Chapter 2 - Shadows and Whispers
My focus at work completely unraveled, causing the board of directors to question my sudden erratic behavior.
During a crucial negotiation with the resort owners, I found myself staring blankly at the presentation, unable to comprehend the financial projections.
All I could think about was the way Rebecca’s hand used to feel in mine when we were broke and dreaming of the future.
I hired the most expensive private investigator in Denver, despite her father’s stern warning to leave her alone.
My wealth allowed me to buy information, and I justified this invasion of privacy by convincing myself I just needed to know she was safe.
The investigator returned three weeks later with a thin folder containing a few photographs and a location.
Rebecca had not fled to a tropical island or a bustling European city to spend her savings.
She had relocated to a small, misty coastal town in Oregon, three states away from the life we had built.
The photos showed her wearing a thick wool sweater, carrying a box of supplies into a small, run-down storefront near the beach.
May you like
She looked tired but undeniably peaceful, and a sharp pang of jealousy hit me because I was not the source of her peace.
I immediately booked a private jet to Oregon, driven by the desperate delusion that I could win her back with a grand apology.
