The black Cayenne wheeled out of the hospital compound and wheezed through the dark night streaking with colorful neons until it halted to a stop outside a star-rated hotel.
Addy came back to the country with her ballet company and for her convenience, she chose to stay at the hotel together with her colleagues. And as she had mentioned before at his office, she had deliberately arranged to have her room decorated.
The car stopped and she unfastened her seat belt, She picked up the birthday cake beside her and peered at him, feeling herself bursting with delight that he would be celebrating her birthday with her.
At least that was what she thought all the way here. Simon made no movement of removing his seatbelt and getting off. "What's going on, Simon?" she asked, puzzled, "Aren't you coming up with me?"
"I'm not going up, Addy," said Simon, exhaling a mouthful of fume.
"Simon?!" Addy gasped, confused.
Simon flicked some ashes off his cigarette. Those charming eyes of his gleamed in the neon lights as he brooded morosely. He snapped apart his cigarette and muttered quietly, "Addy, we gotta talk."
It was night and the usual din and clutter of the hospital during the day was no more.
Emily gripped the bag tightly in her grasp like how nervous she was when she was in the cab just now. It grew moist but she did not let go. Wearing a blank look, she began beelining towards the hospital building.
Hanging her head low over her shoulders, she had almost bumped into several visitors who had come to visit their relatives at the hospital.
She trailed past the nurses' station and before she could ask, one of the nurses saw her and she called, "Mrs. Chin!"
Emily gave a look at the notice board on the wall and mouthed at her, "Is his surgery over?"
"It was finished half an hour ago!" said the nurse.
"Oh, I'll go find him then..." Emily's eyelashes trembled as she nodded, replying quietly.
The nurse looked as if she wanted to say more, but Emily could hardly hear anything. Her legs moved on their own without her knowing, drifting her towards the direction of his office. Her hands gripped more tightly on the bag in her hands which dangled only a set of keys and a stack of A4 papers inside.
Since her discovery of the divorce papers in his suitcase, Emily had never been able to escape the chaotic panic and confusion now gnawing at her.
By the time she regained her senses, she found herself by the window, her legs so numb from standing too long. The sun was fully set and the sky outside was utterly dark. She groped for her cell phone and called him again and again. At first, he was not answering, but after that, it was completely shut off.
Like a convict who craved the reason for his sentence, she grabbed the divorce papers and bolted for the door.
At the hospital, she was about to reach his office when the nurse caught up from behind, heaving for breath, "Dr. Chin had left the hospital a long time ago, Mrs. Chin!"
"He left?" Emily was stunned.
"Yes!" The nurse nodded and looked at her hesitantly, "With a woman called Swan. They left just now together..."
Emily stood there, rooted to the ground.
The nurse took her leave and left. Emily looked up. Sure enough, the office door was locked, and there wasn't the slightest bit of light peeking out. His office really was empty.
Staring blankly at the door for seconds, Emily dragged herself down the same way to go back.
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