Chapter 3: The life she left behind
1313 Words
The pilot’s loud announcement woke Stella from her sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. The plane was still in the air, surrounded by endless white clouds that looked soft and peaceful. For a moment, it felt as if they were no longer on earth but floating in another world.
She removed her headphones, trying to hear what the pilot had said, but the announcement had already ended.
Curious, Stella gently tapped the woman sitting beside her.
“Excuse me… what did the pilot say?” she asked politely.
The woman frowned and looked at her with irritation.
“Aren’t we on the same plane?” she snapped.
Before Stella could respond, the pilot’s voice echoed again through the cabin speakers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are beginning our descent into Seoul Incheon International Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts.”
The woman glanced back at Stella with a smug expression.
“Now you heard it.”
“Yeah,” Stella replied quietly.
She placed her headphones back over her ears and leaned into her seat. Stella had always been the calm type; arguments were never worth her energy.
Stella’s feet finally touched Korean soil.
The familiar atmosphere of Seoul rushed toward her like a forgotten memory. The language, the fast-moving crowd, and the distant hum of announcements made everything feel strangely comforting.
She passed through immigration smoothly, collected her luggage, and stopped at the currency exchange counter. The crisp Korean won notes felt unfamiliar in her hands even though Seoul had once been her home.
Her stomach growled loudly.
Following the scent of food, she found the airport food court and ordered a steaming bowl of bibimbap. The warmth of the dish and the familiar flavors brought a small sense of comfort she hadn’t felt in months.
After finishing her meal, she hailed a taxi outside the airport.
“Austin Group Residence,” she told the driver.
The driver nodded and drove off.
The large iron gates of Austin’s mansion slowly opened as the taxi pulled in. Stella stepped out and dragged her luggage toward the entrance.
Nothing had changed.
The same marble floors.
The same quiet halls.
The same house that had once felt like her dream.
She walked straight to her room and shut the door behind her.
Taking out her phone, she sent Ethan a short message.
“I’m already in Seoul.”
She slipped her phone back into her pocket and walked to the wardrobe to begin packing her belongings.
When she had first moved into Austin’s mansion, she had believed she was the luckiest woman alive. Marrying the man she loved had felt like the beginning of a perfect life.
But now she could only laugh at herself.
“I was just fooling myself,” she murmured.
After finishing her packing, she checked her phone again. Ethan had replied.
“Cool. See you Friday. Something came up. I’m leaving town.”
Stella simply reacted with a thumbs-up emoji and checked the address Ethan had sent for her new house.
She lay down on the bed for a moment and called a taxi. Before leaving, she decided to take one last walk through the mansion.
A final goodbye.
Her steps slowed as she reached Austin’s bedroom.
The door was slightly open.
Stella hesitated before pushing it gently.
The room looked exactly as it always had—neat, cold, and emotionless.
Then her eyes fell on something inside the trash can.
A sky-blue scarf.
Her heart tightened.
She walked over and picked it up slowly.
It was the scarf she had knitted for Austin last winter.
She remembered the day clearly. She had gone to a cotton shop with Aurora and spotted the soft sky-blue yarn. The idea came instantly—she would make Austin a scarf as his birthday gift.
She had spent nights knitting it carefully.
But now it was sitting in the trash.
He must have thrown it away the moment she gave it to him.
A faint bitter smile appeared on her lips.
“If I knew you’d throw it away,” she whispered softly, “I would have kept it for myself.”
She folded the scarf and placed it into her bag.
It belonged to her now.
Her phone suddenly buzzed.
The taxi had arrived.
Stella answered the call while walking quickly back to her room to grab her luggage.
“Hello, I’ll be there in two minutes,” she said before hanging up.
Taxi drivers in Seoul had a habit of complaining endlessly if passengers delayed them. Stella had no patience for that today.
She rushed outside, locked the door behind her, and headed toward the waiting taxi.
Thankfully, the house had a digital password lock.
No keys.
No reason to return.
Stella arrived at her new house at exactly 6:50 PM.
The place was already fully furnished, leaving her with little to worry about.
Financially, she wasn’t struggling.
Since the first day she married Austin, he had sent her money every week. When Aurora was born, he even opened a separate account for their daughter and deposited large amounts regularly.
After calculating everything, Stella realized she had about thirty thousand dollars saved.
Enough to start a new life.
Besides, she had always earned well at work because of her position.
Before everything changed, Stella had worked at Austin’s company.
She had originally taken the job for one reason—to get closer to him.
Eventually she became his assistant.
Ironically, she rarely worked directly with him. Most of her tasks were done behind the scenes, and sometimes months passed without Austin even seeing her.
The last time they had spoken properly was two years ago when he traveled to New York.
Because of Jasmine.
Meanwhile, Aurora was excitedly preparing for her birthday party on Thursday.
She could barely contain her happiness.
The reason wasn’t the party itself.
It was because Jasmine would be there.
Aurora had already started seeing Jasmine as her real mother.
Stella had completely faded from her thoughts.
Austin, on the other hand, had not called or texted Stella since she left.
There was no clear reason.
Maybe he hated her.
Maybe he assumed she was busy with work.
Or maybe he simply didn’t care.
Two days ago, Austin had booked a flight to Seoul. Since Aurora’s birthday was on Thursday, he planned to arrive earlier so she could celebrate with Jasmine like she wanted.
It had nothing to do with missing Stella.
Stella was slowly adjusting to her new life.
Living alone felt strangely liberating.
Still, deep down she missed Aurora terribly—the laughter, the small conversations, the warmth of being a mother.
As for Austin…
She felt nothing.
The only reason she expected to hear from him was because of the divorce papers she had left behind. By now, he must have seen them.
Earlier that day, Stella had also submitted her resignation letter at the company.
Mr. Albert looked stunned when he read it.
“Are you sure about this?” he asked.
Stella had been one of the most reliable employees in the company. Many workers respected her dedication and leadership.
“Yes,” Stella replied calmly. “I’ve decided to pursue my dream.”
Mr. Albert sighed.
“If you ever change your mind, our doors will always be open.”
Stella nodded politely and turned to leave.
“But you’ll have to continue working until we find a replacement,” he added.
“I’m sorry,” Stella said gently, turning back. “I can’t continue. I have more important things to take care of now.”
Mr. Albert studied her carefully.
“Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Stella shook her head.
“No. I’m fine.”
Without another word, she walked out of the office.
This time, she wasn’t looking back.
Her old life was finally over.
- Writer
