When the Contract Ends in Goodbye Chapter 6

The next morning, I boarded the train to Serenity Valley.

The carriage was noisy and lively, filled with the warmth of humanity.

Last night, Julian didn't make things difficult for me anymore. He even arranged everything for me.

The station staff looked at me with extra guilt today.

I knew it. Everything that happened yesterday was Julian's doing.

Today, everything went smoothly. There were no obstacles blocking my way.

From security to boarding, I felt a gaze lingering on me the whole time.

I didn't turn back. That was the best answer I could give him.

From here to Serenity Valley on the West Coast.

The train swayed and rattled for a whole day.

It was already evening when I arrived at my destination. The sky was slightly dark. I pulled my suitcase and looked up at the sky.

I felt an unprecedented sense of freedom.

The air here seemed much fresher than on the East Coast.

The climate was warm as spring, full of vitality.

I hailed a cab and found a family-run inn.

Lying on the comfortable bed, I felt physically and mentally at ease.

The landlady was kind and enthusiastically recommended several restaurants to me.

I told her I would try them one by one and wouldn't let her recommendations go to waste.

I thought Serenity Valley would be the start of my new life.

The past seven years were finally a closed chapter.

Now, I was free.

I walked through many parts of Serenity Valley.

I went to all the restaurants the landlady recommended.

There was a small pasta shop that was very interesting.

The owner was a cheerful local.

Like me, he ran this small shop alone.

The first time I went, I ordered a spaghetti Bolognese.

The shop was affordable. A full, heaping plate left me very satisfied.

Despite this, the warmth here didn't immediately erase the loneliness inside me.

I began to realize that freedom didn't always mean happiness.

Although I had escaped my past life, building new environments and relationships took time.

However, I didn't let this emotion take over.

I decided to be proactive. Go see the scenery. Try to break down the fence of loneliness.

I asked the pasta shop owner for recommendations. He told me the natural scenery in Serenity Valley was excellent—hiking, walking by the lake, all good choices.

Seeing I was a bit down, the owner said to me, "You look like you're in a bad mood. I'm off tomorrow anyway. I'll take you around to see the sights."

Later, I tasted almost every pasta dish in the shop.

I became more and more familiar with the owner, Leo.

I went there more and more often.

The amount of meat sauce Leo put in my pasta got larger and larger.

Every time I ate, he would watch me from behind the counter.