Ten Days to Goodbye

After discovering Lydia's existence, I didn't argue with Alex. I simply handed him a divorce agreement. He sat there with his head lowered. After a long moment of hesitation, he tore it in half. "Please give me ten days. In ten days, I'll send Lydia somewhere far away. She'll never appear in our lives again." Without waiting for my answer, he got up and left the house. During those ten days, he took Lydia whitewater rafting, climbed snowy mountains with her, went bungee jumping and skydiving, and shared every thrilling adventure imaginable. He also watched the sunrise with her by the ocean, prayed together in a church, and did all the romantic things that lovers do. On the night of the ninth day, after I had packed all my luggage, I accidentally received a video call from myself ten years in the past. She looked full of life and asked excitedly, "Are you really me from ten years in the future? Then Alex and I must be married by now, right? Do we have kids?" Heartbroken, I walked onto the balcony and pointed my phone's camera toward Alex and Lydia, who were tightly embracing each other below, unable to let go. "This is your answer." She stared at the screen with wide eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing. "That's impossible..." My voice was weary, as though every last bit of strength had been drained from me. "Charlotte... Please. Don't marry him." Chapter 1 She couldn't stop crying. Her eyes were full of pain and shock. She kept whispering, "How could this happen..." But I couldn't answer her, because I didn't know either. All I could say was, "Charlotte, you won't be happy if you marry him. Promise me, okay?" She wiped away her tears and looked at me with red, swollen eyes. "But he's not with me right now. He went to Suncrest to beg the mysterious doctor to treat my legs." I froze. I had almost forgotten. Back then, a stage accident had crushed my legs so badly that I could barely stand. At that time, Alex Jensen was even more heartbroken than I was. He stayed by my side every single night. He changed my bandages and massaged my legs until morning. Later, we heard about a mysterious doctor in Suncrest who might be able to heal me. Alex left immediately. He knelt outside the doctor's house for three days without eating or drinking. His calves swelled up before the doctor finally agreed to help me. But now... I couldn't help reaching down to touch my legs. They had healed, but somehow we had still lost each other. The most ironic part was... "Do you know who the girl downstairs named Lydia Wood is?" She shook her head, her eyes still red from crying. I answered sadly, "She's the doctor's granddaughter." She gasped in shock and covered her mouth as tears spilled out again. "So Alex fell in love with someone else while trying to save me?" I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe it wasn't love back then. They met again two years ago, five years after your time." The two of us fell silent. Just then, I heard the electronic door lock unlock. I quickly hid my phone behind my back. When Alex looked over, he didn't ask what I was doing. His eyes were red, and he looked completely worn out. He let out a bitter laugh. "Happy now? I sent her away." I stared at him without expression. Behind my back, my nails dug into my palm until it hurt. "Happy? Alex, is this marriage only my responsibility? Am I the only one who's supposed to fight for it?" He ripped off his tie and tossed it onto the couch. After saying only, "Stop being so unreasonable," he brushed past me, walked into the bathroom, and slammed the door shut. I stood there, stunned. After a long time, I lowered my head and took out my phone again. Charlotte was crying so hard on the screen. "That's not the Alex I know..." But I couldn't cry. I wanted to let everything out like she was, but not a single tear would come. "Maybe people really do change." I picked up my suitcase and was about to leave when a heavy rain suddenly started outside. At the same time, my phone buzzed with a notice that my flight had been canceled. I sighed. It looked like I wouldn't be leaving tonight after all. Carrying my suitcase again, I pushed open the bedroom door. "You sleep in separate rooms now?" she asked carefully. I paused for a moment before answering helplessly, "Yeah. We've been sleeping separately for almost a year." She kept crying. "But at this point, Alex couldn't even fall asleep unless he was holding me..." My eyes trembled. Too much time had passed. So much that I had almost forgotten. Back then, Alex had terrible insomnia. The only way he could sleep peacefully was with me beside him, so we were never apart. I spoke softly, "He has someone else who helps him sleep now. Lydia is a very skilled doctor." After a long silence, Charlotte looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "Alex will be back in three days. Then I'll use those three days to completely give up on him." I nodded. "Okay." Chapter 2 When I walked out of my room early the next morning, Alex was already making breakfast. As if nothing had happened, he smiled and said, "Good morning. Come have breakfast." I glanced at the food on the table and said tiredly, "I'm allergic to eggs." He had been spreading mayonnaise on the toast. When he heard that, he froze. Then he threw the slice of toast in front of me into the trash. "I forgot. Then go grab something outside." I gave a quiet "okay" and turned to leave when Alex suddenly asked, "Don't you think we've become strange? Charlotte, we're like strangers." I looked into his distant eyes and laughed bitterly. "No. Strangers don't argue. We're worse than strangers. But whose fault is that? Mine?" After I asked, neither of us spoke. We stood there facing each other, and neither one of us was willing to give in. In the end, his phone rang and broke the silence. He answered with a blank expression. "Okay, Grandpa. Charlotte and I will be there on time." After hanging up, he rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily and looked at me with mixed emotions. "Let's leave the past in the past. Tomorrow is Grandpa's 80th birthday party. Let's go together. Don't let him notice anything is wrong." I sighed. "All right." Then I went to the neighborhood café for breakfast, keeping the video call on the whole time. She hadn't said a word. I was the first to speak. "What are you thinking about?" She looked lost. "I just never imagined that Alex and I would end up like this. We don't share anything anymore. We don't tell each other we love each other. All that's left is blame and resentment." I froze for a moment and didn't answer. The leaves throughout the neighborhood had been knocked to the ground by last night's storm. They made a soft rustling sound under my feet. The sound reminded me of the days when Alex carried me on his back while walking over these same leaves after I got hurt. But everything had changed. When the café owner saw me, he smiled and asked, "Good morning, Ms. Murphy. The usual? A bagel and oatmeal. And you're allergic to eggs, so no eggs, right?" I smiled. "That's right." Even the café owner remembered that I was allergic to eggs, but Alex had forgotten. The next day, he picked me up to go to the Jensen Mansion. I sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring out the window at the passing streets. After a while, Alex suddenly asked, "You know Lydia saved Grandpa's life before, right?" I turned to look at him. "What are you trying to say?" He pressed his lips together. "So Lydia will be at Grandpa's birthday party today too. I didn't invite her. Grandpa did." I didn't know how to react. Honestly, I wasn't surprised. After forcing down the pain in my heart, I answered, "That's fine. I don't have a problem with it." There were only three days left anyway. Three days from now, the Charlotte from the past would change history, and there would no longer be any future for us. He looked surprised by my answer. Then he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. After a long silence, he finally said, "That's good." I could hear Charlotte crying through my earbuds. I had gotten used to this cold way of living together. I had already accepted that our relationship could never be fixed. But I knew this was cruel to her. It was like riding a roller coaster. "How could he treat you like this?" I didn't know how to comfort her, so I stayed silent. Not long after that, we arrived at the Jensen Mansion. The moment we got out of the car, a pretty young woman came running toward us from across the yard. "Alex, I thought we'd never see each other again." She was crying too, and Alex comforted her. Without caring who was watching, he gently wiped away her tears. "Don't cry. Now that I'm back, I won't let anyone send you away again." The whole thing felt painfully ironic. I said honestly, "You can do whatever you want. I won't stop you. Just don't make me sound like the villain who's trying to keep you apart." Lydia curled her lips in disdain. Alex, however, frowned deeply, looking completely confused. I knew exactly what confused him. He couldn't understand why I could be so calm about all of this. I turned my eyes away. It wasn't because I was being generous. I had simply let go. Chapter 3 It felt like everyone around me was staring at me. Some looked at me with pity. Others were clearly enjoying my embarrassment. I ignored them all and walked straight inside. Then I handed Alex's grandfather, Felix Jensen, his birthday gift. "Happy birthday, Felix." He looked at me with a warm smile. "Thank you, my dear." Alex and Lydia stood together behind me. They looked more like a loving married couple than we ever did. Felix paused for a moment. Then he took my hand and Alex's, placing them together. "So, when are you two going to give me a great-grandbaby?" Alex and I both froze. I pulled my hand away first. Alex looked surprised, but I continued, "Felix, Alex and I..." Before I could finish, Alex interrupted me. He turned to Felix and said, "Don't worry, Grandpa. We'll make it happen as soon as we can." Felix laughed happily. Alex, however, looked gloomy and irritated as he grabbed my wrist and led me into the backyard. "What were you trying to say?" "I was going to tell Felix the truth—that we're getting divorced. And we're never going to have children." I answered without emotion. He frowned but stayed silent. After a moment, he finally spoke. "Why are you bringing up divorce again? Didn't we agree to leave the past behind? Charlotte, can't you stop making a scene?" I couldn't understand him. "If we can't stand each other anymore, then just marry Lydia, the woman you actually love." His breathing grew heavier. "Can't stand each other? I never..." "Alex!" Lydia's voice interrupted him from across the yard, making the tension between us even worse. She looked at me with pitiful eyes before biting her lip. "Charlotte, could you please stop using Felix to threaten me?" I frowned. "What are you talking about?" Lydia looked deeply wronged. "Weren't you about to tell Felix that I ruined your marriage with Alex? You know his health isn't good. I couldn't let you upset him, so I'd have no choice but to leave Alex. Wasn't that your plan?" I stared at her in disbelief. Then the whole thing felt so ridiculous that I let out a cold laugh. "You're overthinking it." No one with any sense would fall for such an obvious attempt to drive us apart. Then Alex asked in a low voice, "Charlotte, is that really what you were planning? You're threatening me again." He believed her... I wanted to explain, but when I saw the doubt in his eyes, the words wouldn't come out. In the end, I simply said, "Believe whatever you want." The moment I finished speaking, I turned around and left. I didn't want to see him anymore. Charlotte's voice came through my earbuds, trying to comfort me. "Don't be sad." For the first time, I suddenly wanted to cry. "I'm not sad. Charlotte, after your surgery succeeds, Alex will propose to you. Whatever you do, don't say yes." This time, she answered without any hesitation. "I understand. Don't worry. I won't." Hearing that, I finally let out a breath of relief. Not long afterward, Felix cut the birthday cake and went upstairs to rest. The moment he left, the people at the dinner table stopped holding back and openly mocked me. "That woman showed up at her own house to challenge her, and she's still too scared to do anything," Andrew Jensen's wife, Jessica Jensen, said with a sneer. Someone beside her laughed. "Jessica, everyone knows Lydia is the woman Alex truly loves." I heard every single word. My fingers tightened around my silverware as I looked up with a cold smile. "Jessica, since you're so brave, why are you still helping Andrew raise his illegitimate son?" Andrew was Alex's older brother. Her face turned ugly in an instant. "Charlotte, that's none of your business!" I looked at her without expression. "Then how is my marriage any of yours?" She couldn't answer. An awkward silence fell over the table. Alex cut in with a deep voice. "Charlotte, that's enough." I turned toward him blankly and suddenly noticed that his tie matched Lydia's outfit. Because he had made his feelings so obvious, everyone else felt free to laugh at me. I set down my silverware and murmured, "Alex, you're the last person who has the right to judge me." His breathing faltered. I stood up and walked away. After leaving the Jensen Mansion, I finally broke down in tears. The Jensen Mansion was far from the city. I kept walking alone. For the first time, the road felt so cold and lonely. I looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly, yet I couldn't feel even the slightest bit of warmth. Then I heard a choked voice through my earbuds. "Charlotte, Alex came back with the doctor." Chapter 4 "Charlotte, I'm back. Don't worry. I'm here now. I'll take care of everything." Hearing his voice through the phone filled my heart with emotion. Too much time had passed. So much that I had forgotten how many years it had been since Alex had spoken my name with such warmth. On the other end of the call, Charlotte simply replied coldly, "Thank you." The younger Alex sounded hurt. "Charlotte, why are you thanking me all of a sudden?" When Charlotte didn't answer, he didn't press her. Instead, he urged the doctor to prepare the surgery as quickly as possible. A little while later, she finally pulled the phone out from under her blanket. "After my surgery is over, I'll leave. I won't be there for the proposal." I nodded, feeling as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted. When I got home, Alex came upstairs with Lydia, who was still crying. He grabbed my wrist angrily. "Did you tell Grandpa about Lydia and me?" His grip hurt. Years ago, I had injured this same wrist while saving him in a car accident. But now, he had long since forgotten. I shook his hand off and replied coldly, "I have no interest in telling anyone about your shameful relationship. You may not think it's disgraceful, but I do." He looked shocked for a moment before letting out a cold laugh. "Oh, really? Stop pretending. Once Grandpa knew, he'd send Lydia away for your sake, wouldn't he?" Lydia was nearly crying so hard she couldn't breathe. A bright red handprint was still visible on her face. "Charlotte, I'm begging you. I just want to stay by Alex's side. I don't even care if I never marry him." The moment she finished speaking, she dropped to her knees in front of me. "Please!" Before I could even react, Alex hurried over and helped Lydia to her feet with obvious concern. Then he turned to me. "Why are you forcing her like this? She has never tried to take anything from you. She's only stayed quietly by my side." He shook his head in disappointment as he spoke. "How did you become so cruel? You're nothing like the Charlotte I used to know." His words hurt more than I expected. Bitterness and quiet mockery filled my eyes. "You think I've changed? Then what about you? Haven't you changed too? You were the first one to change." The voice of the younger Alex echoed through my earbuds. "Charlotte, your surgery is ready. They'll take you into the operating room soon. Don't be afraid. I'll be right here. "When you wake up, we'll get married. "Whether your legs heal or not, I'll stay with you forever. If you can never walk again, then I'll be the one to support you for the rest of your life." His voice trembled with emotion, gentle and sincere. That only made the cold, heartless Alex standing in front of me hurt even more. My eyes filled with tears. Alex noticed. His expression softened, and his voice became calmer. "As long as you apologize to Lydia, I won't hold this against you." I slowly closed my eyes. "Apologize? Why should I apologize to people like you? Alex, get lost." "Charlotte!" His voice dropped low. He was so angry that his chest rose and fell. "You told me to leave. If I walk out that door, I'm never coming back!" I didn't even look at him. He stared at me for a long moment. "This is what you wanted. Lydia, let's go." The house fell silent. I lowered my head with a bitter smile, packed my things, left the house, and headed straight for the airport. More than ten hours later, Charlotte suddenly broke down crying through my earbuds. "Charlotte, I drove him away. It's really over between us now." I let out a long breath. At the same time, every memory I had of him began to disappear from my mind. Meanwhile, Alex was working at his company when a sudden wave of dizziness hit him. The next second, he collapsed onto the floor. When he woke up, he found Felix and Lydia sitting beside his bed. "Grandpa, what happened to me?" He looked around the room before asking with disappointment, "Where's Charlotte? Why didn't she come see me when I got sick?" Felix immediately smacked him on the shoulder. "Your wife, Lydia, is sitting right here! You little brat! Why are you still thinking about that old college classmate you haven't seen in ten years?"