All This Time… He Was Waiting for HER - Chapter 8: Chapter 8
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Corey slumped onto the cold ground, his fingers moving mechanically as he unlocked his phone. The glow of the screen illuminated his hollow expression as he scrolled through months of unanswered messages from Winona - each one a painful reminder of her quiet devotion.
[When do you finish work? I cooked all your favorites tonight.]
[Another business dinner? Should we celebrate your birthday when you're back?]
[Winter's coming. Got you a new coat - try it when you're home.]
[Can we visit Mom tomorrow? I want to bring her flowers.]
With each message, a fresh wave of guilt crashed over him. How had he missed this? All those small, loving gestures he'd taken for granted now burned like brands on his conscience. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks, coming faster than he could wipe them away.
When the storm finally passed, he lifted his red-rimmed eyes to the lawyer. "Please...can you trace where this divorce paperwork was printed? It's all I have left to go on."
The plane touched down in a winter landscape, eight time zones away from everything familiar. I shivered as icy wind cut through me at the nearly deserted airport, fumbling in my bag for the coat I'd packed before hailing a cab to my new apartment.
After unpacking, I finally paused - only for my stomach to growl loudly. That's when it hit me: I hadn't eaten since leaving home. For days, I'd moved through the world like a ghost, numb to hunger or thirst, driven only by the need to put oceans between me and my old life.
But this fresh start felt emptier than expected. With mechanical movements, I shrugged my coat back on and wandered downstairs to a lively restaurant filled with laughing twenty-somethings. Their energy was contagious enough to make me feel slightly less adrift.
The food might as well have been cardboard for all I tasted it, but the sudden realization of my freedom sent unexpected laughter bubbling up. My chuckle was cut short by a sudden commotion - a young couple getting engaged by the frost-framed window, surrounded by cheering friends urging them to kiss.
My hand automatically reached for my phone to capture the moment, then froze when my wedding photo flashed on the screen. Two minutes later, I'd changed my wallpaper. When I looked up, the celebration had moved to toasts and laughter. I tapped my fingers against the table, letting their joy wash over me.
The restaurant owner, caught up in the moment, announced free drinks for the whole place. There's something about unexpected kindness from strangers that can crack even the hardest emotional armor.
Watching the tearful bride-to-be cling to her fiancé, I felt warm drops slide down my own cheeks. The world would always have its moments of pure happiness, even if mine had passed. For now, it was enough to witness theirs.
I stopped checking news from home after that - until Gail Corporation headlines became impossible to avoid. Corey had burned bridges with the Sterlings, reneging on his promises to transfer hotel assets and company shares to Jennie. And the Sterlings, of course, weren't the type to take such betrayal lying down.
[When do you finish work? I cooked all your favorites tonight.]
[Another business dinner? Should we celebrate your birthday when you're back?]
[Winter's coming. Got you a new coat - try it when you're home.]
[Can we visit Mom tomorrow? I want to bring her flowers.]
With each message, a fresh wave of guilt crashed over him. How had he missed this? All those small, loving gestures he'd taken for granted now burned like brands on his conscience. Hot tears spilled down his cheeks, coming faster than he could wipe them away.
When the storm finally passed, he lifted his red-rimmed eyes to the lawyer. "Please...can you trace where this divorce paperwork was printed? It's all I have left to go on."
The plane touched down in a winter landscape, eight time zones away from everything familiar. I shivered as icy wind cut through me at the nearly deserted airport, fumbling in my bag for the coat I'd packed before hailing a cab to my new apartment.
After unpacking, I finally paused - only for my stomach to growl loudly. That's when it hit me: I hadn't eaten since leaving home. For days, I'd moved through the world like a ghost, numb to hunger or thirst, driven only by the need to put oceans between me and my old life.
But this fresh start felt emptier than expected. With mechanical movements, I shrugged my coat back on and wandered downstairs to a lively restaurant filled with laughing twenty-somethings. Their energy was contagious enough to make me feel slightly less adrift.
The food might as well have been cardboard for all I tasted it, but the sudden realization of my freedom sent unexpected laughter bubbling up. My chuckle was cut short by a sudden commotion - a young couple getting engaged by the frost-framed window, surrounded by cheering friends urging them to kiss.
My hand automatically reached for my phone to capture the moment, then froze when my wedding photo flashed on the screen. Two minutes later, I'd changed my wallpaper. When I looked up, the celebration had moved to toasts and laughter. I tapped my fingers against the table, letting their joy wash over me.
The restaurant owner, caught up in the moment, announced free drinks for the whole place. There's something about unexpected kindness from strangers that can crack even the hardest emotional armor.
Watching the tearful bride-to-be cling to her fiancé, I felt warm drops slide down my own cheeks. The world would always have its moments of pure happiness, even if mine had passed. For now, it was enough to witness theirs.
I stopped checking news from home after that - until Gail Corporation headlines became impossible to avoid. Corey had burned bridges with the Sterlings, reneging on his promises to transfer hotel assets and company shares to Jennie. And the Sterlings, of course, weren't the type to take such betrayal lying down.
End of All This Time… He Was Waiting for HER Chapter 8. Continue reading Chapter 9 or return to All This Time… He Was Waiting for HER book page.