Chapter 8
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At the prize–giving ceremony, I managed to connect with many internationally–acclaimed
perfumers from famous brands around the world. We exchanged knowledge, and I even
learned many new things from them.
When it was time for the reporters to interview me, a few couldn’t help asking me about the incident that had just happened.
One of the reporters, who was from the same country as I was, asked, “There’s a rumor that your ex–boyfriend inspired your newest fragrance this season. Is that true?”
All the cameras were immediately directed at me.
I smiled widely and answered, “My new fragrance is called ‘Rebel‘. The top note is a
refreshing scent that reminds you of soap with a whiff of gardenia. And the main
inspiration for this scent is none other than myself.
“Some people may not be born with a silver spoon in their mouths. They may not have a
childhood or upbringing they’re proud of. They might be mocked, ridiculed, bullied, or
dismissed–but people like them often turn out to be the strongest and most resilient.
“I just wanted to tell those people that even if they can’t afford to spend on perfumes, a soapy scent is still a unique scent that belongs to them and nobody else.”
I felt as though I was looking at my younger self as the lights continued flashing around
- me.
She was sitting in a corner of a small house, with cracked walls and broken tiles, as her
adoptive father lay on the ground after having had too much to drink.
She kept wiping the tears from her eyes as she continued working on her homework from
school, mumbling about her ambition and all the things she wanted to do as soon as she was all grown up.
She told herself that she wanted to get out of this place. She wanted to experience the world
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on her own—and to have a home filled with pleasant scents, free from the reek of alcohol.
Before I’d even arrived home, the news article had spread.
Sometime deep into the night, I received a call from Mandy.
I immediately answered the call. However, a deep voice was heard instead.
“You lied, Lyanna. You told me that that fragrance was a gift for me.”
I had previously blocked all of Herbert’s numbers. I couldn’t believe that he’d actually humble himself so much as to ask his mother to lend him her phone so that he could reach
- me.
3
Before I could reply, however, he continued talking, saying, “You’re still mad at me because of what happened at the restaurant last time, aren’t you? You can do whatever you want to me when you’re back later. I promise that I’ll always take your side now, no matter
what.
“I miss you so much. I—”
He abruptly stopped in the middle of his sentence. Then, I heard a loud thud, followed by a
scream.
Michelle grabbed the phone from him and cried into the receiver, “Come back, Lyanna Summers! Don’t you know that because of you, Herbie
The line got cut off before she could finish her sentence.
I couldn’t help but wonder what she would’ve said if the call hadn’t dropped. What would
Herbert have done because of me?
He probably would have refused to eat until his gastritis acted up and he had to be
hospitalized.
Back when we were still together, he often had to attend events where there would be a lot
of drinking.
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Herbert would always get gastritis every time he consumed alcohol. No matter how busy I was, I would always make sure to warm up some soup for him at night before he returned
from those events.
I hated seeing him in pain, and he always knew that.
So, each time he made me mad, he would tug at my hand and place it gently on his
stomach. Then, he would whimper, “Hurts…”
He knew I would cave every time, and I was helpless against it.
Unfortunately, he never cherished me back then.
a
Three days later, I boarded the plane back home as planned. As soon as the plane took off, I looked out from my window and stared at the beautiful scenery outside. However, I felt
empty and hollow all of a sudden.
Five hours into the flight, the plane encountered some serious turbulence.
The turbulence was so bad that everyone in the plane woke up from the ruckus, including
- me.
In the darkness, the oxygen masks had deployed at every seat. Then, a short while later, the captain’s voice could be heard through the cabin.
“Don’t panic… doing all we can… safety…”
His words were cut off with static noise as it eventually got drowned out.
I followed the air hostess‘ directions and put on my oxygen mask amidst the loud shouting and chaos surrounding me.
As we flew through the clouds, the plane suddenly lost altitude and started to nosedive.
At that moment, I felt a sense of weightlessness as the plane continued to fall. I felt the terror tearing through my skin. However, it was gradually replaced with acceptance as I made peace and let go of the present.
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Chapter 8
I thought that this had to be fate.
Somebody once said that scents left a longer impression on others than places or
situations.
So, just before everything went black, my life didn’t flash before my eyes. Instead, I could smell “Forever Love” wafting through my senses.
I thought that I would never open my eyes again.
But I was wrong.
