Because the video clip had a time limit, Noreen couldn’t hear Seth’s reply.
But really, the answer was obvious.
After all, he’d already shared it on social media.
Still, Noreen distinctly remembered that Seth never ate fish.
He actually loathed it.
Yet here he was, willing to eat something he hated–all for Bianca.
And not just that. He’d even risk an allergic reaction to alcohol just to shield her from drinking.
If this wasn’t true love, what was?
Just as Noreen was about to close WhatsApp, two new comments popped up under that post.
They were from Jude, a mutual friend of hers and Seth’s.
Noreen only had Jude on WhatsApp because of Seth. Their circle of friends met up often, and once, late at night, Jude had called her–Seth had gotten sick after drinking, and Jude asked her to bring his allergy meds. Seth’s phone had died, so to get the location, Noreen added Jude on WhatsApp.
They’d kept each other as contacts ever since. Whenever Seth went out with that group, Noreen would message Jude, asking him to keep an eye on Seth and make sure he didn’t drink.
Jude never replied. Not once.
Noreen knew why–he couldn’t be bothered. He, like the rest of Seth’s friends, looked down on her.
It never used to bother her. She’d believed love was between two people; what others thought didn’t matter.
But now, Jude was practically ecstatic in the comments under Seth’s latest post.
“Never thought I’d live to see the day Seth shows off his girlfriend on social media! Must be true love!”
The next comment, maybe in reply to someone else, read:
1/3
12:00
Chapter 26
“Isn’t that what true love is for? If you don’t show it off, it’s not real!”
Yeah. If you don’t show it, you don’t love.
It was a simple truth–one Noreen seemed to have learned a little too late.
In all those seven long years, she had never once appeared in Seth’s posts.
Their relationship was a secret known only to a handful of people.
And she–she’d loved Seth for seven years, nameless and invisible.
When you’ve given all of yourself and there’s nothing left, the final lesson is always letting go.
That weekend, Noreen packed up all of Seth’s things and had a moving company haul them to the office storage.
The apartment, once crowded with his presence, was finally empty.
It felt… lighter. More comfortable somehow.
She glanced around, her gaze landing on the little velvet box that held their matching rings.
She still didn’t know what to do with them.
Monday morning, the moment Seth arrived at the office, he buzzed Noreen’s extension, asking her to get things ready for the weekly meeting.
But it was Sophia who picked up.
“Where’s Noreen?” Seth asked, frowning.
“She called in sick,” Sophia replied.
“She’s sick?” Seth sounded puzzled.
Sophia was more surprised than he was. “You didn’t know? Didn’t she go to the AeroEdge factory with you? She got hurt there–a piece of equipment fell on her. That’s why she’s on sick leave!”
There was a pause on Seth’s end before he said, “Right. I know.”
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