Nola didn't go straight home after the wedding.
She walked.
For a long time.
Past the decorated streets, past the glowing city lights, past people who were laughing at things that suddenly felt distant to her. The world kept moving like nothing had changed—but everything inside her had.
By the time she finally reached her apartment, her legs felt heavy, but her mind was even heavier.
The moment she closed the door behind her, silence hit her.
Real silence.
No music. No voice No fake smiles. Just her.
Nola stood there for a few seconds, still holding her small bag, as if she wasn't sure she was really back.
Then she moved.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
Like something inside her had finally made a decision her heart had been avoiding for too long.
She opened her wardrobe and and began pulling out clothes.
Not carefully.
Not neatly.
Just… packing.
One dress after another.
A few tops.
Important documents.
A small box she had hidden at the back of her drawer.
Her hands shook slightly as she folded things into her suitcase.
And then she stopped.
Because she saw it.
A picture.was old—folded at the edges, slightly faded. Her and Roy. Not the Roy from the wedding. Not the cold version she had seen today.
This was the older one. The one who used to laugh without thinking. The one who used to look at her like she mattered.
Her fingers tightened around it.
For a moment, she didn't breathe.
Then she placed it inside the suitcase anyway.
Not because she wanted to keep it.Unmoving.
She had one unread message.
From Roy.
She didn't open it.
She didn't need to.
Not anymore.
Whatever he had become, whatever life he had chosen… she was no longer part of it.
Nola sat on the edge of the bed, her head lowering into her hands.
And that was when it came.
The tears.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.Unmoving.
She had one unread message.
From Roy.
She didn't open it.
She didn't need to.
Not anymore.
Whatever he had become, whatever life he had chosen… she was no longer part of it.
Nola sat on the edge of the bed, her head lowering into her hands.
And that was when it came.
The tears.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.Just steady.
Quiet drops falling onto her palms as she tried to stay still.
She had imagined this moment differently once.
She thought if she ever lost Roy, it would be loud.
Angry.
Explosive.
But instead, it was this.
A wedding she wasn't part of.
A man who didn't look at her.
A friend who didn't remember her.
And a future she had to erase herself from.
She wiped her face quickly, like she was angry at the tears for existing.
"No," she whispered to herself. "I won't break here."
She stood up again.
More determined now.
And continued packing.
Hours passed.
The suitcase grew heavier.
The room grew emptier.
Until finally, Nola sat on the floor beside it, exhausted.Her eyes scanned the space one last time.
The bed.
The wall.
The little corner where she used to sit and think.
Everything held memories she could no longer afford to carry.
She stood slowly.
Walked to the window.
Outside, the city was still alive.
Still unaware that she was ending a chapter of her life inside it.
"I'm leaving," she whispered.
Not to anyone.
Not for attention.
Just as a final statement to herself.
Then she added quietly:
"And I will not come back."
Her voice broke slightly on the last word, but she didn't correct it.
Because she meant it.
She returned to the suitcase and closed it.
The sound of the zipper felt louder than it should have.
Final.
Permanent.
Like something locking into place.Nola lifted the bag and placed it by the door.
Then she paused.
Her hand rested on her stomach for a brief moment.
Her secret.
Her truth.
The part of her life no one knew.
Not Roy.
Not Zara.
Not anyone.
Her breath trembled slightly.
"I will protect you," she whispered.
Her eyes lowered.I don't care what it takes… no one will know."
She closed her eyes for a second, grounding herself in the decision.
The child would never be part of that world.
Never be tied to that name.
Never be claimed by a life that had already rejected her.
She wiped her face one last time.
Picked up her bag.
And looked around the room again.
This time, without hesitation.
"Goodbye," she said softly.Then she walked out.
Closing the door behind her without looking back.