Old Love Void, the Evening Breeze Meets a Good Man

Owen James's grandmother wanted to pass the James family heirloom jade necklace to me.

Just as I reached out to take it, Owen suddenly stretched out his hand and stopped me.

Grandmother, let me give it to Teresa. She's only just come into the family. She needs to save face.

The Teresa he kept saying so fondly was his assistant, Teresa Fox.

Genevieve James's whole face went white with anger.

I only smiled and drew my hand back.

"Grandmother, Owen is right."

That same night, I accepted the date invitation from the finance mogul who'd been chasing me for over half a year.

Over the candlelit dinner, I posted to my social media feed. The picture was of the black card the man had handed me.

Owen's call came three seconds later, his voice tight.

"Where are you? Who are you with?"

I gently swirled the wine in my glass.

"Aren't you busy helping Teresa pick out a necklace?"

He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"You're jealous."

"Not at all."

I looked at the man across from me. He was mouthing a question at me. May I kiss you?

I nodded at him and spoke into the phone, careless.

"Since you're making her promises, I should go find myself a future that isn't quite so pathetic."

Owen's laughter cut off in an instant.

...

The other end of the line went dead silent.

I could picture Owen's face perfectly right now. First the shock, then the fury.

He'd controlled me for seven years. Hadn't he never once slipped?

The man across from me, Abner Henson, saw me nod, and a smile spread in his eyes.

He leaned in, his breath brushing my cheek.

I didn't pull away.

On the phone, Owen's breathing turned suddenly heavy.

"Eudora Pruitt, stop this."

His voice was forced out through his teeth, edged with command.

I took the phone away from my ear and pressed end.

I turned the phone face-down on the tablecloth, shutting his world out completely.

"Sorry. Just an unimportant call."

I smiled at Abner.

In the end Abner's kiss never landed. He only stopped a few centimeters from me.

"It's all right. I can wait."

He sat back in his seat and pushed a plate of shelled crab meat over in front of me.

"Eat something first."

His thoughtfulness was pitched just right, without a trace of pressure.

The feeling was nothing at all like the way Owen and I usually were together.

Owen liked to control everything, including what I wore, ate, where I lived, how I lived, my every joy and sorrow.

He liked watching me get jealous over him, get anxious over him. It fed his sick sense of possession.

Owen and I had been together for seven years.

From school uniforms to suits, from raw and young to grown.

I'd always assumed we'd carry on naturally into marriage.

Until today.

At the old James estate, in the living room, Genevieve held my hand and, with a trembling hand, lifted a jade necklace out of a box.

"Dora, this has been passed down through the James wives for generations. Today I'm officially giving it to you."

Her eyes were full of tenderness.

I was moved, and I reached out to take it.

But Owen suddenly reached over and pressed down on his grandmother's hand.

"Grandmother, this necklace. Give it to Teresa."

The living room went silent at once.

The smile froze on my face.

He didn't even glance at me. His gaze fell on Teresa, who stood off to the side looking awkward.

"Teresa's only just come into our family, and it's her first time meeting the relatives. She needs to save face."

Teresa was his assistant. She'd started three months ago.

An assistant paying her first visit to his family needed a James heirloom to prop up her standing?

It was the most absurd joke I'd ever heard.

Genevieve's whole face went white with anger. The finger she pointed at Owen was shaking.

"You worthless thing! Do you have any idea what you're saying!"

But Owen looked at his grandmother, stubborn, not giving an inch.

Slowly, I drew back the hand hanging in midair, and I stood up.

I walked over to Owen's side and put the smile back on my face.

"Grandmother, Owen is right. Teresa's a guest. We can't treat her poorly."

My compliance loosened the tight line of Owen's jaw.

He looked at me, approval in his eyes.

I avoided his gaze.

That night, I didn't stay for dinner at the old James estate.

I'd said yes to Abner's date.

Abner Henson. The finance mogul who'd been chasing me for over half a year. Handsome, wealthy, and most important of all, when he looked at me, there was light in his eyes.

Now Owen was calling again.

I let it buzz on the table and ignored it.

Abner didn't ask either. He just kept me quiet company through the meal.

When dinner was over, he walked me to the door of my building.

"Aren't you going to invite me up?"

He leaned against the car door, smiling.

My apartment was one Owen had bought.

We'd been living together for five years.

"Another time. It's too late tonight."

I turned him down.

Abner didn't press. He only said, all right, get some rest, then.

He watched me walk into the building before he drove off.

I got home. Owen's slippers were still sitting in the entryway.

The living room light was off, everything pitch black.

I'd just changed out of my shoes when a figure lunged at me out of the dark and pinned me hard against the door.

The strong smell of alcohol mixed with the familiar cedar scent on him, and it wrapped around me all at once.

"Eudora, have you had enough of this?"

Owen's voice was cold and hard, and the hand gripping my shoulder was crushing.

In the dark I couldn't see his face, only the fury pouring off him.

"Making a scene?"

I laughed, cold, and shoved at him with all my strength.

He didn't budge.

"Having dinner with another man, posting a photo meant to make people talk, and then hanging up on me. If that isn't making a scene, what is it?"

He asked it like the moral high ground was his.

"Owen, can we try being reasonable for once."

My voice came out very calm.

"You're the one who threw away our seven years first. You chose to give your little assistant her dignity."

"You're picking a fight with me over a man you've known a few days?"

His tone was all disbelief and the irritation of a man who thought no one had the right to challenge him.

"At least he knows how to respect me."

That one landed.

The grip on my shoulders tightened all at once.

"Respect? Eudora, you belong to me. Everything I've given you still isn't enough?"

"Everything you've given me? Owen, and what exactly is that?"

I threw his hand off and felt along the wall until I found the entryway light.

The sudden brightness stung my eyes.

Owen stood across from me, his face dark, his eyes shot through with red.

He really had been drinking.

"I gave you a house, a car, more money than you could spend, every friend you have envies you, and that still isn't enough?"

It was almost funny.

"So I'm supposed to be grateful, and just let it slide when you hand the token of our future to another woman?"

"That's different!"

He raked a hand through his hair, agitated.

"Grandmother is old. Teresa was keeping her happy. It's one necklace. Do you really have to make this into something?"

"Yes."

I looked him in the eye and said it word by word.

"I really do."

Just then my phone rang.

A message.

I pulled it out, and my pupils shrank.

It was from Teresa.

A photo.

Her neck. The jade necklace I never got to wear, resting quietly against her collarbone.

Below the photo, a line of text.

Dora, thank you for stepping aside. The necklace is beautiful. Owen has such good taste.

A provocation.

Naked provocation.

I was shaking with rage. This scheming little snake had gone too far. I nearly crushed the phone in my hand.

Owen noticed something was wrong and reached for my phone, frowning.

"What are you looking at?"

I shoved the screen straight into his face.

The moment he saw the photo, his expression changed.

"She"

He seemed to want to explain.

I didn't give him the chance.

"Get out."

I pointed at the door, my voice cold.

"Eudora!"

"I said get out!"

I screamed it with everything I had, my chest heaving.

Seven years of love, in that instant, had become a joke.

Owen's face went white and green at once.

He stared at me, hard.

"Fine. Very good."

He ground the words out through his teeth.

He spun around and yanked the door open.

"Eudora, don't you regret this."

The door slammed shut behind him with a bang.

The world was finally quiet.

Every last bit of strength drained out of me, and I slid down the door to the floor.

The tears finally fell, despite everything.

I thought that was the worst of it.

I didn't know the greater humiliation was still coming.

Three days later, there was a charity gala.

The invitation had come to me as Owen James's date.

But it was Abner Henson's arm I walked in on.

Abner was in a sharp suit, tall and easy and gracious, and the moment he appeared he drew every eye in the room.

We became the center of the whole gala.

Plenty of people knew me, knew I was the woman Owen James, president of James Group, had been with for seven years.

They looked at the man beside me, and their eyes were full of curiosity and gossip.

I stayed perfectly composed, smiling and exchanging small talk with everyone who came up to greet me.

Until Owen arrived.

He hadn't come alone.

On his arm was Teresa Fox.

Teresa wore a strapless gown tonight, her makeup flawless.

And around her neck, in plain sight, hung that jade necklace.

Under the ballroom lights, that green shimmered and glowed, and it drove straight into my eyes.

My breath stopped.

The air around me went solid.

I could feel countless glances sweeping back and forth between me, Owen, and Teresa.

Pity, mockery, the anticipation of a good show.

Abner felt me go rigid and, without a flicker, tightened his hand around mine.

His palm was warm and dry.

"I'm right here."

He said it low.

I drew a deep breath, my nails digging into my palm.

Owen's gaze crossed the crowd and landed straight on me.

There was warning in it, displeasure, and something else I couldn't read.

He clearly hadn't expected me to come with Abner.

And he certainly hadn't expected me to see this.

A lady I knew came over with a glass of wine, feigning surprise.

"Miss Pruitt, what a coincidence. And this is?"

Her gaze made a circuit of Abner, then slid off to Owen and Teresa in the distance.

"Has Mr. James changed dates tonight? That necklace on the young lady beside him is quite something. Looks almost like a James family heirloom."

Her voice wasn't loud, wasn't soft, just enough for the whole ring of people around us to hear.

She was doing it on purpose, to shame me.

It felt like someone was slapping my face, over and over.

A raw, burning sting.

I forced the smile to stay at the corners of my mouth, and it was nearly more than I could hold.

Just as I was about to find some excuse and slip away.

Abner suddenly stepped forward and drew me half against him, the gesture intimate.

He gave the lady a slight smile, his tone mild.

"Mrs. Lambert, I think you're mistaken."

"Dora is my date now."

He paused, his gaze turning to me.

"We're seeing each other."

The room broke into a stir.

The look on Mrs. Lambert's face went through a whole show of expressions.

Owen's face went black as still water in an instant.

I lifted my head, met his eyes, raised my glass to him, and smiled bright.

"Mr. James has always had good taste. In assistants, and in necklaces."

I brushed past the awkward subject like it was nothing, then turned to Abner.

"Let's go over there and toast someone."

I took Abner's arm and moved easily through the crowd, without giving Owen another look.

I knew he was watching me from behind.

Teresa seemed rattled by the whole scene, tugging timidly at Owen's sleeve.

"Owen, did I cause trouble for you? Did I make Dora misunderstand?"

Her voice was low, but I heard it.

If that was the best she could do to stir things up, it wasn't much.

I didn't slow my steps.

I didn't want to spend one more second at this gala.

Abner and I left early.

Once I was in the car, the nerves I'd held so tight finally loosened.

"If you want to cry, cry."

Abner handed me a tissue.

I shook my head and forced the tears back.

"He's not worth it."

Crying over a man like Owen was beneath me.

Abner said nothing more, just started the car.

Halfway there, a sharp cramp seized my stomach.

Cold sweat broke out at once.

"What's wrong?"

Abner caught it immediately, that something was off with me.

"My stomach it hurts"

The pain was so bad I couldn't get the words out whole, and I curled up against the seat.

"Don't be scared. I'm taking you to the hospital right now."

Abner's voice stayed steady as he swung the car around and headed for the nearest hospital.

Through the pain, my mind blurred at the edges.

Without thinking, I fished out my phone and, on pure muscle memory, dialed that number I knew by heart.

It rang for a long time before it was answered.

But the voice on the other end was a woman's.

"Hello? Are you looking for Owen?"

It was Teresa.

My heart sank to the very bottom in that instant.

"He's in the shower. Is there something you need? You can tell me, I'll pass it on."

There was a trace of triumph in her voice, the satisfaction of staking her claim.

I couldn't hold on any longer. The world went black, and I lost consciousness completely.

When I woke, I was already in a hospital room.

The first thing I noticed was the smell of disinfectant.

There was a needle in the back of my hand, fluid dripping slowly into my body.

"You're awake?"

Abner's voice came from beside me.

I turned my head and saw him sitting by the bed, shadows under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night.

"What happened to me?"

My voice came out hoarse.

"The doctor said it's acute gastroenteritis, on top of a long stretch of irregular eating and too much stress. You need to stay a few days for observation."

Abner poured me a cup of warm water and helped me sit up.

"Thank you."

"There's no need to be polite with me."

He touched my head, the gesture easy and affectionate.

I froze for a second, but I didn't pull away.

The room was very quiet.

Abner worked on his laptop beside me, and even the occasional tap of the keys felt strangely reassuring.

I lay there staring at the ceiling, my mind blank.

Owen, Teresa, that phone call...

I took out my phone. The screen was still on the call log.

No missed calls. No unread messages.

Owen hadn't tried to reach me.

Maybe Teresa never passed on the message.

Or maybe she did, and he just didn't care.

Which answer hurt more?

I laughed at myself.

At a point like this, what was I still hoping for?

I opened the news app, and an entertainment alert popped up.

President of James Group makes a high-profile appearance with his new love. Wedding bells soon?

The photo was from the gala last night, Owen and Teresa standing together.

He was looking down at her, his gaze intent.

Teresa had her face tilted up, smiling sweetly.

A perfect match, made for each other.

The pain in my chest was so sharp I couldn't breathe.

So while I'd been in the emergency room fighting for my life, he'd been writing a love story with another woman.

I closed my eyes and threw the phone aside.

Eudora, that's enough.

That's really enough.

I stayed in the hospital for three days.

For those three days, Abner barely left my side.

He bought my meals, peeled fruit for me, sat and talked with me to keep me from getting bored.

His company kept him busy, so he simply moved his office into the hospital room.

I watched him sit by the window, focused on a call across the ocean, sunlight spilling over him.

And it struck me that maybe this wasn't so bad.

Owen never showed up. Not once.

No calls. No messages.

He vanished from my world without a trace.

The day I was discharged, Abner came to pick me up.

He handled all the paperwork, then said to me,

"Dora, come live with me."

I looked at him and didn't answer right away.

"I don't want you going back to a place that hurts you."

He took my hand, his eyes sincere.

"I promise I'll take good care of you."

I was quiet for a long time.

Then I nodded.

"Okay."

The day I moved, I didn't tell Owen.

I called a moving company, and over the course of one afternoon, I took everything of mine out of the apartment where he and I had lived together for five years.

Clothes, shoes, bags, books...

I set the keys on the shoe cabinet by the entryway.

I took one last look at the place I'd once called home.

Then I closed the door and left without looking back.

That night I moved into Abner's home.

His apartment was in a complex downtown, a penthouse duplex with a wide view.

The interior was minimalist, black and white and gray, a lot like him: calm and self-possessed.

He'd already prepared a separate walk-in closet and bedroom for me.

"Stay in this room for now. If you don't like it, we'll switch."

He didn't push me to share a room with him.

That respect loosened something in the taut string of my heart, just a little.

At ten that night, my phone started ringing wildly.

It was Owen.

I looked at his name flashing on the screen, hesitated, and answered anyway.

"Eudora, where are you?"

His voice was full of barely held anger.

"What do you mean by this? You took everything? Cleared the whole place out?"

"Didn't I already tell you?"

My tone was calm.

"I need to find myself a reliable future."

"So you moved in with that Henson man?"

His voice shot up.

"Eudora, what does seven years between us mean to you?"

"And what about you?"

I threw it back at him.

"What did our seven years mean to you? A chip you could trample however you liked, to buy someone else's dignity?"

On the other end, there was a long silence.

After a while he finally spoke, his voice tired and defeated.

"Dora, come back. Stop this."

"I'm not making a scene."

I said.

"Owen, we're over."

With that, I hung up and blocked him.

The world was finally, completely quiet.