Chapter 13: Goodbye at Dawn
533 Words
Her head nodded drowsily. She was so tired that when her hand slipped, the book fell from her lap—jolting her awake like a splash of cold water.
“Not sleeping!” she told herself firmly, putting the book aside.
If Keith came back and found her asleep after he’d told her to wait, his petty side would surely make her pay for it later. But waiting like this was pure torment.
She picked up her phone, wanting to text him to confirm his return time.
But it was still hours before midnight—the height of the nightlife. She sighed and put it down again, torn between waiting and asking.
Keith’s mind wandered as he drove. A sudden blare of a horn jolted him back to his senses, and he slammed on the brakes. Glancing up, he saw Samantha Wu’s smiling face on the square’s large screen, holding a trophy—with the headline “Returning to Settle Locally” burning into his line of sight. His jaw tightened; the news hit him harder than he’d expected.
When Keith got home, the bedroom light was still on. Dora sat half-reclined against the headboard, dozing off with her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her pajama top had slipped slightly, her brows furrowed in a faint pout, her red lips parted softly. He could almost see the quiet disappointment and patience in her expression as she’d waited for him—an image that tugged at his heart.
Keith tiptoed in, changed clothes, and took a shower. When he came out, Dora stirred awake, rubbing her eyes in disbelief: “Keith? You… you’re back?”
Before she could finish, he captured her lips in a searing kiss. Starved for her warmth, he lost control the moment his skin touched hers. The thought that this might be their last night together fueled his passion, making his movements urgent, wild, and laced with a desperation he couldn’t hide.
Dora felt the difference instantly. Unlike his usual passion—raw, pleasure-driven—tonight there was a deep, unspoken sorrow beneath it. She didn’t brush it off as dissatisfaction with others; instead, a heavy, aching grief wrapped around her heart, as if she could feel his inner turmoil.
The night dragged on, intense and fiery.
Dora woke at dawn to the sound of rustling. The sky was just turning gray, but Keith was already fully dressed.
“Keith, so early?” Her voice was hoarse with sleep.
“Hmm. I won’t be back for the next two days. She’s coming back, so… Tristan Tang will bring you the papers. Sign them,” Keith said, adjusting his cuffs with a cold, detached air, as if discussing a business deal rather than ending their marriage.
His tone was a stark contrast to the tenderness of the night before.
Dora’s sleepiness vanished instantly, replaced by a sharp ache in her chest. She’d anticipated this day, but its sudden arrival still took her breath away. Her eyes stung, yet she forced a perfect smile: “Got it.”
Passionate intimacy at night, a cold goodbye at dawn—it was the classic lover’s goodbye, cruel as a slap to the face.
- Writer
