Chapter 8: The Past Knocks
Belinda stared at her phone, the message from Lucas burning into her thoughts. She hadn’t heard from him in months, and now, out of nowhere, he was asking for her help. Her first instinct was to ignore him. She had built a new life, one where Lucas and Verena no longer had a place. But curiosity—and a lingering sense of responsibility—kept tugging at her.
After a restless night, she finally decided to respond. “What do you mean, Verena’s gone? And why are you coming to me?”
Lucas’s reply came quickly. “She left without a word. No note, no explanation. I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find her. I thought… maybe you’d understand. You knew her once.”
Belinda sighed. She didn’t owe Lucas anything, but the idea of someone disappearing without a trace didn’t sit right with her. Still, she wasn’t sure she wanted to dive back into the mess of her past.
She called Daniel, needing to hear a familiar voice. “Hey, Daniel. I need some advice.”
“Shoot,” he said, his tone light but attentive.
Belinda explained the situation, her voice wavering as she recounted Lucas’s message. “I don’t know what to do. Part of me wants to help, but the other part wants to stay as far away as possible.”
Daniel was quiet for a moment. “Belinda, you’re one of the kindest people I know. If you think you can help, then maybe you should. But don’t let Lucas drag you back into a life you’ve worked so hard to leave behind. You’ve got your own path now.”
His words gave her clarity. She could help—if she wanted to—but on her own terms. She typed a reply to Lucas. “I’ll help you look for Verena, but this doesn’t change anything between us. I’m not coming back to that life.”
Lucas’s response was simple. “Understood. Thank you.”
Belinda returned to Owathe a few days later, her stomach in knots as the familiar sights of the city came into view. She hadn’t been back since the night she left Lucas, and the memories came flooding back—both good and bad. She met Lucas at a small café, the tension between them palpable as they sat across from each other.
“Thanks for coming,” Lucas said, his voice quieter than she remembered. He looked tired, his usual confidence replaced by something softer, almost vulnerable.
“I’m not doing this for you,” Belinda said firmly. “I’m doing it because no one deserves to just disappear. Now, tell me everything you know.”
Lucas explained that Verena had been acting strangely for weeks before she left. She had been distant, distracted, and then one day, she was just gone. He had searched everywhere—her favorite places, her friends, even her family—but no one had seen or heard from her.
Belinda listened carefully, her mind racing. “Did she leave anything behind? A note, a clue, anything?”
Lucas shook his head. “Nothing. It’s like she vanished into thin air.”
Belinda frowned. “There has to be something. People don’t just disappear without a trace.”
Over the next few days, Belinda and Lucas retraced Verena’s steps. They visited her favorite spots, talked to her friends, and even checked with local authorities. But no one had any information. It was as if Verena had simply ceased to exist
As they worked together, Belinda couldn’t help but notice how different Lucas seemed. The cold, distant man she had married was gone, replaced by someone who seemed genuinely worried and lost. It was strange to see him like this, and it made her wonder if she had ever really known him at all.
One evening, as they sat in Lucas’s apartment going over what little information they had, Belinda finally asked the question that had been nagging at her. “Lucas, why did you marry me? Really?”
He looked up, surprised. “What do you mean?”
“You said it was to protect Verena, to spite your father. But was that really all it was? Was there ever… anything else?”
Lucas hesitated, his gaze dropping to the floor. “At first, maybe. But over time, I realized you were different. You were kind, patient, and you saw the best in people, even when they didn’t deserve it. I think… I think I started to care about you, Belinda. But by then, it was too late. I had already messed everything up.”
Belinda felt a lump form in her throat. She had spent so long believing she was nothing more than a pawn in his game, but hearing him say this made her see things in a new light. It didn’t change what had happened, but it gave her a sense of closure she hadn’t realized she needed.
The next morning, Belinda woke up with a renewed sense of purpose. She wasn’t going to let Verena’s disappearance go unsolved. She and Lucas continued their search, and finally, they found a lead—a friend of Verena’s who mentioned she had been talking about starting over, about leaving everything behind.
Belinda’s heart sank as she realized the truth. Verena hadn’t disappeared. She had chosen to leave. She had wanted a fresh start, just like Belinda had.
When they confronted the friend, she handed them a letter. “She asked me to give this to Lucas if he ever came looking for her.”
Lucas opened the letter, his hands trembling as he read it aloud. “Lucas, I’m sorry. I needed to find myself, to live a life that’s truly mine. Please don’t look for me. This is what I need.”
Belinda watched as Lucas’s face fell. He looked lost, broken. For the first time, she felt a pang of sympathy for him. He had lost Verena, just as she had once lost him.
“What now?” she asked softly.
Lucas sighed, folding the letter carefully. “I guess… I let her go.”
Belinda nodded. “Sometimes, that’s all you can do.”
As she prepared to leave Owathe once again, Belinda felt a strange sense of peace. She had faced her past, helped Lucas, and finally found closure. She didn’t know what the future held, but she was ready to keep moving forward.
Before she left, Lucas stopped her. “Belinda, thank you. For everything.”
She smiled faintly. “Take care of yourself, Lucas.”
As she walked away, Belinda felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She had come back to her old life, but she wasn’t staying. She had a new life waiting for her—one filled with possibilities, creativity, and hope.
And this time, she was ready to embrace it.