Chapter 1A Message That Changed Everything

I opened my email to check the exhibition details that the gallery assistant had organized for me.

Just then, a Facebook Messenger window popped up in the top right corner. The avatar was of Theo Carr, from years ago.

[Natasha, I miss you.]

[For all these years, I've been waiting for a chance to walk back into your life.]

My heart skipped a beat. These were the exact words Theo had confessed to me when we were 20.

But since we moved abroad, his Messenger account had been deactivated.

I was stunned.

After a moment, I replied: [Walk back in? Are you sure it's not just to hurt me again?]

He responded quickly: [Who are you?]

1

[You're not Natasha. She went to a painting lecture.]

[Who are you? Why are you saying these things?]

[Is there some misunderstanding?]

The messages kept flashing on the screen.

Just then, the studio door creaked open, and Theo walked in, carrying the faint scent of ink. It was the smell I used to know so well.

Today was the day before the exhibition we'd been preparing for together. But just yesterday, at an art event, I saw him acting closely with the daughter of a famous art critic.

As I looked at him, memories of all those late nights we spent creating art together rushed back. I wanted to ask him about the girl, but the words wouldn't come out.

Maybe I was just overthinking it.

I'd dressed carefully, wearing an elegant dress, hoping he'd explain things on his own.

I wanted to give him and us a chance.

He quickly looked away and walked past me toward the easel, picking up a painting to inspect.

He said, "I'm just checking this painting to get ready for tomorrow's setup."

He didn't notice my outfit or the way I'd styled my hair.

Meanwhile, the messages kept flashing.

[Do you know Natasha? You have to keep this a secret.]

The sound of him adjusting the easel echoed through the studio, and it pierced my heart. I lowered my head to hide my disappointment.

A month ago, I'd found a delicate box in his desk drawer. Inside was a unique necklace, with a card that said: [To my Muse.]

For five years, I'd put my artistic dreams aside to support his career, barely buying myself any expensive jewelry.

He'd kept it hidden so carefully that I thought it was a surprise for me.

I'd carefully returned the box to its place and made sure everything was tidied up, not leaving a trace.

Since then, I hadn't mentioned anything about special occasions, afraid to ruin whatever he had planned.

But he never acted like he was preparing a surprise.

Theo set the easel down and started to leave.

I instinctively called out, "Theo."

"Hm?" He turned, looking impatient.

"Today..." I started.

He cut me off, "I'm taking Kate to pick out decorations for the exhibition. She's better at this kind of thing."

The door slammed shut behind him. It was like the final blow to any hope I had left.

He didn't care about us at all.

I walked into the studio, opened the drawer, and saw the necklace box was gone.

The messages kept coming.

[You want Natasha to be happy too, right? I'm going to love her for the rest of my life and give her all the good things.]

I thought back to the time when we were 20. Back then, Theo would go all over the city's museums and galleries to help me find inspiration, and when I was feeling down, he'd sit with me by the Lake all night.

I had once been loved so purely. But now, everything had changed.

I watched him drive away from the window. Kate Hardy sat in the passenger seat, holding a bouquet and smiling brightly.

Another message popped up.

[I want to surprise Natasha. You understand, don't you?]

The sky darkened, and clouds gathered, almost like a bad omen.

In a hopeless daze, I typed on the keyboard: [Natasha is already heartbroken. Theo doesn't love her anymore. Nothing can go back.]

[No way.]

[Who are you?]

I closed Messenger, and tears flooded my eyes.

Then my phone buzzed with a gossip notification from the art world.

[Famous artist Theo seen with Kate, an art critic's daughter, suspected romance.]

[Theo's new relationship sparks debate. Could it be related to art resources?]

[Is the five-year relationship between Natasha and Theo about to end?]

The photos showed Theo and Kate interacting intimately at the art event. In one picture, she was wearing the bracelet that Theo had promised to give me last year for my birthday.

I scrolled through the messages numbly. Each photo and each comment felt like a needle stabbing my heart.

I stayed in the studio until late, watching the city's lights go out one by one.

Then I got a photo from a friend on WhatsApp.

In it, Theo and Kate were asleep in each other's arms in a luxurious hotel suite.