Chapter 5
With the system’s help, I reached Ouverling, the capital of Teburn. I began my solo journey there.
I visited many tourist spots alone.
It wasn’t until three days after the earthquake that Bradley remembered me.
He ran back to our guesthouse but found only ruins.
The guesthouse had collapsed on the first day of the earthquake. Rescue operations had ended by the second day.
Bradley stared at the ruins, unable to believe his eyes. He frantically stopped passersby.
He asked, “Have you seen a young woman around 25?”
Everyone he asked shook their heads.
“This is impossible,” he muttered. “Harriet must be mad at me and hiding somewhere.”
12:00 PM
<
He kept talking to himself to calm down.
Next to him, Amber pretended to look concerned. “Is Harriet angry with me? Because I asked you to watch the sunrise with me? I didn’t mean
any harm. I just wanted to see it so badly. Harriet is a kind person. She’ll understand, right?”
Bradley didn’t hear a word she said. He kept muttering to himself.
After a while, he pulled out his phone and kept calling me.
The ringtone played again and again. No one answered.
I had changed my phone number as soon as I arrived in Ouverling.
I left Bradley no way to contact me.
When the calls failed, and his messages went unanswered, Bradley lost control.
He grew restless, pacing back and forth.
He had always been slightly manic. It had only improved over the years because of my constant care.
When he couldn’t find me, he reported me missing to the police.
That was pointless.
Everyone believed I had died in the ruins.
Bradley didn’t believe it.
After searching for a week, he had no choice but to leave because his orchestra demanded his return.
By then, I had already moved on to my next destination.
I didn’t know he had driven himself crazy searching for me.
When he returned home, he hoped to see me there.
But when he opened the door, he found only a dusty house.
He rushed to the bedroom and threw open the door. It was just as we had left it before our trip.
But something was different.
My belongings were gone.
There was no trace of me.
Bradley stood frozen for over a minute.
He refused to believe what he saw.
His hopeful heart sank into despair.
D
He grew anxious, opening and closing the bedroom door repeatedly.
“This can’t be. It’s impossible,” he said.
Amber followed him into the room. She wasn’t worried.
Instead, she looked delighted, “Bradley, you need to accept it. Harriet died in that earthquake,
“We’re going to marry me anyway. Her death doesn’t matter.
<
12:00 PM
“It’s not important.”
Bradley finally snapped out of his daze and looked at her.
He placed his hands on her belly.
He mumbled, “Yes, she’s dead. She doesn’t matter.
“She’s always so cautious. She wouldn’t let herself get hurt. Maybe this is all her plan to make me regret it.”
He spoke firmly, as if convincing himself.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door.
Bradley rushed to open it, hoping it was me.
But it was just a delivery man.
“Is Bradley here? I have a package for him to sign,” the man said.
