d see the day when Asteria would truly leave him.
Asteria had been everything for all these years–patient, understanding, without complaint, without bitterness.
He had come to rely on her love, her
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unwavering presence,
Now, without her, he couldn’t even begin to picture his life.
He couldn’t bear the thought of returning to that cold, empty house..
Ten years of love, twenty years of shared history. How could he accept that they owed each other nothing, that their lives were now to be lived apart?
He couldn’t.
He had to find what he had lost.
Primo stared down the unfamiliar street, his voice steady but filled with
determination as he muttered, “Asteria, I don‘ t believe you can just throw away ten years of love. Ten years ago, I made you fall for me, and ten years later, I’ll make you fall for me all over again.”
“I’ll show you that my love is stronger than anything, and no one will be able to tear us apart.”
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- ))
After hanging up the phone, Asteria started to head home. But before she could take a step, she looked up and caught sight of Isabelle waving at her from a sleek sports
car.
“Your child has grown up and has their own mind now. Doesn’t even talk to their mother anymore.
