Love’s Empty Echo

I steadied my emotions and walked over to them. Callum noticed me first.

A flicker of surprise crossed his face before he quickly masked it with a mocking smile.

"What’s this? Regretting it after just one day? Did you come to beg me to call off the divorce?"

I raised the sewing kit in my hand.

"You said it yourself. If I came, you’d cooperate with the divorce. Don’t try to go back on your word."

He hurriedly grabbed his phone, and as his eyes scanned the messages, a brief flicker of unease passed over his face.

Before he could respond, Hannah stepped forward and clung to Callum’s arm.

"I used your phone to message Eloise. My dress has such a low neckline—I didn’t even know where to start adjusting it."

"Then go and put on a jacket," he said, his attention instantly diverted.

Without a second thought, he draped his suit jacket over her shoulders in an intimate gesture that caught the attention of everyone nearby.

Perhaps it was the magic of the divorce papers, but as Hannah flaunted her claim on Callum and his automatic response to her, I felt nothing—no discomfort, no jealousy.

Instead, it was Callum who, realizing his actions, offered me a rare explanation.

"Hannah has been trailing after us since she was little. It... it’s just a habit," Callum said, his voice faltering.

"Mm," I replied calmly, cutting off his half-hearted excuse with a simple nod.

"Since I’m clearly not needed here, I’ll head back. Enjoy your evening."

I had almost reached the door when he called out.

"Eloise."

He hurried over with an umbrella and opened it above my head.

Awkwardly rubbing his nose, he muttered, "Emmet said it’s raining outside. Let me take you back."

The rain wasn’t heavy, but the wind scattered it in unpredictable directions.

Callum pulled me close, his arm shielding my shoulders as he positioned me under the umbrella.

"You just recovered from a fever. Don’t catch a cold," he said, his gaze softening as it settled on my face.

His tenderness was so striking, that I couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked at me like that—not since Hannah had returned.

But it was too late, Callum.

A broken heart couldn’t be pieced back together.

I knew that the heart that would mend would no longer hold a place for him.

I quickly slipped into the car and seated myself as far from him as possible.

For the next few days, I buried myself in work, finally completing all my pending orders.

After bidding my clients farewell, I listed the studio on a real estate website and headed home early.

The moment I stepped inside, I noticed workers coming and going.

The once minimalist living room had been transformed into a garish pink princess castle.

Even the rug had been replaced with a heart-patterned design.

Hannah was perched on Callum’s shoulders, hanging fairy lights above the door frame.

I glanced at Callum’s shirt, its childish butterfly print so out of character it was almost laughable.

The young girl was clearly pulling out all the stops, staking her claim as she silently urged me to leave.

And what about the ever-astute CEO Callum? Either he genuinely couldn’t see it or he was purposely indulging her.

When Callum noticed I had returned, he quickly set Hannah down and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Hannah’s still a young girl so she likes a lively atmosphere. She’s just staying for a few days. Don’t hold it against her."

A young ‘girl’?

She’s in her twenties. Can she still be called a ‘girl’ if she kissed him the way she did?

I didn’t ask that question though—it felt out of line.

I knew that nothing I said would matter anymore, especially once our divorce was finalized.

I shrugged and walked toward my room.

“Just don’t touch my things.”

"I made some pasta, Eloise. Want some?" Callum asked suddenly.

Perhaps it was my calmness that surprised him, or maybe it was his belief that Hannah had gone too far.

“The banquet tonight won’t have much to eat. You should at least have a little something now.”