Obsession: His Runaway Bride

Chapter 7: Adieu

Chapter 7: Adieu

Grace had been restless all day. Noelle's breakdown earlier lingered in her mind. It was an unsettling image she couldn't shake. Her normally composed friend had been completely undone. She could still hear her sobbing which sounded heartbreaking. Something wasn't right, and Grace's gut instincts refused to let it go.

And so as night fell and the city settled into its usual routine, Grace found herself parked a few meters down from Adrian and Noelle's house. She sat in her car with her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly and a silenced engine.

The minutes dragged into hours and Grace realized one thing.

Adrian hasn't come home.

Grace's eyes darted toward every passing car with her pulse quickening each time, but none of them turned into the driveway. With every passing moment, her unease morphed into suspicion.

Could Adrian really be cheating? The idea felt like a punch to the gut, but she wasn't ready to jump to conclusions.

Her fingers drummed lightly against the steering wheel while the house remained quiet as its upstairs lights glowed faintly against the dark sky. Grace stared while her thoughts spiraled, until suddenly, the upstairs lights flickered off.

Her breath hitched, and she leaned forward instinctively, her face illuminated faintly by the glow of the streetlamp overhead. A few minutes later, the downstairs lights followed, plunging the house into darkness.

And then, just as Grace was starting to wonder if she was overthinking things, the front door creaked open.

She froze while her heart pounded seeing the front door open.

And there Noelle was, stepping out quietly with her suitcase rolling behind her. Grace's chest tightened as she took in the scene. Noelle's shoulders slumped with a weight too heavy for words, and every step she took seemed hesitant, as though each one cost her more than the last.

But Grace kept watching still in utter shock at the realization of what was about to happen. She watched as Noelle closed the door softly behind her.

"Noelle, you're leaving..." Grace whispered to herself.

Without thinking, Grace shoved her car door open and stepped out. "Noelle!" she called, her voice cutting through the quiet night.

Noelle froze, thinking Adrian caught her. Her hand gripped the handle of her suitcase tightly before turning slowly. She looked pale and startled, like a deer caught in headlights. But when she saw who it actually was, she began to ease up.

"Grace," she said, her voice barely audible.

"What the hell is this?" Grace demanded, striding toward her. "Where are you going? What are you doing?"

Noelle's lips trembled as she tried to find the words. "I... I need to leave," she whispered, her gaze falling to the ground.

"Leave? Why?" Grace's voice rose out of frustration and worry for her. "What about Adrian? What about everything you've built here? Your wedding is tomorrow, Noelle! What's going on?"

Noelle's grip tightened on the handle of her suitcase, her knuckles turning pale. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but she stubbornly blinked them back. "Please, Grace," she whispered, her voice trembling with barely contained emotion. "Don't make this harder for me."

Grace stepped closer as her brows furrowed in concern. She reached out, gently clasping Noelle's hand. "That's exactly why I'm asking," she said in a softer tone as she fought to steady her voice. "I'm your friend, Noelle. I just want to understand. Talk to me. Please."

Noelle hesitated while her chest heaved with a deep sigh. Her gaze darted around the quiet street, as if she feared someone might overhear. Finally, she looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. "Fine," she said, swallowing hard. "Let's talk... somewhere else."

Without another word, Grace nodded and led Noelle to her car. The drive was silent and the tension was thick as unspoken words hung between them. Grace stole glances at Noelle, who sat in the passenger seat staring out the window, her expression unreadable. The city lights cast fleeting shadows across her face that accentuated the heartbreak etched into her features.

Eventually, they pulled up to a near-empty subway station. Grace killed the engine and turned to Noelle in her gentle but firm voice. "Okay," she said. "We're here. Now, talk to me. What's going on?"

Noelle didn't respond immediately. She sat in silence with her gaze fixed on the dashboard and her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her blouse. Her breathing was shallow, uneven, as though she was wrestling with the burden of her own thoughts. After a long pause, she finally spoke almost in a whisper.

"Adrian is no longer mine," she bitterly spoke. She let out a hollow, joyless laugh and glanced down at her lap. "No... he was never mine to begin with."

Grace's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Noelle turned to her as a sad smile tugged at her lips. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Back at the photoshoot," she began while her voice broke slightly, "I saw Adrian in a way I've never seen before. His eyes... they looked at Bianca with such adoration I've never seen when he looked at me."

Grace blinked as her chest tightened at the vulnerability in Noelle's words. "Noelle..." she started, but her friend shook her head, cutting her off.

"You know what I've been through, Grace," Noelle continued, her voice growing steadier, though her tears betrayed her composure. "Heartbreak... it's something I know too well. I've felt it before. And when I saw the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized that I can't marry a man who doesn't truly belong to me."

Grace's lips parted but she couldn't find the right words to comfort her. There were never any words that could stop the pain. And so she chose to watch Noelle wipe her tears away with trembling fingers. "Oh, Noelle," she whispered as her voice cracked.

Noelle let out a soft, bitter laugh, shrugging helplessly. "He hasn't been coming home, Grace," she finally admitted. "We barely talk anymore. He comes home late or he never comes home at all... It's like... it's like he's forgotten we're even getting married."

Grace's jaw clenched as anger began flaring momentarily before being swallowed by the pain she felt for her friend. "That stupid mother—"

"I met his mother," Noelle interrupted, her voice dropping to a near-whisper.

The mention of Adrian's mother made Grace flinch. "Carol? What did she say to you?" Grace asked in a sharp tone as worry was now evident in her voice.

Noelle let out another humorless laugh, shaking her head. "It doesn't matter," she said, her voice bitter yet hollow. "Because she was right. I don't belong in their world. I was never part of the plan. I was just... someone Adrian settled for when Bianca was gone."

"Noelle, that's not true—" Grace began, but Noelle cut her off again, her voice rising out of frustration.

"It is true, Grace!" she cried, tears spilling freely down her cheeks now. "I was hopeful, you know? I was ready to fight for him. But then, I asked myself... who's gonna fight for me? Definitely not Adrian, now that he finally got her back..." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "I've never felt so alone in my life."

Grace couldn't hold back any longer. She reached across the console and pulled Noelle into a tight embrace making sure her arms encircled her trembling friend. "You're not alone," she whispered fiercely, her own tears threatening to fall. "You hear me, Noelle? You're not alone. I'm here. I'll always be here."

Noelle buried her face in Grace's shoulder, her sobs muffled but heart-wrenching. They stayed like that for a while, the world outside forgotten as Grace held her, silently vowing to help Noelle find her way again.

After what felt like an eternity, Noelle's sobs began to subside. Her trembling eased as she slowly pulled away from Grace's embrace. Her face was wet with tears and her eyes were red and swollen, but there was now resolve in her expression.

Grace reached for the tissues in her bag and handed them to Noelle, who wiped her face and let out a shaky breath. She then leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as she eyed Noelle thoughtfully. "When Adrian finds out you're gone... he's going to lose it, you know," she said with a teasing scoff which escaped her lips in an attempt to lighten the mood.

A faint smile tugged at Noelle's lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. She shook her head softly, folding the tissue in her hands as if concentrating on it would keep her from crumbling again. "Hm... I don't think he will." she murmured.

Grace frowned, tilting her head with a knowing look on her face. "You have no idea..." she mumbled.

"But if he does..." Noelle began.