Ryan disappeared

Dughh!!

The car Ryan was traveling in crashed into the edge of the bridge. The headlights shattered and the alarm sounded quite loud. Ryan woke up from his reverie and decided to get out of the car. He needed some fresh air.

Ryan stood on the side of the bridge. His eyes were fixed on the bustling traffic below. The dirty thought of ending his life came to him. But again his memories of Lily brought him back to sanity.

"I have to live for my children," he whispered silently.

Ryan had never met his two children and he didn't want to die silly just because of stupidity. He immediately got into the car and continued his journey.

Meanwhile, Sarah, who had been at home since this afternoon, became a little anxious because Ryan had not returned. His cell phone was not active. Sarah tried to contact some of her colleagues but the results were nil. Rayyan was nowhere to be found.

"Where did Ryan go?"

Sarah continued to look for ways to find out where her husband was. Until finally she remembered Scott, Ryan's cousin.

Sarah quickly grabbed her bag and car keys. Her current destination was Scott's apartment. Maybe Ryan was there to complain to his cousin.

Ting! Tong!

Sarah rang the apartment bell. She stood right in front of the door. Her hand couldn't wait to ask Scott about her husband not coming home.

Klek!

"Is Ryan here?" Sarah unceremoniously asked Scott who was standing at the door.

"No, he's not. I just got home," replied Scott who looked confused by Sarah's presence in front of his apartment.

"You can't lie!" shouted Sarah.

"Go look if you don't believe me."

Sarah walked in without any hesitation. She searched every corner of the room and Scott's private room.

"I'm sure you hid it." Sarah still couldn't believe it and now she was accusing Scott.

"Did you have a fight?" Sarah didn't respond. She was still busy looking around the room until she finally gave up. "Ryan did call me earlier. But-"

"But what?" Sarah cut in.

"He said not to tell anyone where he is right now."

Sarah chuckled. Her lips lifted up in a sardonic smile for Scott. Her hand pointed at his face with an angry glare. Her eyes were red.

"How long have you been interfering in my and Ryan's household. You've always hated me, haven't you?" she accused.

Scott laughed. Sarah's hand was lowered.

"You're accusing me? What's the evidence? I'm just telling you the truth." Scott showed his cell phone. There was evidence of Ryan contacting him twice. "Ryan contacted me, not me contacting him."

"You must have said something to her. Tell me!"

"Your accusations are vague."

"I'm warning you, don't interfere with my and Ryan's home life," Sarah threatened.

Scott laughed again. This time it was quite loud.

"You forbid me from interacting with Ryan? What right do you have?"

"I'm his wife!"

Scott snorted. "Just a wife, right? Someday he might throw you out on the street like he used to."

Sarah clasped her hands together. They were clenched tightly as if she was holding something. Her eyes grew redder and her lips trembled.

"You-"

"Remember who and what your position was." Scott walked around Sarah who was frozen in place. "You would have been a call girl if it wasn't for Ryan's good intentions that picked you up."

"Enough!" Sarah shouted.

"But apparently, this trash that was picked up wants to turn into a princess. Entering without permission and destroying the real queen's throne. Aren't you ashamed of Lily?"

"Shut up! You're also the Stewart family's adopted child. If your father hadn't sold you to that big family, how could you possibly live a decent life today?"

"Me?" Scott pointed at himself. "At least I didn't bite my own master and become a burden on the Stewart family."

"Bastard!"

Sarah stormed out of Scott's apartment. Her anger burned as Scott brought up her past.

Blam!

The sound of a door slamming. Scott shook his head. Just as he was about to sleep, an ominous creature came to disturb him.

"Ryan is blind in his heart, isn't he?"

***

Ryan's departure was unknown to Sarah and Scott. He only conveyed a message to his cousin, if he wanted to be alone somewhere.

In a village a little away from the city center of Amaryviles, Ryan was alone in a small villa room owned by a farmer. He just sat and looked at the surrounding nature. There was nothing else.

Late at night, Ryan was still sitting outside looking at the stars shining in the sky. They were so pretty in color. He smiled. But suddenly the smile faded as the memory of Lily chattering happily about the stars came to him.

"Stars are far away from the earth and are said to be bigger than the sun." Lily showed off her knowledge back then. Ryan just listened silently.

"That's why, if you want to see them, you have to use binoculars. But there are some that can be seen with the naked eye," she continued.

"Chatty."

Lily laughed. She lightly hit Ryan's arm while covering her mouth with her hand.

"You are..."

"I'm like a star," Ryan said.

"Oh yeah? Shining brightly?"

"No, it's not. It feels close but it's actually far away."

That last sentence made Lily realize her love affair with Ryan. Her heart was too sensitive to digest the allusion.

"M-meaning?" Lily asked Ryan who she already knew the answer to.

"I'm too far away to reach. You must understand what I mean."

"Yes, I understand. I don't want to be reached by anyone either." Lily looked down. Her face looked sad but she could hold it in silence.

"Don't expect more from me."

From then on, Lily never mentioned stars again. She didn't hate them, she just didn't want to hurt them. And now, Ryan was silent contemplating her words back then. He hated himself for hurting Lily.

"Does she still hate stars?"