He Ignored My Grief, I Chose Duty

Chapter 4

Her father's death had whipped up a tempest of grief with no way out.

Linnea tore across the FLY Racing Club track, the engine howling as she unleashed every pent-up emotion.

She had no idea the nearby racing fans were filming her every brilliant move.

After several scorching laps, her mood finally settled, and she climbed out of the car.

That was when Jesse, the smartass Sonya had been teasing, finally strolled out of the VIP lounge.

He spotted her and couldn't help asking, "Waiting for Dominic?"

She gave a quiet "Mm."

Jesse hesitated, then finally said, "Linnea, as Dominic's friend and a man, let me tell you... a man only has one true love. And our Dominic's true love, without a doubt, is Sonya."

Linnea turned her calm gaze on him. "Real love doesn't just end. If it's over, it wasn't the real thing, and the feelings were never that deep."

Jesse was speechless for a beat, then spat out, "Then stop throwing yourself at Dominic."

'Throwing herself at him...'

Sonya had only been back a little over a month, and already the world saw her as the desperate one clinging on?

She still remembered Jesse's words four years ago. "Linnea, you mustn't leave Dominic. He's badly injured... not just his body, but his heart too..."

And now?

One hour.

Two.

Three.

The night had swallowed the sky whole, pitch-black, before Dominic finally returned.

He saw her standing under the streetlight... a lone, fragile figure still waiting for him.

Something tugged at him, and he rushed forward, pulling her into his arms.

"Sorry I made you wait so long."

Guilt wasn't love. Her eyes were drawn to the lipstick smeared all over his shirt, and she couldn't force out an "It's fine."

She smiled faintly instead. "I won't wait for you anymore."

This was the last time. She had no choice... there were no cabs around here. After all, she had nothing else to do.

Dominic froze, caught her gaze lingering on the stains, and assumed jealousy.

He quickly explained, "Sonya was drunk. It got on my clothes by accident."

"Mm."

She slid into the car and shut her eyes.

Back home, after washing up, she told Dominic, "I'm a bit tired these days. I'll sleep in the guest room."

He didn't give it a second thought.

She was a light sleeper; she often crashed in the guest room alone.

*****

The next morning, she woke early and checked her phone: September 26th. Three days until she left.

Dominic was still asleep, so she went back to packing.

She stepped into the sprawling walk-in closet.

As she packed her own things, her eyes landed on the couple outfits... and all the shirts, shoes, and socks she'd bought him. Brand new, every single one. He'd never worn a thing.

In the glass display case beside it sat the entry-level Patek Philippe... a gift she'd scrimped and saved for four years, driven by nothing but pride.

Dominic had probably forgotten he even owned this cheap junk.

They came from entirely different worlds. They were never meant to be together.

Linnea gathered every single gift she had ever given him, stuffed them into bags, and listed them for a pittance on a second-hand website.

As she turned to leave the walk-in closet, her gaze inadvertently snagged on two handbags sitting in a nearby cabinet.

Birthday gifts from Dominic in 2022 and 2023. The style, the color... absolutely identical.

After she finished packing everything up, she realized that in three years, her entire life fit into one simple suitcase.

She tucked the suitcase away in the deepest corner of the room.

Then, she headed downstairs alone to grab some breakfast. Laurel Crest was very close to the club, so many employees came there for breakfast.

Linnea overheard two young women gossiping nearby.

"Did you catch that video of racing god Phantom and Sonya racing together last month? The way they looked at each other... it was like no one else existed."

"Do you think Phantom actually loves her, though?"

The girl across from her let out a sigh.

"You're asking a question you already know the answer to. They were lovers once. How could they not be in love?"