Chapter 9
After distancing myself from all those troublesome people and things, I threw myself into work.
Life is vast, and besides love and hatred, there is so much more to experience.
The overseas market felt like a fresh start, a clean slate, and I was eager to dive in.
I was preparing to go abroad, juggling work and visa applications, feeling busier than ever.
Lorenzo Porter tried several times to invite me to dinner, but I turned him down each time.
pccasionally ran into each other in the business world.
One time, at a cocktail party, Lorenzo found out about my plans to go abroad.
Holding his wine glass, he smiled with a hint of bitterness after a long pause.
“Congratulations. I remember you always wanted to go abroad back in college, but after we got married, it got delayed. Now you can finally pursue your dreams.”
I gave a slight nod but didn’t speak.
After the incident with him, our relationship had become more peaceful, at least not as hostile as before.
In business, there’s no room for too many emotions.
“Julia, can you free up some time the day after tomorrow? I’m preparing a farewell party for you.”
I thought about it for a moment.
This trip abroad would likely keep me away for at least three to five years, so I agreed.
But on the day of the event, an unexpected work issue came up, and I was busy until late at night.
I didn’t realize the time and missed the appointment.
I made a quick call to apologize, but Lorenzo picked up immediately.
I made
“Hello, I’m sorry, I got caught up with work and forgot about our meeting.”
I heard a few coughs on the other end of the line, and Lorenzo kindly reassured me that it was no big deal.
“Are you done now? I’m downstairs at your company.”
I froze. It was already 1 a.m.
When I went downstairs, the cold wind seeped through my clothes, and I shivered.
Lorenzo was standing not far away under the dim streetlight, wearing a wool hat, looking pale and thin, as though the wind could blow him away at any moment.
The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up like stars.
“Happy birthday.”
Only then did I realize it was my lunar birthday.
I broke down in tears.
After seven years of marriage, I had always prided myself on being composed, but in that moment, I couldn’t hold back.
On the way back, he drove me home, and we chatted aimlessly.
18:20
Chapter 9
“When are you leaving?”
“In about half a month.”
“Be careful abroad. Take care of yourself.”
“Okay.”
When we arrived at my doorstep, Lorenzo said he wanted to ask me one last question.
“If I hadn’t lost my memory, do you think we would have…?”
“No ‘ifs‘.”
smiled bitterly, and I turned my head away, not wanting to look at him.
Back at home, I opened the cake.
It was a very ugly strawberry cake, showing how clumsy and inexperienced the person who made it was.
I had been controlling my sugar intake for a long time and had become a very disciplined businesswoman.
After hesitating for a long time, I finally picked up a spoon and started eating.
Hmm, it was overwhelmingly sweet, and as I kept eating, it began to taste a bit bitter.
Three months after I reached the other side of the world, I received news of Lorenzo Porter’s death.
He passed away from brain cancer.
The fragments of memories, some clear, some vague, had been swirling in his mind and somehow turned into an incurable illness.
His entire estate was left to me, along with many unsent letters.
I suddenly felt empty.
The world seemed to
It was so ugly.
silent, and all I could think about was the wool hat he had worn the last time we met.
Destiny, always so unpredictable.
It had torn apart everything when Lorenzo and I were at our best, and now, in the worst of times, it had set everything right.
Now, our story had truly come to an end.
