Vivian and Larry took their seat at the dining table. Looking at the dishes before her, Vivian found herself having no appetite at all.
Seeing his mother’s impassive expression, Larry, too, had lost his appetite.
Vivian forced down some food and flashed Larry a reassuring smile. Then, she filled the boy’s bowl with some food before she continued eating.
Soon, Larry started to dig in.
Since the two had not had a proper meal for the past three days, they greatly enjoyed their meals.
Everything would be perfect if they weren’t eating the food in a bad mood.
After breakfast, Vivian had Larry stay at home with the housemaid while she headed out to search for Finnick.
Although she had resigned herself to live without that man in the future, still, she couldn’t help but continue searching for him.
It would be best if she managed to find Finnick. If not, perhaps this was the only way to make herself give up after countless futile searches.
With that in mind, she drove off and soon started her search.
Vivian drove at a snail’s pace along the road, afraid that the movie scene where a couple missed each other by a hair’s breadth would happen to her and Finnick.
She was constantly looking outside the window while driving. One could imagine how slow she was going.
Growing impatient, those driving behind her started honking, signaling her to speed up.
Yet, Vivian ignored the honks. At this moment, all she had in mind was to search for Finnick. She wouldn’t let anyone get in the way, and she couldn’t care less about what other people might think of her.
Feeling frustrated, the other drivers cut her off. They cursed loudly as their cars overtook hers.
Regardless, Vivian continued with her pace while keeping her eyes on the roadside.
To her disappointment, her search was futile. She then drove onto the highway and gradually sped up.
Vivian’s first stop was the garden where Finnick and her usually visited – the very place where Finnick proposed to her.
She got out of the car and entered the garden. Everything in it looked the same, with the peonies in full blossom and the willow trees rustling near the lake.
She walked along the cobblestone path that led her to a green space. There, visitors were afforded a better view of the man-made lake.
Vivian remembered Finnick loved hanging around there, especially during spring. The two of them would sit on the bench with their eyes closed. As the gentle wind blew, it brought along the fragrance of flowers. That was a real serene and leisure moment.
Unfortunately, it was summer now. The blazing sun was at its highest point, shining onto the earth. Unwilling to linger outdoor in the hot weather, the passersby were seen hurrying their way out of the park and would soon head home.
Vivian was the only one making her way into the depth of the garden.
Soon, she reached a pavilion. It was relatively cooler inside since the roof provided a shield against direct exposure to the sun’s rays. On a sultry hot summer day, the pavilion was still stuffy like an oven as the hot summer wind blew.
Vivian suddenly recalled when she and Finnick saw a couple quarreling at this place. Although it was the young lady’s fault, in the end, the young man was the first to apologize.
Seeing that, she told Finnick that she favored men who voluntarily admitted their mistakes. The latter started questioning her childishly if she liked him or that young man.
Inexplicably, she felt a tinge of happiness in her heart seeing Finnick being jealous. “I like you,” was her reply.
Vivian continued to walk around the garden. Every part of it seemed to be full of memories.
Yet, now she was the only one reminiscing about their lovely and sweet moments in the garden. Finnick, the man who created those memories with her, was missing in the picture.
She felt lonely and depressed. Just as she was overwhelmed by mixed emotions in her heart, the elderly on the other side of the lake caught her attention. They were doing breathing exercises, yelling at the lake to increase lung capacity.
Since it seemed to be an enjoyable thing to do, Vivian was tempted to do the same. She crouched down, rolled her sleeves, and then cupped her hands around her mouth. After taking a deep breath, she screamed at the top of her lungs at the lake.
Instantly, she felt like a huge weight was being lifted off her chest.
Thinking that this might be a good way of venting out her negative emotions, she continued screaming her head off.
It was already noon when she finally felt better. The sun was scorching hot, yet she didn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon.
