Chapter 7

"Honey, what are you looking at?" Clarence leaned over, and a faint metallic scent of blood reached Laura's nose. When she looked up, she saw that the collar of his shirt was soaked through with blood. Reaching out, she yanked it open. The spot over his collarbone where her name had once been tattooed was now just a mess of raw flesh and blood. She froze, her voice trembling. "What happened here?" He grunted and avoided her gaze as he tried to pull her hand away. "I had to remove it for work." "Is that so?" Laura pressed her fingertip hard against the wound. He'd once said that he wanted her name there, on the spot closest to his heart. And now, because of something Michelle had said, he'd carved it off himself to prove that he was still "clean"? The thought put Laura in a foul mood, and she pressed down harder. "Honey…" Clarence's face went pale from pain, but he didn't dare move. He reached out, trying to pull her into his arms. Laura abruptly stepped back. "You look handsome in a suit. Anyone who didn't know better would think you're the young heir of a wealthy family. You and Michelle make quite the pair." Her words clearly meant something else. Ignoring the pain in his chest, Clarence raised his hand as if taking an oath. "Honey, I swear. I only wore the suit for work. Michelle is only my superior—nothing else." Laura checked the date. There were less than five days before she was supposed to leave the country. There was no point in exposing him now. … The next day, she packed up all her belongings in the apartment. She threw away most of the things they'd bought together, from matching cups and towels to couple outfits. Clarence frowned. "Why are you throwing everything out all of a sudden?" "They've been used too long. It's about time we got new ones," she said casually. He thought her tone was odd, but he didn't press further. "I'm heading to work," he said. After he left, Laura contacted the landlord to terminate her lease, setting the handover date for the same day she would leave the country. After a few polite exchanges with the landlord, she went ahead and resigned from all her part-time jobs. She didn't know when she'd return after completing her studies abroad, so she arranged to meet up with her best friend, Lily Moore. When Lily heard the news, she was stunned. "Didn't you say you were staying for your boyfriend?" "We broke up," Laura said simply. Lily was the campus belle of Sunnyside University. She was bright, daring, and changed boyfriends like outfits during her time on campus. She'd told Laura to dump Clarence countless times, and they'd even fought over it. Under the bar's neon lights, Laura drank glass after glass, even though she rarely touched alcohol. Lily sighed. "I told you that Clarence wasn't anything good. Stop moping. I've booked 18 male models tonight to cheer you up." Laura's phone rang just as Lily snatched her glass away. Seeing Clarence's name on the screen, she declined the call. The male models joked and flirted, trying to make her smile. She played along politely, but her smile didn't reach her eyes. Lily slid a card toward her. "This is my savings. Take care of yourself when you're overseas. And don't forget me when you make it big." Laura hadn't cried through all the drinking, but those words broke her. She hugged Lily tightly and wept. … When Clarence got home, Laura wasn't there. He checked the bedroom, but it was empty. Just as he was about to leave, a glint of blue under her pillow caught his eye. He reached over and pulled out a small, dark blue booklet. Just as he'd expected, it was a passport. His blood ran cold. She was leaving the country? Why was she keeping it from him? Anxious for answers, he grabbed his keys and drove straight to the coffee shop where she worked part-time. But he found that she wasn't there either. Grabbing one of the staff members by the arm, he demanded furiously, "Did Laura come in today?" The staff member looked at him strangely. "Laura? She quit this morning." Clarence let go and stormed off, going over to every place she worked at. He visited five places in a row, and every time, the answer was the same. She'd quit all her jobs. He hadn't even realized how frantic he'd become. Out of options, he called his assistant, Norman Baker, and ordered him to track her down. Minutes later, Clarence received the location for a bar. When he rushed over, he saw Laura in the center of a crowd of men. She was smiling faintly, with a drink in hand. Jealousy and rage surged through him. He strode over and yanked her by the wrist. Lily tried to intervene, but one look from him made her back off. Once they were in the car, his voice shook with restrained fury. "Why did you quit all your jobs? Are you leaving the country?" At that, Laura faltered. He knew everything?