Chapter 27

Chapter 27

"Let's go inside and talk, okay?" Aurelia said softly, brushing strands of hair away from her daughter's face. Laura nodded quietly and walked beside her mother, trying to steady her emotions.

But before they could take a step toward the door, a loud crash rang out from the gates, followed by a voice—a voice Laura recognized immediately.

"Laura!"

Both Laura and Aurelia turned in shock. Standing by the gates, disheveled and out of breath, was Jonathan. His clothes were wrinkled, hair unkempt, as if he had sprinted miles just to reach her.

For a moment, their eyes met. Jonathan's gaze was desperate, pleading, filled with emotions he could no longer suppress. But Laura... her face remained unreadable. She didn't flinch, didn't react the way he hoped. Instead, she stared at him, her eyes cold and distant, before silently turning away and walking back toward the house.

"No—wait! Laura!" Jonathan's voice cracked, his hands grabbing at the iron gates, rattling them in frustration as she disappeared from view. "Damn it! Laura, we need to talk!"

His shouts echoed, but Laura kept walking, as if his words had never even reached her ears.

Jonathan's heart raced with all of fear, anger, and regret swirling inside him. "This... this isn't how it's supposed to be," he muttered under his breath, pacing restlessly by the gate. He kicked it hard, the metal rattling under the force. "No... you should look back and smile at me like you always do... Laura, please, damn it!"

His voice trembled with desperation, but Laura had already shut the door behind her, crouching on the other side while her heart raced in her chest. The sound of Jonathan's furious kicks echoed through the walls, a jarring reminder of the storm brewing outside.

Before fear could consume her, she suddenly stood up, startling her mother. Before her mother could utter a word, Laura twisted the doorknob and stepped outside, heading toward Jonathan, who was waiting just beyond the threshold. Relief flickered in Jonathan's eyes when he finally saw her emerging, but that spark quickly extinguished as he caught sight of the cold determination etched on Laura's face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice laced with bitterness and disdain.

"Laura... Laurie... I'm sorry. I... I really am. Please..." His voice wavered as he reached out a hand, desperate for her to take it, to feel the connection they once shared.

But to his dismay, Laura simply stared at his outstretched hand before turning her gaze back to him, her expression unwavering.

"What are you sorry for?" she asked, her tone flat and devoid of the love that had once shone in her eyes.

Confusion clouded Jonathan's thoughts. He was in shambles, struggling to piece together his emotions. "I'm sorry... for rejecting you... for hurting you... and—"

"No. You don't need to apologize for any of that," Laura interrupted, her voice steady. She paused, taking a deep breath as if to summon strength. "In fact..." she continued, "I'm actually grateful. You've opened my eyes after all these years of chasing after you."

Jonathan's hand froze mid-air as Laura's words hit him like a slap across the face. His confusion deepened as he took in the coldness in her tone, the lack of any warmth, any love. She wasn't the Laura who used to look at him like he was her whole world.

"I... I don't understand," Jonathan stammered, his voice cracking. "Grateful? I thought you... you loved me."

Laura let out a bitter chuckle, shaking her head. "That's the problem, Jonathan. I did. I loved you for so long that I forgot what it was like to love myself. I put you first, always, hoping that one day you'd finally see me, really see me." Her voice grew stronger, laced with a newfound resolve. "But you never did."

Jonathan tried to step closer, desperation creeping into his eyes. "I do see you, Laurie. I know I was wrong. I know I hurt you. But I—"

"No," Laura interrupted sharply, her gaze unwavering. "You don't. And you never will. You never saw me, Jonathan, because you were too busy looking at everyone else, everything else, while I stood here waiting, hoping that maybe one day you'd notice."

Jonathan opened his mouth to speak, but the words died on his lips as Laura continued.

"You know what? I'm done waiting. I'm done chasing after someone who's only sorry when they're scared of losing. I've spent too many years hoping you'd change, that one day you'd wake up and care. But I'm not that girl anymore. I won't be."

Jonathan's eyes widened as the realization of her words sank in. "Laura, please, don't say that. We can fix this. I'll change. I'll be better. Just give me another chance."

Laura crossed her arms, her expression softening, but not with affection—with pity. "You don't get it, do you? I am finally realizing that I deserve more than waiting around for someone to decide I'm worth it."

Jonathan's shoulders sagged as the gravity of her words weighed on him. He looked like a man lost, drowning in the consequences of his actions. "So, that's it? You're just... done with me?"

Laura took a deep breath, the pain still evident in her eyes but overshadowed by her fierce resolve. "Yes, Jonathan. I'm done. So let us both act like we never knew each other. It's better off that way," she stated coldly, turning her back on him and walking away, leaving him once more in a haze of disbelief.

"What... is this? It's happening again..." he mumbled to himself, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead as he realized that what he had dreamt was now unfolding in reality.

The memories of that dream began to haunt him. The moment he discovered Laura was engaged to his brother, the devastating news of her pregnancy with his child, and the heart-wrenching choice she made to abort it. The thought sent chills down his spine, twisting his gut with dread. He could not let that happen. He had to intervene before it was too late.

With desperation clawing at his insides, Jonathan clenched his fists. The determination surged through him like fire; he needed to devise a plan to win Laura back. He couldn't let her slip away, not when he finally understood the gravity of what he stood to lose.

He took a deep breath and left, determined to reclaim the love he now wants, knowing that time was running out.