“Now, now,” Evangeline soothed, stepping closer to him. “It was Gemma’s birthday that day. It’s normal for her to be upset about being stood up. She’s just throwing a little tantrum.”
Her tone was gentle as she continued, “Let me call her and bring her back. Don’t be
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+25 Bonus
angry. We’re all family, and harmony is key to happiness.”
On the surface, Evangeline appeared to be speaking up for Gemma.
In reality, she was trying to play up her understanding nature to highlight Gemma’s supposed irrationality.
After all, Murphy had left her, the bride, alone at the wedding to attend to work, yet she had not thrown a fit. She had even called him with kind reminders to take care of
himself.
Yet Gemma, whose only grievance was a missed birthday, had caused such a scene. The contrast was clear, and it did not take much to see who Murphy’s sympathies would lean toward.
Evangeline pulled out her phone and theatrically dialed Gemma’s number.
Then, she let out a puzzled, “Huh?”
Murphy frowned again. “What is it?”
Evangeline looked confused. “Did I dial the wrong number? The automated message
says
the number isn’t in service. I have Gemma’s number saved. It always worked before. Why is it suddenly invalid now?”
A foreboding sense of unease crept into Murphy’s chest. He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Gemma’s number himself.
The next moment, he was met with the cold, lifeless voice of an automated system saying, “The number you have dialed is no longer in service…”
Gemma only ever had one phone number. And now, it was disconnected.
Evangeline, feigning concern, gasped and said tentatively, “Murphy… could it be that Gemma ran away because she was angry?”
Murphy’s expression turned stormy as he strode toward Gemma’s room, kicking the door open with one swift motion. The once–cozy, girlish room was now completely
barren.
The gifts he had given her, the bunny plushie she clung to every night, and her
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collection of dolls–everything was gone.
Even the bedsheets and pillows had vanished, leaving only the stark, empty bed frame behind.
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Evangeline, who was trailing behind him, covered her mouth in exaggerated shock. ” Where are all of Gemma’s things? Did she really run away?”
Supp
Florence is a passionate reader who finds joy in long drives on rainy days. She’s also a fan of Italian makeup tutorials, blending beauty and elegance into her everyday life.
