In the second month after Sonia left.
Clayton sent her a message.
The message was successfully sent, but it disappeared into the void.
The message read: "I'm planning to sell the apartment. What should I do with your clothes?"
Maybe he had forgotten that Sonia left him a note, telling him to handle everything as he pleased.
Or maybe he was just doing it on purpose, finding an excuse to message her.
Perhaps what Clayton had in mind was that this was his way of offering Sonia a way back.
If she were smart, she would know to take the step down.
He might seem bad-tempered, but in reality, he was easy to appease.
Sonia never responded.
Naturally, the apartment wasn't sold.
Sonia's clothes and all her belongings remained just as they were.
As if she had never left.
Clayton would often come here late at night after social engagements.
Then he would lie on Sonia's bed, unable to sleep until dawn.
And in the third month after Sonia left.
It was another unchanging late night.
As the clock's hands approached twelve.
Clayton dialed Sonia's number.
Sonia was a very conservative and well-behaved girl.
Though her family was of modest means, she never lacked for anything, and her parents adored her.
But because she had been pretty since childhood, her elders were very strict with her.
It wasn't until the fall of her graduation year that Sonia moved in with him.
He still remembered that night.
She was trembling all over with nerves.
Every inch of her skin was flushed with a burning red.
She was stunningly beautiful, fragile under him, evoking a deep sense of tenderness.
When everything was over, she cried hard. Repeating over and over, "Clayton, you can't bully me, you can't ever bully me..."
"You have to be good to me, you have to marry me."
"Clayton... We'll be together forever, right?"
But that innocent and naive Sonia who thought she would always be with the man she loved...
Had been lost by him a long time ago.
So long ago that he could hardly remember,
What expression she had the last time they broke up.
Was she smiling and nodding, or were her eyes red with tears?
The phone rang for quite a while, and just when he thought she wouldn't pick up...
The call connected.
In that moment, what he really wanted to say was, "Sonia, come back."
But what came out instead was, "Sonia, stop fooling around and come back..."
His foolish, ridiculous words were interrupted by the soft laughter of a man.
That laugh was like cold, hard ice crashing over him,
Clayton felt as if his entire body had been encased in ice, unable to move.
"Mr. Moss, you can't leave a girl waiting overnight, or someone else might just swoop in."
"Jaydin..."
Clayton gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot as he spat out the name.
"Jaydin..."
"Where's Sonia? Let her take the phone!"
Clayton's eyes seemed to fill with blood, a terrifying red.
He gripped the phone tightly, his voice trembling as he growled, "Jaydin, if you dare take advantage of her..."
"She can't take the call."
Jaydin leaned down and gently kissed me, "Sonia, are you feeling good?"
Sonia still had a tear clinging to her eyelashes, her lips pouting,
Even with her eyes closed, her face was etched with pure grievance.
His heart softened uncontrollably as he kissed her eyelash, gently sucking away the tear.
"She's still out, mad at me... I need to kiss her awake first."
"Jaydin..."
Clayton's voice abruptly cut off.
Jaydin ended the call and casually turned off his phone.
His kiss fell on Sonia's slightly swollen lips as he murmured, "Baby, wake up..."
