The bed, once shared by two, now held only him, tossing and turning through lonely nights.
How often had he opened his eyes, hope brimming, only to find the adjacent space empty.
Had she felt this way before? Seeing not hope, but deeper despair with each passing day.
He had waited, but in vain.
He hadn’t forgotten her calls, asking him to come home, to be with her.
How did he respond?
Ah.
"Are you still a child? Can't you be more mature?"
This scene replayed numerous times.
Eventually, he offered her nothing but impatience, until he stopped answering altogether.
He wasn’t oblivious to the fading light in her eyes, but he believed, in his arrogance, that Zoe would always be there, right behind him, never leaving.
Evan, oh how self-righteous he was.
And it was that very hubris that caused her to slip away.
Her scent, gone from the room, even her clothes in the wardrobe held none of it.
Suddenly, his heart clenched in pain, his tall frame trembling as he curled up.
He had to find her.
Evan visited Zoe’s parents’ graves, repenting, kneeling there for hours.
They had been right all along.
He was a despicable man who had brought misfortune to their daughter.
...
Edward entered the bedroom, carrying a mysterious item.
"Has your stomach been hurting lately?"
She shook her head, then nodded hesitantly.
It hurt, but not as much as before.
Zoe eyed the bag in his hand, detecting a pungent odor mixed with an alluring fragrance.
Yet, this scent was hard for her to accept.
"Do you want to try it?" he chuckled, blushing slightly.
Edward once deemed Chili Cheese Dogs a junk food, but later... how delicious it proved to be...
He had grown fond of it.
Today, spotting it on the street, he bought a non-spicy portion for her to taste.
She nodded.
Edward opened it, scratching his head, and presented it to her.
She took a bite.
After days of consuming bland porridge, this flavorful treat was challenging to swallow.
But seeing his expectant gaze, Zoe finished it all.
"Was it good?" Edward eagerly asked.
She nodded, accepting the tissue he handed over.
They chatted a while longer before he left.
Moments after Edward’s departure, she rushed to the bathroom.
Tears welled up as she stared at the blood-stained vomit in the toilet.
Once again, she couldn't give him what he wanted.
Days later, Edward took her elsewhere.
It was unfamiliar territory to her.
Evan arrived at an empty, locked villa, frustration leading him to kick the door in anger.
The phone number from last time led nowhere; he'd assumed it was a false accusation.
Yes, surely it was a setup. Zoe loved him so deeply; how could she ever be with someone else...
Yet, he still couldn't locate her, and reporting to the police bore no fruit.
Another hospital visit revealed Edward’s resignation, sparking the realization that something was amiss.
Hiring a private investigator led him here, only to find they had already left.
Jocelyn called him frequently.
Frustrated, Evan snapped at her.
Tears immediately streamed down Jocelyn's face.
"It was... Mom... Mr. Sterling's idea... She wants us to marry... I'm two months pregnant, afraid it'll show when I wear the wedding dress..."
He hung up.
Evan slammed his fist into the door with force.
Had he been possessed to neglect Zoe for this woman?
Finally, a month later, news of her surfaced.
Edward had taken her to N City, explaining the difficulty in locating her.
Evan was ecstatic but then heard whispers of Edward’s complicated background.
