Part 6

By morning, the plane touched down, and I found myself on the other side of the ocean. As soon as I turned on my phone, I was bombarded with countless missed calls and messages. Jeffery had clearly realized that I had severed our bond and had truly disappeared from his life. He was asking where I was, pleading that he would come to find me.

At first, I considered blocking him completely, but knowing Jeffery's relentless persistence, I knew he'd simply switch numbers and try to reach me again. Instead, I set my phone to "Do Not Disturb" and focused on registering at school.

I slipped back into the quiet, solitary routine of doing research, completely on my own. The only difference now was the absence of that ever-present figure who used to shadow my every move.