Unreturned When the Fog Cleared Chapter 08

Unreturned When the Fog Cleared Chapter 08: Let’s Never Meet Again

It wasn’t until the living room lights came on that Thera Sutherland finally gathered all the pearls, one by one.

She used the sofa to pull herself up and trudged upstairs with heavy

steps.

Just as she reached the landing, she heard faint sounds coming from the

master bedroom.

A woman’s low moans mingled with a man’s panting, piercing Thera

Sutherland’s heart like needles.

The blood in her veins seemed to freeze instantly. Her fingertips grew cold, and all she could do was press herself against the icy wall to stand.

“Julian, be gentle…” Sylvia Chevalier’s voice was sickeningly sweet.

“Keep it down.”

“We’re getting married tomorrow anyway. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Amid the sound of their bodies colliding, Sylvia Chevalier asked in a hoarse voice, “When are we going to get our marriage certificate?”

“We’ll go in a few days.”

Thera felt a pain so sharp it was as if her insides were twisting into knots, and her stomach churned violently.

‘He’d said the wedding was just a formality, yet he had already consummated his relationship with Sylvia Chevalier.‘

‘He’d sworn she would be his only wife for life. All of it was a lie now!‘

Thera Sutherland clenched her fists, nails digging deep into her palms, and walked back to the guest room.

The moment she closed the door, the dam of her tears finally broke.

But the amorous sounds from the master bedroom were like a curse, piercing through the door and echoing all night, keeping her eyes wide open until dawn.

The next morning, a commotion arose from downstairs.

Thera Sutherland stepped out of her room to see Julian Rhodes, dressed in his groom’s tuxedo, carefully helping Sylvia Chevalier, who was in a white wedding gown, down the stairs.

Yara Rhodes, in a pink Maid of Honor dress, bounced around them excitedly. “You’re finally getting married! Julian, Sylvia, I wish you eternal happiness!”

Thera Sutherland watched them descend the stairs step by step. The man’s gentle gaze, the woman’s bashful expression, the girl’s excited smile -it was all a blindingly perfect picture that left her completely on the outside.

Tears fell without warning, landing on the cold floor without a sound.

But Julian Rhodes, as if sensing something, suddenly whipped his head around, his gaze landing squarely on Thera Sutherland’s tear–streaked face.

His pupils constricted, and a flicker of sharp pain flashed in his eyes.

The next moment, he abruptly let go of Sylvia Chevalier. Ignoring the astonished looks from behind, he dashed up the stairs and stopped in front of Thera Sutherland, his voice laced with a barely perceptible panic. “Are you going out?”

“To the Registry Office,” Thera Sutherland said, her voice hoarse.

Julian Rhodes froze, clearly not expecting her to say that. His brow

furrowed. “The Registry Office? Are you applying to remarry?”

Thera Sutherland didn’t answer, merely lowering her gaze.

He said casually, “Go ahead and submit the paperwork today. When I get back, we can go get the certificate.”

Thera Sutherland gave a slight nod.

Julian Rhodes seemed to let out a sigh of relief. A smile he hadn’t worn in a long time touched his lips. As he turned and ran back to Sylvia Chevalier’s side, he didn’t forget to look back at her one last time.

The warmth in his eyes struck Thera as unbearably ironic.

He swept Sylvia Chevalier into his arms and strode toward the wedding car waiting at the door.

Nestled in his arms, Sylvia Chevalier looked up and deliberately glanced in Thera Sutherland’s direction, a smug smile playing on her lips.

Thera Sutherland stood frozen, watching until they had completely disappeared. Then, she raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face and left for the Registry Office.

She soon had the replacement divorce certificate in hand, the red official seal standing out starkly against the paper.

Her fingertips gently traced her own name on the document. She didn’t feel the sadness she had expected; instead, there was a sense of liberating relief.

She tucked the divorce certificate into her bag and hailed a cab straight to the airport.

The plane slowly ascended, the city below shrinking into the distance.

Thera Sutherland said softly to herself, ‘Julian Rhodes, goodbye for good.’