After the farewell in the cafe, Kael fell into a pathetic, almost childish pattern. The middle-aged man with a brilliant career and a family at home suddenly morphed into a heartbroken teenager.
His new routine was spending evenings at the same cafe, in the same chair. He'd order the same coffee and stare at the door, hoping that every time the bell chimed, it would bring Elara back inside. The universe had brought them together three times. Could there be a fourth miracle? That hope was both his medicine and his poison. But day after day passed, and Elara never appeared. She had truly vanished, swallowed by the earth, even though they lived in the same city. A city that suddenly felt vast and empty.
His luxury car, which usually played news or podcasts, now echoed with melancholic songs. Justin Bieber's "Ghost" was his new favorite.
"I miss you more than life... And if you can't be next to me, your memory is like a ghost."
The lyrics cut right through him.Songs like Joji's "Glimpse of Us" or "Somebody That I Used to Know" became the soundtrack to his misery. He played them loudly, driving aimlessly, letting the lyrics voice what he couldn't scream to the world. It was his only way of crying without tears.
---
In another part of the city, Elara stood before the window of a luxury boutique. David was beside her, proudly pointing at an emerald green evening gown.
"It's perfect for you,Darling. Let's get it."
Elara forced a smile."Thank you, David."
But the smile faded as she caught her own reflection in the glass.She was trying to be strong. She was fighting desperately to bury her feelings for Kael deep within. Whenever the longing surfaced, she quickly diverted her thoughts to Alisha, to their home, to the life they had built.
Yet, one thing haunted her relentlessly: David had given her everything. He had given her the world. Financial security, social status, unwavering love, and a beautiful daughter. In the eyes of the world, David was the perfect husband. And Elara felt like an ungrateful beggar. How could she doubt all of this? How could her heart still yearn for something else?
"You've given me everything, David," she whispered one night as he hugged her before sleep.
"But it's still not enough to make you truly happy,is it?" David replied softly, making Elara's heart skip a beat. But David just kissed her forehead. "I'll keep trying, Elara. This world is for you."
That sentence made Elara feel like the most wretched fraud. Her debt of gratitude to David felt like a noble, yet binding, chain. She looked at her husband's face, full of love and certainty, and a resolution formed in her heart: Elara had to be enough with just David. She had to be. She had no other choice.
She had to let her feelings for Kael die. She had to become a wife worthy of the man who had saved her from uncertainty. Even if it meant killing a part of her own soul in the process.
Meanwhile, in the quiet cafe, Kael stared into his cold coffee. "Ghost" had transitioned to "Glimpse of Us."
"'Cause sometimes I look in her eyes, and that's where I find a glimpse of us..."
He took a deep breath.The universe was no longer on his side. And he was beginning to realize, perhaps this was his punishment: to forever live with the shadow, while his true love chose to live in an orderly despair, far away from him.