Chapter 7

The night before she left, the sky was dark. Zaria was busy packing. Just as she folded the last piece of clothing and placed it in the suitcase, the sound of the door unlocking echoed. Callum pushed the door open and entered. His suit jacket was casually draped over his arm. His tie was loosened slightly, and there was a faint scent of alcohol coming from him. He stood at the doorway, and his gaze fell on her open suitcase. "Why are you packing?" he asked casually. Zaria was just about to say that she was leaving, but Callum asked if she could teach him how to make herbal soup. She froze. She was mildly surprised as she watched him enter the kitchen. All these years, she had been the one who cooked. He never once did. After a moment of silence, she still followed him. In the kitchen, Callum stood at the counter. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing well-defined forearms. He was clumsily slicing an ingredient, clearly inexperienced. Zaria stood beside him and taught him to make the soup. "Don't turn the heat too high." "Add the seasonings last." "Once it boils, lower the heat." The unusually patient Callum actually followed her instructions. Once the soup was done, he took a sip, and his brows relaxed. "Not bad." However, he didn't offer her any. Callum didn't notice the look in her eyes. Glancing at his watch, he suddenly said, "Ria, I've got some things to take care of over the next few days. I'll spend time with you later." After saying that, he picked up a thermos and poured the soup into it before taking his leave. Zaria stood where she was and listened to the sound of the door closing. She then took out her phone and pulled up Cyrene's Instagram. Sure enough, Cyrene had posted something. "I'm suddenly craving herbal soup. Will anyone make it for me?" Zaria turned off her phone and smiled faintly. She had once learned to make this soup just for Callum. He had stomach problems, and she heard that the soup was good for the stomach. So, she went to countless traditional restaurants and persuaded the owners to teach her. She could only master it after practicing countless times. And now, the man who had never set foot in a kitchen was making the soup. But it was for Cyrene. Love and the absence of love were like a continuous, repeating cycle. On the morning of her departure, Zaria packed all her luggage alone. There were still a few hours until her flight. She put on a hat and went out alone. She visited several places. Six hours before departure, she went to Horizon High School, where she and Callum had studied. The classroom was empty. She found her old desk and brushed her fingers over a line of crookedly carved words that said, "Zaria likes Callum." She took out her key and slowly scratched it out until it was no longer visible. Wood shavings drifted down like her shattered youth. Five hours before departure, she went to the famous Bridge of Love. The rusty love lock still hung on the railing. Their names were engraved on it. Back then, she had dragged Callum there. "They say if you hang one of these, you'll be together forever," she had said while blushing. Callum had just replied with a faint hum, letting her do as she pleased. As she thought back to it, she realized he probably never took it seriously. Zaria yanked hard. The chain snapped and fell into the river, not even making a splash. Four hours before her flight, she visited Sanctum of Harmony. She originally wanted to take back the prayer card she had pinned to the prayer wall years ago. But from a distance, she saw Callum and Cyrene standing by the wall of wishes, right under the large wooden statue. "What would you like to pray for?" asked someone from the sanctum. Cyrene giggled sweetly. "I want a baby in my belly soon." Callum chuckled and said softly, "Then I pray that her wish comes true." The person handed them a blank card. "May both of your prayers be answered." The two of them walked toward the wall, but it was already crowded with handwritten cards from others. There was no room left. Callum frowned and turned to a young assistant working at the sanctum. "I'll donate five million to the sanctum. Clear them all off." The assistant rushed over and started removing the cards one by one. Then, he asked, "What should I do with them?" "Throw them away," Callum stated, not even glancing back. Zaria quietly stepped out from behind the corner and knelt by the discarded stack. They were all the prayers she'd written over the years. "Please help Callum walk again." "Please keep Callum safe and happy." "Please let me grow old with Callum." Zaria smiled through the stinging in her eyes. Good. It saved her the trouble of throwing them away herself. In the final hour, she took her luggage and rushed to the airport. The boarding announcement echoed through the airport. After boarding, the flight attendant gently reminded her to turn off her phone. Zaria opened her gallery and found the video of Callum and Cyrene in bed together that day. Selecting the video, she hit send. Then, she sent a message. "Callum, I know you took my kidney and gave it to Cyrene. I also know you're the reason I lost the baby, all because Cyrene threw a tantrum over it. And I know you want to have a child with Cyrene. "You've gotten what you wanted, Callum. I don't want you anymore. You can go back to Cyrene." After hitting the send button, she blocked and deleted his number before powering her phone off. As the plane soared into the sky, Zaria looked out at the sea of clouds. Then, she gently closed her eyes. This time, she would never look back.