Chapter 25
“Go back to your country. Staying here means nothing to you, and I don’t want to see you.”
Each word Odette spoke was like a blade cutting deeper into Benedict. It felt as though his chest was pierced with a thousand wounds, each more painful than the last.
But there was no room for him to scream out in agony. He had forfeited that right long ago.
It was all his fault. The weight of the situation was his burden to carry.
With those final words, Odette turned and walked away, her steps not sparing the
Chapter 25
journal that lay on the ground, a symbol of
everything he had lost.
Benedict didn’t dare beg, not with the same desperation as before. The plea for forgiveness had long since been stripped from his tongue.
In the days that followed, he stayed quietly by Odette’s side, watching her as she worked, his eyes shifting to Amadeo, who stood close to her.
They shared a connection, an unspoken bond, something that Benedict could only envy. With just a glance, they seemed to understand each other, a perfect harmony that Benedict could never hope to have with her again.
Chapter 25
Amadeo was everything Benedict could never
be to Odette. He took care of her with tenderness, his gaze soft with affection.
Benedict watched, his heart a tangled mess of jealousy and resentment. He saw a man who was far more suited for her than he could
ever be. And yet, he did nothing.
He couldn’t. The last thing he wanted was to see hatred in Odette‘ s eyes again.
Life in the disaster zone was hard for
Benedict, each day blending into the next, as if he were just another brick, moved from place to place, offering himself wherever he was needed.
Benedict walked over ten kilometers every day to provide water for everyone, his steps
Chapter 25
growing heavier with each trip.
When bread was scarce, he didn’t hesitate to search for flour, even learning to bake it himself just so the children wouldn’t go hungry.
But Odette couldn’t understand him
anymore. The man before her was a stranger.
He had changed so much, but those changes seemed to have nothing to do with her.
Other doctors had asked about their past, even speaking well of Benedict, but Odette never softened.
In her eyes, love had no second chances. If it was gone, it was simply gone.
Sometimes, when she wasn‘ t busy, Benedict
Chapter 25
would talk about home, Millicent‘ s
downfall, and other news.
But Odette never wanted to hear it. The stories felt like distant echoes from a life she no longer wanted to be a part of.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Benedict had become a fixture in Odette‘ s world, quietly following her around, invisible to everyone else.
No one in the camp knew about his past, about the CEO of the Evander family. His fame was forgotten here, buried beneath the rubble of a broken world.
Thanks to the tireless work of the medical
staff, the injuries from the earthquake were finally under control.
Chapter 25
In a rare moment of relief, Benedict
organized a small bonfire party for the children who had survived the disaster. The
joy in their eyes was contagious.
That night, for the first time since his arrival in South Africa, Benedict drank.
His thoughts, blurred by the alcohol, turned to Odette. Across the fire, he watched her pour milk for the children, a faint smile on her lips.
Benedict’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, a raw emotion pooling beneath the surface.
“Benedict’s not having it easy. He left behind everything–the CEO position, the life he knew–to chase after Odette. Odette must
Chapter 25
In a rare moment of relief, Benedict
organized a small bonfire party for the children who had survived the disaster. The joy in their eyes was contagious.
That night, for the first time since his arrival in South Africa, Benedict drank.
His thoughts, blurred by the alcohol, turned to Odette. Across the fire, he watched her pour milk for the children, a faint smile on her lips.
Benedict’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, a raw emotion pooling beneath the surface.
“Benedict’s not having it easy. He left behind everything–the CEO position, the life he knew–to chase after Odette. Odette must
Chapter 25
have a heart of stone…”
“Wait, Benedict came here to chase Odette?” Another doctor, who overheard, couldn’t help but add to the gossip.
“Of course. Who would give up being a CEO for this?”
“What happened? Did they divorce? Benedict, tell us the story. We’ll help you talk to Odette,” they urged.
Benedict wasn’t ure how he had come to be holding a wilting begonia flower. Still, with unsteady hands, he mumbled drunkenly,
“She’s angry with me… she… she wants a divorce…”
“That’s harsh. Odette shouldn’t do that. Why come all the way here to torment each
Chapter 25
other?” one of the doctors said, unable to
understand.
“She hasn’t been tormented. Coming here has always been her dream,” Benedict answered, his voice tinged with sorrow.
As night fell, the stars above shimmered, casting a quiet light on the camp.
In a haze of drunkenness, Benedict staggered toward Odette, his movements unsteady but
determined.
He dropped to one knee, offering her the begonia flowers he had desperately sought
out.
“Odette… can you forgive me?”
Odette sighed softly, a breath of quiet
Chapter 25
resignation.
“I forgive you,” she said, her voice calm, “but will it make you feel better? If it’s what you need, then I forgive you.”
