Chapter 9

• Frederic was rushed to the hospital, and Vilma stayed with Desiree, keeping vigil through the long night.
• It wasn't until the alarm she'd set went off at eight in the morning that the weight of the moment hit her.
• Looking down at the note that simply read "Leaving," Desiree snapped back to reality. She hugged Vilma tightly, refusing to let go.
• "Vilma, don't leave. Please don't leave. If you go, will we have to wait three years to meet again? By then, you'll be a star, and it'll be even harder to see you. I can't bear to say goodbye..." she said.
• Vilma's eyes welled up as she gently patted her friend's back.
• After a long time, Desiree tearfully saw her off.
• Vilma stepped out of the hospital and was about to hail a cab when she froze.
• She had said her goodbyes to everyone—except Frederic.
• For a long moment, she stood there, wrestling with her thoughts. Three years of love deserved some kind of resolution.
• She turned around and walked back toward the hospital. As she reached the door to Frederic's room, she heard voices.
• Barbra's crying voice, thick with emotion, echoed through the door. "I just wanted you to make a choice. If you can't find the necklace, just come back. Why are you being so foolish?
• "I know you still care about me. If you break up with her and say you want to be with me, I'll take you back. Can't you just admit it?"
• These were the words Frederic had waited six long years to hear.
• But as they fell from Barbra's lips, Frederic didn't feel the joy he expected.
• Instead, the word "breakup" made him think of Vilma.
• He remembered the moment when Vilma had thrown herself in front of him to shield him from the car, her eyes swollen from tears as she promised to love him forever. He thought of her smile when she celebrated his birthday and the quiet moments they'd shared—moments that, in hindsight, were filled with a deeper love than he'd ever acknowledged.
• His head spun, his heart ached, and for the first time, he didn't know how to respond.
• And then, by pure instinct, he looked up. Through the glass window, he saw her.Vilma stood outside, unmoving, her eyes as still as a calm lake—no ripples, no emotions.
• When their gazes met, Frederic's heart shattered into pieces.
• Frederic shoved Barbra out of his arms and shot to his feet, only to realize Vilma was no longer standing outside the window.
• He bolted out of the room, but the hallway was empty.
• Was it all just in his head?
• It had to be. No one knew about his reckless dive into the lake to retrieve Barbra's necklace—there was no way Vilma could have known he was in the hospital or come rushing over to check on him.
• His heart pounded, a wild, out-of-control feeling gnawing at him. But what exactly was slipping away? He couldn't put his finger on it.
• *****
• Vilma had already decided she wasn't going to say goodbye.
• Once home, she quietly ripped the calendar from the wall. She left her house key on the table and grabbed her luggage, heading downstairs.
• On the way to the airport, Vilma opened Frederic's chat window.
• She hovered over the keyboard for a long while, then typed three short lines, "Let's break up, and thank you for taking care of me all these years. Also, I wish you and Barbra happiness. Frederic, I'm leaving. We will never meet again."
• In one single message, she released three years of love.
• With a wish for his happiness, she gave him the freedom he wanted.
• With a final declaration of never seeing him again, she shut the door on any future they could have had.
• From now on, he'd only be her best friend's brother.
• After sending the message, she waited—nothing came through.
• She knew Frederic was probably with Barbra and wouldn't be checking his phone anytime soon, but even if he did see the message, she doubted it would stir anything in him. After all, Barbra was there, and Vilma was nothing more than a placeholder.
• Before she boarded the plane, Alton handed her a new phone. "Vilma, according to the contract, you need to disconnect from everything starting today. Here's your work phone."
• Vilma nodded, handing over her own phone in exchange.
• As the plane ascended and the cabin filled with the noise of announcements, she didn't see the quick flash of her old phone's screen before she powered it down.
• She didn't hear the pinging of notifications either.
• Turning her gaze to the window, she watched the sky shift from cloudy to clear, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
• From now on, Vilma's life would be nothing but sunny days.