Chapter 2 – Silence

• Ella
• The plane landed four hours later. After retrieving my luggage, I was told to meet Daniel at Gate 3. Mr. Anderson mentioned that he was a doctor and my appointed gynecologist.
• At Gate 3, I saw a man with a clean-cut appearance and an overly sanitized outfit. “Dr. Daniel?” I asked to confirm.
• The man smiled and extended his hand, so I showed the same courtesy in return.
• “You must be Fedella Hilton. Nice to meet you,” he said.
• “Ella is fine. Nice to meet you, too,” I replied.
• “Call me Dan then. The car is this way.”
• Dan led me through the airport to the parking lot, where he loaded my baggage into a fancy Tesla SUV. We exited the airport and drove for about half an hour into a suburb. The area was filled with expensive villas that cost millions of dollars. Just being there made me feel out of place. We pulled into a giant villa, which intimidated an orphan like me even more.
• “What are we doing here?” I asked Dan, who had already removed his seat belt.
• He only smiled, got out of the car, and began unloading my luggage.
• “This is your new home. This car, this property, and everything in here are gifts from Mr. Anderson to you and your child,” he explained, jaw-droppingly.
• “I can’t take this. It’s too much,” I said to Dan.
• “Tyson said no take-backs. Also, here is your new phone and a new number. His and my contact information is already saved in there. I recommend you disconnect your old phone number and throw it away.”
• “I do not have it with me,” I said.
• Not that I was counting on Zeru searching for me, but I didn't want to leave any chance of him finding me.
• “Also, my fiancée and I are next door, to your left. For your privacy, the villa on the right has also been bought by Mr. Anderson in your name, for your child.” He paused to take a breath.
• “As mentioned, I’m Dr. Daniel, your gynecologist and caretaker. If you need anything, please feel free to inform me or my fiancée, who will be over in a few minutes.”
• “Okay.” Mr. Anderson had already set everything up; I was in no position to refuse.
• *Ding*Dong*
• “Ah, that must be her.” Dan rushed to the door, returning with a beautiful, dainty woman.
• “Stella, meet Ella, my new client. Ella, this is Stella, my fiancée and wife-to-be,” he introduced us.
• “It’s nice to meet you,” we greeted each other simultaneously.
• “Oh, you must be hungry. Join us for lunch.” I didn't feel like it, but Stella invited me so kindly that I dared not refuse.
• We went over to their villa and had lunch before the couple showed me around town. Sitting in the back of the car, I couldn't help but wonder how lucky they were to have each other. They say it's a miracle to find the person you love, but it's fate when that person loves you back. I suppose I'm ill-fated in this lifetime.
• “Ella, is everything all right? You look down in the dumps,” Stella asked, concerned.
• Such a sweet woman, I thought. “I’m okay, just reminiscing about life,” I answered.
• “I don’t know what happened, nor will I ask, but if you need someone to talk to, you can come to me,” she offered, and I nodded with a fake smile.
• Seeing right through my façade, Stella offered me some homemade cookies. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also kind and observant—not to mention her cooking was on point. Stella was the classic, feminine wife that no man truly deserved.
• After the tour, jet lag finally caught up with me, so I excused myself to rest. Dan performed a quick check-up before letting me go. Once in bed, I couldn't fall asleep and started to cry. The yearning was so overwhelming that I felt physical pain in my chest.
• All the while…
• Zee
• After a night of heavy drinking and heavy lifting, I returned home for some peace and quiet. Ella usually went to the grocery store at this time of day, so I didn’t think much of her absence and hopped into bed. I slept until 6 p.m., expecting dinner to be ready, but instead, I was met with silence.
• Confused and concerned, I jumped out of bed and began searching around the house. I checked the bathroom and guest room but found nothing amiss. It occurred to me to check the closet—I doubted she would be in there, but I had to make sure. There was no Ella, nor any of her clothes, for that matter. A headache slowly crept into my head as I tried to think of where she could have gone. I turned toward the nightstand to grab my phone but found a letter addressed to me instead. It read:
• “To my love,
• By the time you read this letter, I'll be gone. Don’t wait for me—not that you would—but I won’t be back. The last five years of our relationship were blissful, and I was genuinely happy. But all good things eventually come to an end. Our time has finally come, sooner than I'd expected, but it's time we went our separate ways.
• I thought about leaving quietly, but that would have been unfair to you. Our relationship was unfair from the beginning. Now, I finally understand the reason behind your decision two years ago. Camilla is back, so it's only right for me to step aside. I genuinely hope you'll find happiness with the person you truly love.
• Also, you'll probably have a headache after a night of drinking, so I've prepared your medication, and dinner is in the fridge. Don't forget to take your medication every day—it'll help with your indigestion. You'll probably be happier now that I'm no longer around to nag you about these things.
• Be happy, be healthy and live blissfully.
• Always thinking of you,
• Fedella Hilton.”
• My legs felt weak, and the migraine gnawed at my head. Nothing seemed amiss—she left everything of ours: pictures, credit and debit cards, jewelry, makeup; even her phone was left sitting on the table. The only things she took with her were her clothes and one pair of shoes.
• I pulled out my phone and dialed my assistant, Sharon.
• “Hello,” she answered on the first ring. “Are you going to stop by my apartment today?” she asked sweetly.
• “No, I want you to look into Fedella Hilton's employment contract. Did she leave a return address?” Sharon grunted and groaned but obeyed my command.
• A few minutes later, my phone rang.
• “What did you find out?” I answered.
• “Her contract was terminated earlier today, and she didn’t leave a return address,” she said through the line.
• “Who approved her termination?”
• “Mr. Anderson, the CEO. Zee are you coming over tonight?” asked Sharon, sweetly but bitterly.
• I didn’t answer and hung up before rushing over to Tyson’s place. He was the last person to see Ella; he must know her whereabouts.