The wind leaves a sound, but love leaves no trace.
Chapter 2
The next morning, wedding preparations officially began.
Kathleen summoned Kelly to The Elmwood Estate first thing.
Upon arrival, Kelly froze, stunned by the sight before her.
White wooden fences. An emerald lawn. A two-story house framed by lush climbing roses and hydrangeas blooming along the garden path…
It mirrored the home she had always dreamed of—down to the last detail of furniture and decor.
Unbidden tears welled in her eyes.
*“Kelly, anything you love, I’ll make it real for you.”*
His promise echoed in her memory. And now, here it all was, laid out before her.
The scene was perfect, yet utterly wrong. Ralph didn’t belong to her. None of this did.
Kelly couldn’t understand why he would decorate his marital home with Kathleen to look exactly like her own dream.
As her thoughts churned, Kathleen’s voice sliced through the silence.
“This is Ralph’s and my home. Isn’t it perfect?”
Stepping in front of Kelly, Kathleen wore a triumphant smile.
“Don’t get ideas above your station. Ralph and I are getting married. Bury those dirty little thoughts of yours—he’ll only ever be mine.”
Once, Kelly would have fired back at an insult like that.
Today, she schooled her expression and stayed silent.
Noting her quiet, Kathleen continued. “Let me outline the wedding requirements. Ralph insists on handwriting the invitations himself. The main floral arrangements must be white jasmine. The bridal bouquet must be freesia. And most importantly, the ceremony must be at dusk. All Ralph’s requests. He—”
“Wait.” Kelly cut her off, a jolt running through her. “You said these are *Ralph’s* requests?”
*Slap.*
Kathleen’s hand shot out, striking Kelly’s cheek, her eyes sharp. “‘Ralph’? Since when are you on a first-name basis with him?”
Kelly didn’t retaliate. Instead, she grabbed Kathleen’s shoulders urgently, her gaze intense. “I’m asking you—is it true?”
Shaking her off with disgust, Kathleen frowned. “Why should I answer you? Ralph is pouring his heart into *our* wedding. None of your tricks will work, Kelly.”
The answer was obvious.
Something shattered inside Kelly’s mind.
“It’s Ralph’s requests. It has to be… Where is he? Find Ralph… I need to find Ralph…”
Muttering to herself, she turned to leave.
But Kathleen suddenly let out a pained cry and collapsed heavily to the ground.
“Kelly! What are you doing?”
Ralph, having just stepped outside, witnessed the scene. He strode over and shoved Kelly aside.
Her head struck the railing. Ignoring the pain, she scrambled up and clutched his arm.
“White jasmine. Freesia. The wedding at dusk, because if it’s any earlier, my sleepyhead might not wake up in time…”
Tears streamed down Kelly’s face, her voice trembling.
“Ralph, it’s me. Your Kelly… Your fiancée.”
Their eyes met. Time seemed to freeze—a flicker of uncertainty, confusion, passed over Ralph’s face.
Then Kathleen tugged weakly at his shirt, her voice choked. “Ralph, don’t blame Miss Kelly. She… she just likes you too much.”
Instantly, his expression hardened into ice. He shook off Kelly’s hand with revulsion.
“Likes me? She’s not worthy. With the blood of a servant and a deadbeat in your veins, what else could you be but trash?”
With that, he turned, swept Kathleen into his arms, and carried her inside.
The cold, cutting words carved into Kelly’s heart, shocking her back to reality.
This wasn’t her Ralph. In the end… she had been fooling herself again.
She had tried before to jog his memory.
Once, driven to desperation, she had even stripped and climbed into his bed, hoping intimacy might trigger something.
That night, he had pinned her down, lost in a frenzy. But afterwards, he looked at her with cold disgust and spat, “Kelly, even a whore has more self-respect than you.”
The look in his eyes then was the same as now: contempt, disgust, utter coldness.
Kelly slumped to the ground.
Soon, muffled, intimate sounds drifted from the room.
“Ralph… it’s broad daylight… and Miss Kelly is right outside…”
“I want her to know. Only you, Kathleen, will ever be my woman.”
Their flirtatious banter followed, clear as day.
Whether from exhaustion or haunting memories, Kelly’s consciousness grew fuzzy. She remembered their first night.
She had just accepted his proposal. He’d kissed her in the elevator.
Their first time, he hadn’t even made it to the bedroom.
She’d teased him about his true, lustful nature showing. He had cupped her face, utterly serious, and said, “Kelly, I only want you. And I… I can only lose control like this with you.”
And now…
Kelly shook her head, refusing to dwell on it further.
She pushed herself up weakly, intending to leave, when the door flew open again. Ralph, shirtless, emerged and threw a wad of cash at her feet.
“Kathleen isn’t ready for kids. We’re out of condoms. Go buy twenty packs. Any less might not be enough.”
The door slammed shut before she could respond.
Staring at the scattered bills, Kelly’s face went pale.
She had no choice. She bought twenty packs of condoms.
Kathleen barely glanced at them before tossing them aside.
“These aren’t the ultra-thin kind. They ruin the sensation… Ralph, I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble Miss Kelly to go again.”
“They *are* ultra-thin, but… these are the standard size. Ralph is a big guy; he needs the larger size.”
“The size and type are right now, but I don’t like the scent.”
After several trips, Kelly finally procured condoms that met Kathleen’s approval.
Inside, the rhythmic creaking of the bedframe mixed with increasingly loud, passionate moans…
Kelly stood outside the door like a fool.
She understood. Her inability to forget Ralph was her greatest sin.
And in fifteen days, that sin was all she would take to her grave.
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