Chapter 9

“This can’t be… this can’t be happening!” “Louise is afraid of heights. She would never fall from the mountain. She would have been so careful.” “You’re lying to me, you must be lying! Louise is definitely playing hide-and-seek with me!” “She’s just mad at me. She’s upset that I haven’t been spending enough time with her lately. She must be hiding somewhere, waiting for me to find her.” “Louise… Louise, where are you? I’m coming to find you…” Curtis felt the world spinning, as if everything had collapsed the moment Louise left. Bursting out of the bedroom, he frantically threw open the doors to every nearby room before racing downstairs like a madman, searching every corner of the house. But she was nowhere to be found. Not only was she missing, but so were her clothes, shoes, bag, water bottle, towel, toothbrush… it was as if Louise had never lived there at all. Panic gripped Curtis like a vice. A fear unlike anything he had ever experienced washed over him. He remembered the letter Louise had written, the one where she told him that if he ever betrayed their love, she would disappear forever… Did she mean death when she said she would disappear? Logically, Curtis knew Louise couldn’t still be in the house, but emotionally, he couldn’t accept it. “It’s impossible. Louise wouldn’t leave me…” Like a headless chicken, he wandered aimlessly around the villa, instinctively heading to two of her favorite spots. The backyard garden was Louise’s pride and joy. She had personally tended to every plant, even carefully nurturing a daisy that grew at the edge. In summer, she would set up her camera and wait for hours, hoping to capture the exact moment a butterfly landed on a flower. Now, the roses were in full bloom, but the one who had cared for them so lovingly was gone. The only ones tending to the plants were the servants, following their routine of watering and fertilizing. Curtis felt a stabbing pain in his chest. The beauty of the garden no longer brought him any joy. He returned to the house, climbing the stairs two at a time to the rooftop. He hoped Louise was just angry and had gone to the terrace to scare him with some kind of prank. But the terrace was empty. The only thing left was the swing they had once sat on together, now hanging silently from its frame. Curtis sat on the swing, consumed by nostalgia. He couldn’t even remember the last time they had been here together. But he vaguely recalled Louise nestled in his arms, the two of them gazing at the stars, chatting idly until they fell asleep leaning on each other. Such a beautiful life. And he had destroyed it with his own hands—for a fleeting temptation, for his ridiculous male ego and vanity. Overwhelmed with guilt, Curtis grabbed his phone and dialed Louise’s number urgently. After an eternity of ringing, a cold, automated voice answered: “Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable…” He hung up and called again, but the result was the same. Louise hadn’t rejected his call—she had turned off her phone. He tried sending her a message, but all he received in return was an exclamation mark in the chat window. He had been blocked. Deleted. He couldn’t even send her another friend request. Out of options, Curtis scrolled through his lengthy contact list until he found a number belonging to one of their mutual friends. They had gone to the same school and had once been deeply familiar with each other’s social circles. But as time passed, old friends drifted apart. After Curtis started his business, his schedule became consumed by work and social obligations, and he lost touch with those who weren’t part of the business world. Swallowing his pride, he called Louise’s closest friend. The moment the call connected, he blurted out his question: “Is Louise with you?” His voice trembled with unmistakable anxiety. Her friend’s tone was icy. “Louise is your wife. If you need her, shouldn’t you call her directly?” Curtis couldn’t bring himself to explain, so he asked instead, “Has she mentioned any travel plans? Or did she act strangely the last time you saw her?” “Oh, so you do notice when she’s acting strangely,” her friend replied, her laughter cold and mocking. “Mr. Irwin, let me give you some advice: secrets never stay hidden forever.” Curtis felt his head explode, his mind reeling. He stammered, “When… when did Louise find out? Please, tell her it was nothing serious. I only have her in my heart…” Her friend cut him off sharply. “You know exactly what you’ve done. Don’t you dare try to justify it.” The call ended abruptly. Desperate, Curtis tried calling back, but after a few rings, the line went dead again. He had no choice but to keep dialing other numbers, reaching out to anyone who might know something about Louise—even people he had barely spoken to before. Some answered, some didn’t, but the results were always the same. Each rejection sent his heart sinking deeper into despair. Some people even asked questions he couldn’t bring himself to answer. “Sorry, I have no idea where Louise is.” “She hasn’t contacted me in ages.” “You two seemed so happy together. Did you have a fight?” “Louise is so gentle. She wouldn’t leave without a reason. Did you do something to upset her? Take my advice—apologize first.” Curtis knew he was at fault, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit what he had done. He mumbled vague responses and ended the calls quickly: “Thank you. I’ll figure it out.” That was the last number he could think of, the final thread connecting him to Louise. Time passed slowly, each second dragging on as Curtis clung to the last shreds of hope. But that hope, too, eventually crumbled to dust.