27. Empty spaces
Adrian's POV:
As soon as I said, "I don't want Sophia to leave," Evan gave me a look as if asking, What are you even saying?
But before he could say anything, or before I could even realize what I had just said, there was a knock on the door.
My manager came in.
"Sir, Miss Vanessa is outside. She wants to see you."
The moment I heard her name, I felt uneasy.
I dismissed my manager and said, "Ask her to leave. I'm busy right now."
He nodded and left.
Once again, the cabin fell into pin-drop silence.
Evan was still looking at me as if I had said something terribly wrong-which, to be fair, I probably had.
Finally, he spoke.
"What did you just say?"
I looked down and replied quietly, "I don't know."
My eyes began to sting, but I controlled myself and turned my face away.
Evan stood up, came towards me, and hugged me.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I should've beaten some sense into you when you were making all those wrong choices. I should've stopped you."
My voice broke.
"No... it's not your fault."
I took a shaky breath.
"I made those choices. I was the one who was cruel to Sophia."
"I never believed her. I never even listened to her side of the story."
"I kept believing that she was lying , kept believing that she hid the pregnancy until abortion was not possible , that she only wanted my money."
I lowered my head.
"Evan, I don't know what I should do now."
"Should I apologize to her?"
Evan looked at me calmly.
"Adrian, I think what you're feeling right now is guilt."
" And to be honest, I have no idea how Sophia would react to your apology."
He paused before continuing.
"But I think she left after enduring five years of mental torture."
"Of course, your apology won't fix everything."
I shook his shoulders desperately.
"Then tell me what to do, Evan."
"I'm really sorry now."
Evan picked up the glass of water from my desk and handed it to me.
"First, drink this."
I took the glass.
Then he said, "Right now, don't think about it."
"Don't think about anyone."
"Just calm down."
"Or better yet, go home."
I let out a hollow laugh.
"Home?"
"Now I can't even sleep in my bedroom, Evan."
"All those empty spaces where her things used to be... they suffocate me."
I looked away.
"She once told me that Vanessa's cherry perfume made her feel suffocated."
"But now..."
I swallowed hard.
"Now her absence suffocates me."
"Her side of the bed still smells like her."
"When I open the closet, her side is empty."
"The whole room feels like it's going to swallow me."
Evan looked at me with pity.
"I think those empty spaces are reminding you of her."
"And in turn, they're reminding you of your mistakes."
I remained silent.
Then he patted my shoulder.
"Do one thing fill those spaces up," he said softly. "Put your own things there. Change the room. Make it yours again."
I frowned at him, not understanding.
Evan sighed.
"Adrian, if you keep staring at the empty spaces, you'll keep drowning in them."
"Fill them with your things. Your books, your clothes, whatever you want."
"At least then it won't feel like the room is only full of what she left behind."
I looked at him, still unable to say anything.
Then he patted my shoulder again.
"Today, just go home."
"Take the day off."
"Your head needs rest."
I sighed.
"But Lily..."
"I have to pick her up from school."
Evan immediately replied, "No. You go and rest today."
"I'll pick up Lily."
Then I handed him the parent card so the guards would allow him to take Lily.
He took it from me and nodded.
And for the first time in years, I felt too exhausted to argue.
I opened the door to leave, Vanessa was already standing there.
I tried to move past her, but she blocked my way.
I looked at her and said coldly, "Please leave."
But she grabbed my shoulders and pleaded, "Adrian, please give me a chance. I was angry that day. Whatever I said was garbage. You know how much I love Lily. That day when I went home, I couldn't even sleep-"
Before she could complete her sentence, I shoved her hand away and glared at her.
"No more nonsense, Vanessa."
I began walking forward, but then turned around once more.
Pointing a finger at her, I said, "I want your resignation on my desk tomorrow."
Then I walked away.
Evan was right behind me.
Vanessa tried to stop him too, but he immediately raised both his hands.
"Vanessa, it would be better if you leave and never show your face to Adrian again."
And with that, we both left her behind.
---
I reached home and stood in front of my bedroom door.
Evan had told me to fill up the empty spaces.
So I loosened my tie, rolled up my sleeves, and decided to start with the closet.
When I opened the closet, my eyes immediately fell on the empty half.
What did I even keep here before Sophia came?
I tried to remember.
Then I recalled.
Just clothes.
A lot of clothes.
And all of them were kept in complete disarray.
I closed the closet again.
To fill it up properly, I would have to buy new clothes.
I looked around the room.
Okay.
What else could I fill up?
My eyes drifted toward Sophia's bedside table.
She used to keep her eye mask, books, and random things there.
I opened the drawer.
A few books were still inside.
"Oh..."
Maybe Sophia had forgotten to take them.
I took them out one by one.
The first book was titled AI Prompts.
The second one was a diary.
Curious, I opened it.
The moment I saw the first page, a faint smile touched my lips.
It was our photograph.
A photograph from our college days when we were in relationship , which I ruined.
Below the picture, something was written.
Manifestation Diary
I frowned.
What does that even mean?
I turned a few pages and opened one where Sophia last wrote .
There, in Sophia's handwriting, it read:
DEAR UNIVERSE,
THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU ARE THE BEST. YOU MAKE SURE THAT I AM HAPPY FOREVER.
TODAY IS OUR ANNIVERSARY, AND ADRIAN GAVE ME A SURPRISE. HE TOOK ME ON A DINNER DATE. EARLIER, I THOUGHT HE HAD FORGOTTEN IT, BUT THEN I GOT A CALL FROM HIM AND HE ASKED ME TO COME TO THE GUEST ROOM.
WHEN I WENT THERE, IT WAS ALL DARK. WHEN I SWITCHED ON THE LIGHT, THE ROOM WAS DECORATED, AND IN THE CENTER WAS A CAKE WITH "HAPPY MARRIAGE ANNIVERSARY WIFEY" WRITTEN ON IT.
THEN LILY CAME RUNNING FROM BEHIND.
"HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MOMMY!"
I HUGGED HER, AND THEN SHE HANDED ME A GIFT BOX.
"MOMMY, DADDY HAS SENT A DRESS FOR YOU. QUICKLY GET READY SO WE CAN CUT THE CAKE."
I GOT READY. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL RED BODYCON DRESS.
WE CUT THE CAKE, AND THEN ADRIAN TOOK ME OUT FOR A DINNER DATE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, UNIVERSE, FOR MAKING HIM DO IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THE BEST FAMILY.
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
YOURS, SOPHIA
--------
When I finished reading, a strange heaviness settled in my chest.
I had never done anything like that.
In fact, we had never celebrated a single marriage anniversary.
Then why had she written all this?
I turned more pages.
And then more.
Every entry was the same.
According to this diary, I was a loving husband.
A caring husband.
A husband who surprised her.
A husband who loved her.
None of it had ever happened.
Slowly, I flipped back to the first page.
Manifestation Diary.
Finally, I understood.
These weren't memories.
These were wishes.
Dreams.
Things Sophia wanted to happen.
Things she desperately hoped would come true.
And I...
I had been too much of an idiot to realize it. I kept thinking that she wanted my money but no she just wanted her husband's love and care.
Instead of giving her the love she deserved, I had only tormented her.
I sank down onto the bed.
My hands tightened around the diary.
I wanted to keep reading.
But before I could turn another page, my phone rang.
It was Evan.
He sounded worried.
"Adrian, the guards are saying someone has already picked up Lily."
I shot to my feet.
"What?"
"Who picked her up? And how could they allow someone to take her without the parent card?"
Evan replied, "They're saying her mother picked her up. And she had the parent card."
I frowned.
"Sophia?"
"But she never picks up Lily from school."
There was a pause.
Then Evan spoke carefully.
"Could it be Vanessa?"
The blood drained from my face.
I had given a parent card to Vanessa too.
Just in case of emergencies.
But then Evan added,
"I'm not sure. It could be Sophia as well."
I immediately said, "Show the guards a photo of Vanessa and confirm."
Evan groaned.
"Bro, I don't have your girlfriend's photograph."
I instantly corrected him.
"She is not my girlfriend."
"Ohooo," Evan said. "Ex-girlfriend."
I ignored him.
"Forget that. Just show them Sophia's picture then."
Then he added casually,
"How will I have Sophia's picture first of all she is your wife and I'm 100% sure even you must be not having her picture then how.."
Before he could continue, I cut him off.
"I'm sending Vanessa's picture. Just ask the guards."
A few minutes later, he called back.
"Yeah, Adrian. It was Vanessa. She took Lily."
I felt a wave of tension rush through me.
But then I tried to calm myself.
It's fine.
Vanessa wouldn't hurt Lily.
...Would she?