Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Vincent knew nothing about any of this. It suddenly struck him that he and Kaylee had hardly communicated recently, and he was completely unaware of what she had been up to.

He tightly clutched the note in his hand and began calling a few of Kaylee’s close friends. Each time, he asked with hopeful anticipation, “Do you know where Kaylee is?”

But without exception, their answers were eerily similar, as if they had all agreed on what to say.

“What’s wrong with her? We haven’t seen her since graduation defense. Has something happened to her?”

Vincent hung up the phone and immediately called Kaylee’s parents, thinking they would know where she had gone. But instead of the usual greeting, a much more unexpected sound greeted him.

“Hello, the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number and try again…” 

He thought to himself, she must be angry. That’s why they had all blocked him. With that thought, Vincent didn’t hesitate. He scrambled for the car keys and rushed flown to the garage, heading toward Kaylee’s hometown–Green County.

The long journey took over ten hours, and during that time, he made numerous calls to Kaylee, but each time, her phone was off. As he watched the scenery speeding by, his anxiety only grew. They had been together for four years, and they had rarely fought.

Even when they had cold wars, they never lasted overnight. All it took was for him th soothe Kaylee a little, and she would forgive him. But this time, she had left without a word, and it seemed… It seemed like she might really be leaving him for good.

Suddenly, he remembered–he had noticed the strange atmosphere at home that day, hem half of the things in the living room were gone. What excuse had Kaylee given him at the time?

She had said, “Since graduation, I’ve cleaned out some old things. The ones that should be thrown away are gone, and the ones that should be replaced are replaced.”

The person she had thrown out, however, had turned out to be him. Thinking about it now, Vincent’s emotions nearly spiraled out of control. He drove faster than ever, covering the ten–hour journey in just seven. The night receded, and the sky began to show a hint of dawn. 

He had never been to Kaylee’s hometown before, but during the holidays, he had bought her gifts a few times and learned her home address. However, the small town’s address markers weren’t clear, so he drove around the low–rise buildings several times without being able to pinpoint her exact location.

He had no choice but to ask a woman selling breakfast nearby, “Auntie, do you know where this address is?”

As she glanced at his appearance, the woman asked, “Are you from out of town?”

Vincent nodded. “Yes, my girlfriend got angry and ran back to her hometown. I’m here to apologize.”

“Didn’t expect you to be such a romantic,” the woman chuckled, pointing him in the right direction. “Go straight for 800 meters, then turn right, pass through an alley and walk another 200 meters. Turn left, and you’ll be there. Just don’t make a wrong turn.”

Vincent bowed his head in gratitude. “Thank you, Auntie.”

He hurried on, and after reaching the fifth floor, he confirmed the door number and knocked.

Knock knock knock!

“Kaylee, I’ve come to find you!”

But there was no answer from inside. He knocked again, louder this time. Still, no one answered, but the neighbor next door opened the door and peered out.

It was an elderly couple, who looked at him warily and asked, “Who are you? What are you doing knocking on the door so early?”

Seeing someone, Vincent quickly asked, “Uncle, Auntie, is this Kaylee’s home? I’m her boyfriend, I need to talk to her.”

The couple exchanged surprised looks before the woman spoke. “She doesn’t live here anymore. She sold the house to someone else half a month ago.”

“Sold it to someone else?!” Vincent was shocked, he had no idea.

He asked again, “Do you know where they moved to?”

The couple stared blankly at him. “Her parents died in a car accident half a month ago. After the funeral, she sold the house. As her boyfriend, didn’t you know?”

Vincent froze, completely stunned. He hadn’t known any of this. Kaylee hadn’t said a word to him. He had missed everything.