There, nestled between pictures of Ryder's past, was a snapshot of the two of them. Taken years ago, it showed Ryder's arm around her shoulders, their faces radiant with joy. The memory rushed back, and her pulse quickened.
She still remembered it clearly: her childhood fascination with Ryder. Even back then, she wanted to follow him everywhere.
Her grandmother would often remind her, "Call him Brother Ryder. He's older than you." But Thea always refused. "Just Ryder.." . Over time, her grandmother stopped insisting, sighing quietly instead. Thea wouldn't budge—Ryder was Ryder, and that was that.
"Why are you smiling?" Ryder's voice broke into her reverie, bringing her back to the present.
Thea's gaze drifted up to meet Ryder's, "Ryder, I had no idea you kept all these photos.."
"Yeah, I like to hold onto memories."
She continued flipping through the album, her fingers brushing over faded photographs, when her gaze snagged on a plain white envelope lying beside the bed on the table. "What's this?" she murmured, leaning forward to pluck it from the surface. The envelope was unmarked—no name, no address, no hint of what lay inside or where it had come from.
She looked around the room, her eyes searching for Ryder, but he was nowhere to be found. The place where he had been sitting was empty. With a sense of foreboding, she unfolded the paper inside.
The words on the letter hit her like a storm—unexpected, fierce, and unrelenting. Her heart stuttered, her breath caught in her throat as the room around her dissolved into chaos. The ticket to Sweden and the letter's contents blurred together.Time seemed to freeze, leaving her suspended in a moment of pure shock.
As Ryder stepped back into the room, she turned to him, her emotions raw and exposed. She held up the papers, her voice trembling with a mix of hurt and confusion. "Ryder, what is this?" she asked, her tone laced with betrayal. "A ticket to Sweden? A letter about future studies? Why didn't you tell me?"
Her eyes searched his face for answers, for reassurance, but all she saw was a reflection of her own confusion and fear. The silence between them grew thick, heavy with unspoken words and unresolved questions.
Thea's eyes blazed with anger and betrayal as she confronted Ryder. "You're going to abandon me!" she accused, her voice trembling with emotion. The words hung in the air like a challenge, her pain and hurt evident in every syllable.
Ryder sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly under the weight of her accusation. "I'm not abandoning you, Thea," he said softly. "I just need to do this for my future." His words were laced with a quiet resolve, but they did little to ease the tension between them.
"Your future?" her voice rose in disbelief. "You're already studying at a prestigious University, what more do you need? You promised me...y..that... you'd stay, and now you're breaking that promise!"
Ryder shrugged, his indifference fueling her anger. "I don't want to answer your questions." he said, his voice cold.
Thea's s tears flowed as she realized Ryder's determination to leave. She turned and ran downstairs.
"Thea what's wrong?" Elizabeth asked, concern etched on her face.
"Aunty, is Ryder going to Sweden next week?" Thea asked, her voice trembling with anxiety.
"Yes.." Elizabeth replied, her expression a mix of sadness and frustration. "He wants to go to there for his future studies. I tried to stop him, but..." She sighed, shaking her head. "He is adamant about going there."
Thea's tears fell silently, her voice a soft whisper as she repeated to herself, "He promised me he'd stay, but now .."
The thought echoed silently in her mind, a painful truth she dared not speak aloud.
Elizabeth's face hardened. "I tried to stop him, but he won't listen."She embraced her tightly.
"Aunty, I am leaving now." Thea said, her voice trembling as she broke free from Elizabeth's embrace.
"Thea have lunch before you go." Elizabeth pleaded, her eyes filled with concern. "We all feel happy in your presence. Don't go yet, dear."Rosie pleaded.
Ryder stepped forward, voice icy. "Let her be..Mother."
"You heartless boy!" Elder Edward spat. "Look what you've done!"
"Thea, don't waste your tears on someone who's so adamant to leave us.." he said, his voice softening slightly as he turned to her. "He's made his choice. Let him be."