Chapter 19
As soon as Justin stepped out the door, he let go of the woman in his arms. Neither she nor Selena meant anything to him. They were merely tools for atoning to Norah.
Lighting a cigarette, he took a slow drag. He never used to smoke, but the longing for Norah was unbearable,
“Mr. Johnson, I’ll be heading back now,” the woman informed quietly before leaving. She was far more intelligent than Selena but no less ambitious.
Justin nodded without responding before he walked aimlessly down the street. He didn’t have a destination or direction. He just missed Norah.
People came and went along the bustling road, but none of them were her.
By the time his cigarette burned down, he crushed it under foot. But as he lifted his head again, a fleeting, familiar figure caught his eye.
He didn’t even see the person’s full face. He only caught a glimpse of her profile, and yet, he was instantly captivated, as if something deep inside compelled him to keep looking
His heartbeat quickened. He stood frozen, watching as that figure slipped her arm through another man’s. When she turned to speak to the man beside her, Justin finally saw her face.
It was identical to Norah’s.
He looked at her in disbelief for a long minute, and his fingers began to tremble.
It couldn’t be a mistake. That was Norah. He could never mistake her.
Norah was alive!
The woman he had longed for, grieved for, and prayed for hadn’t died, after all. And she was right there within reach.
A wave of overwhelming joy surged through him. Nothing else mattered now. Justin was just glad that she was alive.
Justin started forward, but then, in the very next moment, Norah leaned in and kissed the man beside her.
V
Justin’s eyes widened in shock before turning bloodshot with fury. Shoving through the crowd, he lunged forward and grabbed her.
“Norah!” he called out as he gritted his teeth, barely able to process what he was seeing.
He had spent years tormenting Selena, kneeling at Norah’s grave to beg for forgiveness, and even planning to end Selena’s life before taking his own so that he could reunite with his beloved in death.
But now, Norah was not only alive, but she was even with someone else.
Did she hate him so much that she faked her own death just to escape him?
His grip tightened around her wrist as he stared at the face he had dreamed of for so long, his eyes turning red with emotion.
Justin had thought about this moment countless times. If he ever found Norah alive, he would do whatever it took to be with her again. She could hit him, curse him, or even take back the kidney she had given him. Nothing else mattered as long as she was alive.
He could even give up his life for her.
He wanted to prove to her that the 18–year–old Justin had loved her desperately and the 28–year–old Justin was the same. Selena was nothing more than a mistake.
But now that Norah was standing before him, he didn’t know what to say.
The woman yanked her wrist free and looked at him irritably. “You’re so annoying, Justin. I can’t even get rid of you by faking my death.”
That one sentence cut deeper than any blade, Justin felt like he couldn’t breathe from the pain.
Just moments ago, he had wondered if there had been some misunderstanding. But this was the truth.
“Why? Why are you doing this?” His voice trembled as he managed to force out just those sentences.
Justin had asked the same question back when Norah had abandoned him years ago. Even now, he didn’t understand why Norah chose to fake her death to leave him.
“Do you not love me at all?” he thought to himself. “Do you not care about me at all? Then, why did you save me? Why did you give me your kidney? If you just gave me a reason, I would believe it even if it’s a lie.”
And yet, Norah remained as cold and heartless as ever.
“Of course, it’s because I hate you. I never want to see you again. Justin, do yourself a favor and accept that Norah died in that fire.” Her lips curled into a small smile. “I go by a new name now. I’m Zora Serpentine.”
And with that, she shattered Justin’s heart completely.
