A new Beginning
1238 Words
“Call us if you need anything,” the staff said politely.
Stella nodded and locked the door behind her. She took her phone from her purse and dialed Ethan’s number.
He answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Book me a flight to Seoul,” Stella said.
There was a short silence on the other end.
“I thought you just arrived in New York. Why are you coming to Seoul?” Ethan asked, confused.
“Long story,” Stella replied sharply. Ethan was always full of questions, which she found exhausting.
“Make it short, because I don’t understand anything,” Ethan insisted.
“I’m divorcing Austin,” Stella said.
Before Ethan could respond, she ended the call.
She knew him well enough. The moment he heard those words, he would immediately book the flight. Ethan had always hated Austin because of the way Stella devoted herself to a man who barely cared about her. Ethan was also the only person who knew the full story of their relationship.
Stella lay down on the hotel bed, staring at the ceiling.
Her thoughts drifted to the envelope she had given Freda earlier. Inside it were the divorce papers.
She wondered how Austin would react when he finally saw them.
A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
She had wasted her early twenties loving a man who never truly cared about her.
Sighing softly, Stella got up and walked toward the large window. The city below glowed with lights and movement.
“It’s time to move on,” she whispered to herself.
Her phone buzzed.
It was Ethan.
She answered the call and placed the phone against her ear.
“Hello,” Stella said.
“Your flight to Seoul is booked. You’ll leave tomorrow morning,” Ethan said.
Stella nodded even though he couldn’t see her.
“Thanks,” she replied before hanging up and tossing the phone onto the bed.
After a moment, she walked over to the room service telephone to place an order.
“Hello,” Stella said after dialing the number.
For several seconds there was no response. She was about to hang up when a voice finally answered.
“Ma’am, I’m very sorry. We had a small network issue,” the waiter said politely.
“It’s fine. Bring me a glass of wine and a bottle of shisha,” Stella said.
“What flavor would you like?”
“Mango mint.”
“Alright.”
The call ended.
Stella walked to the sofa and lay down, staring at the ceiling. Slowly, a memory surfaced in her mind.
The first time she smoked shisha.
It had been during her school prom.
Everyone was dancing, laughing, and celebrating. It was their final night together before everyone went their separate ways.
One of her classmates, Mike, had brought a game of Truth or Dare.
When the bottle spun, it stopped in front of Stella.
Her opponent was Camila.
Camila was loud, playful, and sometimes annoying, but everyone loved her cheerful personality.
With a mischievous smile, Camila gave Stella her dare.
“Kiss Ethan.”
The group immediately erupted with excitement.
Everyone liked the idea, including Ethan himself. He had always liked Stella.
But Stella didn’t feel the same way.
“Pass,” she said firmly.
Instead of completing the dare, she picked up the shisha and took a puff.
Ethan could have stopped her that night.
But he didn’t.
He was too heartbroken to say anything.
Stella was suddenly pulled back to reality by the sound of the doorbell.
She quickly walked to the door and opened it.
The waiter stood outside with the tray.
“I’m sorry for the delay,” Stella said politely.
“It’s alright, ma’am,” the waiter replied before placing the items inside and leaving.
Meanwhile, Aurora walked into Austin’s office at his company, smiling as she held a piece of candy.
“Daddy, where’s Jasmine?” Aurora asked happily.
“She left,” Austin replied while looking through some files.
“Left? Where?” Aurora asked, suddenly uneasy.
“Seoul. That’s where she lives,” Austin said calmly.
Aurora’s face fell.
“Dad, you’re so heartless! Why didn’t you tell me? When will I see her again?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes.
“She’s not your mother,” Austin said coldly.
“She is! She’s my stepmom!” Aurora protested.
Austin closed the file in front of him.
“We’re traveling in three days,” he said.
Aurora’s face lit up instantly.
“Really? That means I’ll see Jasmine again?” she asked excitedly.
“If you want to,” Austin replied.
Back in the hotel room, Stella’s phone buzzed again, waking her from sleep.
“What?” she mumbled.
“It’s 7:40 a.m. Your flight is at 9. Hurry up,” Ethan said.
“What? It’s morning already?” Stella exclaimed as she jumped out of bed.
“Damn… my head hurts,” she groaned, rubbing her forehead. The wine from the previous night had left her with a terrible headache.
She quickly stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Warm water cascaded over her body, easing the tension in her muscles.
After showering, she dried her hair and looked at herself in the mirror. Dark circles rested under her eyes.
She applied a little makeup — concealer, mascara, and soft pink lip gloss.
Then she dressed in a black leather top, dark jeans, and boots.
When she walked back into the room, the time read 8:01 a.m.
Her Uber had already been called.
Everything was ready.
Stella walked to the window again.
Her mind drifted back to the first day she walked into Austin’s villa. At that time, she truly believed their marriage would last forever.
But now everything had changed.
“It’s better to walk away now,” she whispered to herself, “than to slowly break inside.”
Soon, she left the hotel and headed to the airport.
After checking in and passing through security, Stella boarded the plane.
Before takeoff, she texted Ethan that she was on the plane.
As the aircraft rose into the sky, she looked out the window.
The city slowly disappeared beneath thick clouds.
She nodded quietly.
This was truly a new beginning.
Just then, her phone buzzed.
She looked at the screen and froze.
Aurora.
Surprised, Stella immediately called back.
The phone rang.
Twice.
No answer.
Worried, Stella quickly called Freda.
“Hello, ma’am,” Freda answered warmly.
“Freda, where’s Aurora?” Stella asked.
“I believe she’s in her room. Is something wrong?”
“Could you please check?” Stella asked.
“Of course.”
Freda walked to Aurora’s room and knocked.
“Who is it?” Aurora asked.
“It’s me,” Freda replied.
“Come in.”
Freda entered the room.
“Did you call your mother just now?” she asked gently.
Aurora looked uncomfortable.
“It was a mistake,” she said quickly.
Freda nodded and left the room.
But deep down, Aurora felt conflicted.
She missed Stella.
Earlier, she had wanted to ask her mother how she was doing. But when the call started ringing, she panicked and ended it.
Moments later, Freda called Stella back.
“She’s fine,” Freda said.
“Thank you,” Stella replied softly.
Back on the plane, Stella leaned back in her seat, put on her headphones, and slowly drifted into sleep.
- Writer
