Chapter 357

I had just finished another draining day at the office, the familiar weight of exhaustion settling heavily upon my shoulders as I trudged towards the parking lot. The cacophony of honking cars and bustling pedestrians filled the air, mingling with the constant buzz of my thoughts. As I reached for my car keys, my phone vibrated insistently in my pocket, disrupting the rhythm of my weariness.

With a sigh, I fished it out, glancing at the caller ID. Andy. My pulse quickened with surprise. It hadn't been long since our last conversation, and hearing from him again so soon was unexpected. Nonetheless, curiosity outweighed my fatigue, and I answered the call.

"Hey, Andy. What's up?" I asked, my voice tinged with curiosity.

"Evie, hey. Listen, are you busy right now?" His tone was urgent, almost frantic.

I hesitated, my mind racing through the possibilities. "Not particularly. Why? What's going on?"

"It's about Mia," he said, his voice lowering to a somber tone. "She left some of her stuff at my dad's mansion, and I thought you might want to come over and pick it up. I know it's been tough for you, and I thought you might appreciate having these things."

Mia. My mother. The mere mention of her name sent a pang of sorrow rippling through me. It had been months since she passed away, yet the wound still felt fresh, the ache of her absence haunting every corner of my existence. And now, the prospect of facing remnants of her life, of delving into the memories she left behind, stirred a maelstrom of emotions within me.

But despite the trepidation gnawing at my insides, a part of me longed to grasp onto anything that connected me to her, no matter how fleeting or insignificant.

"I'll come," I replied, my voice steady despite the storm raging within me. "I'll be there soon."

With that, I ended the call and made my way to the car, my thoughts consumed by a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. As I drove towards the mansion, memories of Mia flooded my mind, each recollection a bittersweet echo of the love and loss that defined our relationship.

When I arrived, Andy was waiting for me at the door, his expression a mixture of solemnity and sympathy. He greeted me with a brief nod, his eyes mirroring the weight of the moment as he ushered me inside.

"Thanks for coming over, Evie," he said, his voice tinged with gratitude. "I know this must be difficult for you."

I offered him a faint smile, the gesture feeling hollow against the backdrop of my turmoil. "It's fine. I appreciate you reaching out."

Together, we made our way to the main room, where a box of Mia's belongings lay waiting, a silent testament to the life she once lived. I approached it tentatively, my heart hammering against my ribs as I lifted the lid, revealing a jumbled assortment of memories and mementos.

For a moment, I simply stared, the weight of the past bearing down upon me like an oppressive force. Then, with trembling hands, I began to sift through the contents, each item a fragment of a life that was no more.

Amongst the mundane objects and forgotten trinkets, I unearthed a photograph, its edges worn with age. As I gazed upon it, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, the image etched into my memory with painful clarity.

It was a picture of me as a child, cradled in Mia's arms, my father standing beside us with a smile that seemed to transcend time itself. We looked so happy, so complete, frozen in a moment of fleeting perfection.

But as I studied the photograph, a knot formed in the pit of my stomach, a nagging sense of unease creeping into the recesses of my mind. Why had Mia kept such a photo? What significance did it hold in the tapestry of her life?

"Evie, are you okay?" Andy's voice broke through my reverie, his concern palpable as he peered at me from across the room.

I forced myself to tear my gaze away from the photograph, meeting his eyes with a semblance of composure. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... lost in thought, I guess."

He nodded understandingly, though the furrow in his brow betrayed his skepticism. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay? I'm here for you."

I managed a weak smile in response, grateful for his offer of support. But even as his words washed over me, I couldn't shake the feeling of disquiet that lingered in the depths of my soul.

As I continued to sift through Mia's belongings, each item unveiling a new layer of the past, I couldn't help but wonder what secrets lay hidden beneath the surface. And as the echoes of angry dialogue reverberated in my mind, I knew that the answers I sought would only serve to unravel the tangled web of lies and deceit that had defined my life for far too long.

"Evie, are you... are you going to Mia's trial after Timothy's hearing?" Andy asked suddenly.

I met his gaze with a solemn expression. "I don't know. I don't even know if I can face it, you know? But I also feel like I have no choice," I admitted, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

He nodded, rubbing his jaw. "It’s going to be hard."

Silence stretched between us. Then, with a sigh, I shifted the conversation, the need for distraction tugging at the edges of my consciousness.

"So, how's your dad doing?" I asked, the words tumbling from my lips before I could stop them. "Is he... is he back home yet?"

Andy's expression softened at the mention of his brother, a flicker of relief dancing in the depths of his eyes. "Yeah, he's back home. Doctor's orders, bed rest and all that. But he's doing well, considering everything."

A surge of gratitude flooded through me at the news, the knot of worry in my chest unraveling ever so slightly. "That's good to hear. Please, send him my regards. I've been thinking about him."

"I will," Andy promised, his voice tinged with gratitude. "He'll be glad to hear from you, I'm sure."

With a heavy heart, I prepared to take my leave, the weight of the day pressing down upon me like a suffocating blanket. But before I could make my escape, Andy stopped me, his voice tinged with urgency.

"Wait, Evie. There's... there's something else," he said, his words rushed and breathless as he disappeared up the stairs, leaving me standing alone in the silence.

Seconds stretched into eternity as I waited, the tension coiling tight around my chest like a vice. Then, with a soft thud, Andy returned, a clear bag clutched tightly in his grasp.

"I almost forgot," he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he held out the bag for me to see. "I found this in the attic. It's... it's Mia's wedding dress. Or... or rather, Stella's. I thought... well, I thought you might have a better use for it than me."

I stared at the bag in disbelief, the weight of its contents pressing down upon me like a tangible force. Mia's wedding dress. The thought of it sent a shiver down my spine, memories of happier times intermingling with the shadows of the past.

"What... what am I supposed to do with this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I reached out to touch the delicate fabric.

Andy shrugged, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "I don't know. Maybe you could... I don't know, use it for something. Kamran mentioned that Mia never even wore it when they got married."

His words cut through me like a knife, the bitter sting of regret gnawing at the edges of my consciousness. Mia's wedding dress. A relic of a love that had long since faded into memory.

With a heavy heart, I bid Andy goodbye, the weight of Mia's belongings and the wedding dress pressing down upon me like a physical burden. As I made my way to the car, I couldn't help but wonder what I was meant to do with it all, the tangled threads of the past weaving a tapestry of uncertainty and regret.

But as I drove into the night, the soft glow of the dashboard illuminating the darkness that surrounded me, one thing became painfully clear.

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