Marrying My Father's Enemy
Chapter 57: The First Snow

Chapter 57: The First Snow

Chapter 57: The First Snow

Eira knelt on the floor, surrounded by the clothes and small things she’d been shoving into a worn-out suitcase.

Her hands shook as she folded the last sweater, trying to ignore the way her chest felt tight, heavy, like it was being crushed from the inside.

She’d already packed most of what was hers, but every item Callian had given her—a necklace, a dress, small tokens of affection she’d once held close—lay discarded on the floor.

She couldn’t bear to take them, couldn’t even stand to look at them.

"It’s fine," she whispered in a trembling voice. "I don’t need any of it. I don’t need... him."

Her words broke off, trailing into silence as the apartment grew darker, shadows stretched across the walls, filling the empty spaces where his presence should have been.

The tears slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them.

She wiped at them furiously, frustrated with herself.

"He’s a narcissistic, egoistic... sex-driven machine who..." Her voice faltered, and she found herself staring blankly at the floor, struggling to finish the sentence.

Who... what?

The words wouldn’t come, and instead, she felt her throat tighten, the tears blurred her view again.

She gritted her teeth, letting out a frustrated breath.

"He’s so cruel sometimes. He only thinks about himself," she muttered, trying to hold on to her anger, but it felt thin, weak.

Her heart ached too much to hold onto it, and the anger faded into a hollow sadness that filled her from head to toe.

"Then why..." she whispered in a tone that was almost like a breath, "why does it hurt so much to let him go?"

She clutched her chest, as if holding herself together, but it didn’t help.

The ache was too deep, twisting and tightening until it felt like she might break apart.

She lowered herself onto her knees, feeling her strength give out as she sat there, surrounded by her own belongings, lost in the silence he’d left behind.

The tears came faster now, spilling down her cheeks in hot streams, each one carrying a piece of the life she thought she’d had with him.

She’d believed his promises, held onto the memories like they were real, but now they felt hollow, empty, as if they’d been nothing more than shadows.

She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders started shaking as the sobs escaped.

"I loved you..." she whispered into the empty room, the words slipped out before she could stop them. "I loved you... and you... you just..."

Her voice faded into the silence, and she pressed her hands harder against her face, as if she could block out the pain by hiding from it.

But it was there, sharp, filling her with the words of goodbye.

She sat there for a long time, the room grew darker as the sun set completely.

One hour later, Eira stepped out of the apartment building, pulling her single suitcase behind her.

The wheels scraped against the cracked sidewalk, ruining in the stillness of the street.

She took a shaky breath as the cold air hit her, her eyes adjusted to the soft, drifting snowflakes that had just started to fall.

Each flake was delicate, swirling through the air, painting the world in a quiet, gentle white.

But the sight only blurred her vision further, blending with the tears she could no longer keep back.

She blinked, trying to focus, but everything felt hazy, distant, like she was trapped in a dream she couldn’t wake up from.

She kept walking in slow footsteps, mechanical, almost as if her body were moving without her.

"I have nowhere to go," she whispered when a bitter realisation settled over her.

For a whole year of their agreed contract, Callian allowed her to use anything—his money, his cars, his properties, every luxury he owned.

She’d grown used to it, relying on it, and now, all of that felt as if it had been ripped away, leaving her with nothing.

She didn’t even know where to turn.

The suitcase’s wheels clattered along the pavement, forcing her forward, pulling her farther from the only life she’d known with him.

Each step felt like it was tearing her from the memories, from the dreams she’d foolishly built around him.

"I’m going to die soon anyway," she muttered to herself over the soft crunch of snow beneath her feet.

A sharp chill settled over her, creeping into her bones, and for the first time, she realised just how vulnerable she was without him.

She had no friends she could call, not really.

Her aunt was far away, and she didn’t want to trouble her.

Liam was out of reach, and her cousins—they’d always kept a distance, never warm, never welcoming.

And Henry... she closed her eyes, biting back a sob.

She couldn’t bring herself to call him, couldn’t face him with everything he’d done. She would most likely kill him by herself.

The world felt unbearably large and cold, and Callian—he was unreachable.

She didn’t want him to know where she was, to chase after her out of pity or obligation, but she also knew, deep down, that hiding from him was impossible.

His reach extended far beyond her understanding, and her escape felt as fragile as a breath in the winter air.

Finally, her legs gave way, and she sank down onto the cold ground, settling herself against the corner of the street.

The icy pavement sent chills up her spine, making her shiver, but she barely noticed.

She tilted her head back, watching as the snowflakes drifted down, each one catching the light, small and perfect, like something out of a dream.

It was beautiful, like a scene from a movie, and yet it felt empty.

The pain from the tumour started burning her up, dull but constant, telling her about the fragility, but it still didn’t compare to the one in her heart.

Knowing that Callian was with Vanesa—that he had chosen her—cut deeper than any physical pain she could feel.

Blurred with the snow, and she barely registered the sound of footsteps approaching until a soft voice broke through the haze.

"Eira? Eira Hax?"

She blinked, lifting her head, squinting through the snowfall.

A young woman stood there, wrapped in a thick coat, her long curly black hair tumbled over her shoulders.

Her face was open, warm.

Eira stared, struggling to place her, to understand.

The girl’s eyes softened, her voice seemed to be kind. "Eira... it’s been a long time."