Chapter 4
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The bright lights of the private room shone directly on Humbert’s face, casting sharp
shadows.
His expression was as unreadable as stone, his fingers holding a cigarette that had burned down to the filter. The ember was now searing his skin, yet he didn’t so much as flinch.
The bitter smell of scorched flesh reached him, and he realized that it was his own.
But his nerves felt strangely numb. He pushed himself up from the chair, bending to retrieve his fallen suit jacket. His face betrayed nothing, but beneath that calm, something darker stirred in his
gaze.
“There’s an emergency at the hospital. I need to go.” His voice was low, his movements quick as he strode toward the door, as though he couldn’t bear another second in that room.
Patrick hurried after him, but by the time he reached the hallway, Humbert was already gone. With a sigh, Patrick turned back to rejoin the others.
Then, from the corner of the room, one of the quieter girls finally spoke up. “You’ve all heard the rumor, haven’t you?” Her voice was soft, but it cut through the chatter like a knife.
“What rumor?” someone asked.
“Claire and Humbert… they dated in secret for three years at Sonisburg University,” the girl replied.
The words hit like a bombshell.
Yvonne’s voice turned razor–sharp. “You’re kidding, right? Claire? That mousy nobody? What would someone like Humbert ever see in her?”
“Your memory must be failing you. Honestly, if Claire could catch Humbert’s eye, I might as well be his wife already,” another girl scoffed.
One guy immediately countered, “Claire’s big, sure, but not unattractive. She’s got that soft- spoken charm and flawless skin.”
The first girl shook her head firmly. “It’s true. My sister goes to that university, and this was major campus gossip–the most popular guy secretly dating an ordinary girl for three whole years. Ask Humbert yourself if you don’t believe me.”
No one dared to actually ask Humbert, but seeing how certain the girl was, they all accepted it
must be true.
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Chapter 4
“But is Claire really dead?” someone asked.
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Yvonne said through clenched teeth, “She must be. Shirley said she saw the tumor growing
inside her.”
“She’s probably gone. There’s no way someone could disappear completely for this long,” someone else sighed.
The others nodded in agreement. After all, in today’s connected world, someone couldn’t just vanish without a trace.
*****
As Humbert hurried around the corner, he collided with Winifred, who was coming the other
way.
A soft cry of surprise escaped Winifred as she stumbled backward.
Winifred instinctively reached out to steady herself, her hands grasping at the first thing they
found–Humbert’s shirt.
“I’m so sorry,” she automatically apologized, and then froze when she looked up into that devastatingly familiar face.
Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t believe she was seeing him again this soon.
Humbert muttered a distracted apology as he walked away without looking back, his mind in turmoil as he searched for somewhere quiet to collect himself.
The faint, crisp scent of him that had lingered in the air dissipated completely while Winifred remained rooted to the spot.
She had only excused herself to use the restroom, never expecting to come face–to–face again with the person who once knew her better than anyone,
When she lowered her gaze, she noticed an exquisitely crafted man’s cufflink lying on the floor.
She picked it up and instinctively turned to follow Humbert’s path before suddenly stopping herself after just a few steps.
She told herself there was nothing between them anymore, and maintaining this careful distance was the only way forward.
*****
After returning home and showering, Winifred lay in bed staring at the cufflink she’d placed
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on her nightstand. She absently ran her fingers over it as memories flooded back.
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She noted how some things never changed–he still preferred that same niche brand she remembered, its understated elegance resting heavy in her palm.
The sudden ring of her phone pulled Winifred from her thoughts. Recognizing her grandmother’s number, she quickly answered. “Grandma?”
“Claire, you sent money again?” Mary Nelson’s voice held that familiar mix of exasperation and warmth. “I keep telling you, I have everything I need right here.”
Winifred couldn’t help but smile at the pretend scolding. “Just tuck it away for me,” she said, letting the comfortable rhythm of their usual small talk carry on.
Work had consumed Winifred’s time recently. She’d planned to visit Mary with Rosalind before the school term began, but her workload made it impossible.
She told herself that once work calmed down, she would bring Mary to stay for a while. After all, she was the only family Winifred had left.
Just before ending the call, Mary added tentatively, “Claire, your uncle may have his faults, but he did ask about you during his last visit.”
Winifred hated worrying her grandmother. Her mother had left right after the divorce when Winifred was just a child—vanishing without a trace, not even coming back for her own father’s funeral.
Winifred’s memories of her mother were faint shadows from when she was two years old.
Her father existed as a series of disappearances and brief returns–a gambler who disappeared for weeks after losses and reappeared with candy when luck turned, only to dump her at her grandparents‘ again.
Her grandparents were the ones who truly raised her.
“I understand, Grandma,” Winifred said with quiet gentleness, though she spoke these words just to comfort Mary.
She had no intention of talking about her uncle and aunt, nor would she ever contact them, despite living in the same city.
After ending the call, Winifred carefully placed the cufflink inside a sealed plastic bag and stored it away.
When taking her daughter for the weekly hospital check–up, Winifred deliberately scheduled around Humbert’s Tuesday shifts, though their paths still crossed some day in the busy hospital corridors.
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The hospital elevator brimmed with tired souls–sick patients with pallid complexions and harried visitors alike. Winifred, wearing a mask, guided her daughter through the jostling crowd as the doors hissed shut.
A nurse’s voice carried through the crowd. “Hello, Dr. Pierce.”
When a familiar deep voice spoke close behind her, Winifred instinctively tightened her grip on Rosalind’s hand. She didn’t need to turn around to know Humbert stood close enough that she could hear the rhythm of his breathing.
On the third floor, the crowd dispersed toward the examination rooms. Winifred joined the line outside Room 06 just as Humbert entered Room 08.
“Mom, your hand is all sweaty,” Rosalind observed, giving Winifred’s damp palm a curious
squeeze.
Winifred loosened her hold, glancing down at her own glistening palm.
Every accidental encounter with Humbert left Winifred’s nerves frayed, even when she reminded herself he wouldn’t recognize her.
This unexpected reunion had been completely beyond her control, and it stirred emotions she couldn’t suppress.
She quietly placed the cufflink he’d forgotten at the restaurant on the hospital’s reception
counter.
Later that night, she peeked into the side bedroom where her daughter slept peacefully, the child’s arms wrapped tightly around her favorite stuffed bunny.
Rosalind bore an uncanny resemblance to Humbert, from the shape of her eyebrows to the proud line of her nose.
Standing before the bathroom mirror, Winifred hardly recognized the woman staring back- slender with porcelain skin, long hair framing her luminous eyes and naturally rosy lips, a far
from the overweight girl of seven years past.
cry
In a sprawling metropolis like Sonisburg with its millions of inhabitants, their brief encounter meant nothing more than two strangers crossing paths.
*****
As evening fell, Humbert returned to the Pierce residence.
During the family dinner, Joseph Pierce, Humbert’s father, set down his fork with a derisive snort. Margaret Pierce, Humbert’s mother, shot him a warning look before turning her attention to their youngest son.
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During Margaret’s first year of marriage to Joseph, her dearest friend was killed in a plane crash, leaving behind a twelve–year–old son named Simon Shaw.
The Pierce family took Simon in as their own, and he eventually adopted their surname, becoming Simon Pierce.
Margaret didn’t conceive until she was thirty–three, when she gave birth to her daughter Jessica Pierce. Years later, both Simon and Jessica took over management of the Pierce Group.
At forty–five, after a particularly difficult pregnancy, Margaret finally delivered twin boys- Edward and Humbert.
Twenty years ago, tragedy struck when both boys were kidnapped in an event that shook all of Sonisburg. Edward was killed during the ordeal, but Humbert managed to survive.
Margaret felt tears well up at the memory of her lost son. But with the family gathered happily for tonight’s dinner, she discreetly wiped her eyes and turned her attention to Humbert.
Humbert had always been responsible, never giving them any cause for concern, except when it came to his conspicuously nonexistent love life.
Margaret couldn’t help but wonder if her son had some undisclosed medical condition that explained his complete disinterest in relationships.
At seventy years old, Margaret was normally the picture of cheerfulness, but now her face darkened as she demanded, “Humbert, explain why you stood up Sylvia last Wednesday.”
Humbert simply responded with a noncommittal, “Hmm.”
“What kind of answer is that?” Margaret rubbed her temples in frustration. “Sylvia is beautiful, practically grew up in our home, and her grandfather served with yours. You’re nearly thirty. The least you could do is meet her properly before deciding.”
Humbert frowned slightly before conceding. “Very well, make whatever arrangements you see fit.”
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Chapter 5
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
