Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 131

Chapter 8

It had been three months since I started teaching in the remote, struggling countryside. The air was often thick with dust and the faint scent of wildflowers, a stark contrast to the bustling city life I had left behind. I was convinced I had finally closed the chapter on John Sterling, believing I would never cross paths with him again.

Yet, I had gravely underestimated his determination.

John didn’t stop searching. City after city, he pursued every lead, exhausting every possible avenue to find me. When all conventional methods failed, he resorted to something I never expected—public media.

During a live broadcast, he looked directly into the camera, his voice trembling with raw emotion. “If you won’t let me see you,” he declared, “then I’ll make sure you see me. I want to prove how deeply committed I am to winning you back.”

There he stood, impeccably dressed in a suit, yet his once robust frame seemed thinner, his face pale, and his eyes lacking their usual spark. His words were sincere, filled with regret and longing.

“Claire, I know I’ve made mistakes that caused you pain,” he admitted. “Only now do I truly understand how wrong I was, how foolish my actions were. I was lost, but my heart has found its way.”

“All I want is for you to come back to me.”

He bowed slightly, expressing gratitude to the viewers and pleading for anyone with information about my whereabouts to reach out. Holding up a photograph of me, he said, “This is my fiancée. Isn’t she beautiful? If anyone knows where she is, please help me find her. I will be forever thankful.”

By chance, I saw this broadcast while setting up new multimedia computers in my classroom. An online influencer I collaborated with had just secured these devices for our students through her fundraising efforts. The children gathered around the screen, their eyes wide with excitement as they recognized the photo.

“Ms. Avery, is that really you?” one child asked eagerly.

“It looks like her, but Ms. Avery’s name isn’t Claire Dawson, right? Maybe it’s someone else?” another chimed in.

Their voices bubbled with curiosity as they debated, then rushed over to me, their faces full of concern.

“Ms. Avery, are you really someone’s fiancée?”

They clung to my legs, fear and hope mingling in their expressions.

“Are you going to leave us? Are you going to get married?”

“We don’t want you to go!”

These children, who had once arrived at the school dirty and neglected, had become like family to me. I had spent countless mornings gently brushing their tangled hair and afternoons teaching them how to wash their clothes properly. Though they were not my own, they filled a space in my heart I hadn’t known was empty.

Kneeling down, I wrapped my arms around them, offering a warm smile. “Don’t worry, kids. Ms. Avery isn’t going anywhere.”

In truth, I had no intention of leaving. John Sterling’s public plea was a fleeting distraction I quickly pushed to the back of my mind. But unbeknownst to me, the school principal had seen the broadcast and, perhaps unwisely, shared my location with John.

Ten days later, on a quiet afternoon, the peaceful atmosphere shattered with a sudden commotion outside. A helicopter had landed near the school.

The children, having never witnessed such a machine before, pressed against the windows, their excitement palpable.

“Ms. Avery, is that one of those planes from our textbooks?”

“It’s so big and shiny!”

“Look! Someone’s coming out!”

When I looked up, my eyes met John Sterling’s. His face was a mix of relief, joy, and something deeper—an overwhelming flood of emotion.

He hurried toward me, his eyes red-rimmed from sleepless nights. “Claire, you’re really here. I finally found you.”

I instinctively stepped back, avoiding his outstretched hand, and gave him a polite, measured smile.

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