Countdown to "I Do" novel Chapter 20

20 /24

**Midnight Roads Unseen by George Orwell**

**Chapter 20**

Isabella had completely moved on from Adrian, her heart no longer tethered to the past.

For Adrian, however, the world felt like it was crumbling around him. Each beat of his heart resonated with agony, and even the simple act of inhaling became a struggle. How could she have walked away so easily?

He simply could not wrap his mind around it!

In a desperate attempt to cling to a memory, Adrian purchased a small, sharp knife. He approached an old tree, its bark rough and weathered, and began to carve a message into its trunk. Stroke by stroke, he etched out the words: “Isabella and Adrian will be together forever!” Each letter felt like a plea to the universe, a declaration of his unwavering love, even as he felt its fragility.

After completing his makeshift monument, he embarked on a pilgrimage to every significant spot that had once been shared with Isabella.

At the Love Locks Bridge, his heart sank. The lock bearing their names had vanished, taken by time or perhaps by someone who did not understand its significance.

But it didn’t matter, he thought, a flicker of hope igniting within him. He could buy a new lock, hang it up again, and reclaim that piece of their history.

Next, he found himself at the Prayer Walls, where countless wishes hung like whispers in the wind. With urgency in his voice, he approached a staff member, desperation lacing his words. “Sir, do you know where Isabella’s milagros are? Can you take me to see them?”

He had only heard Isabella speak of the miracles she had prayed for him, but he had never truly grasped their meaning. The truth was, he had never cared enough to ask, and now that realization gnawed at him.

The staff member hesitated, his expression shifting into one of confusion and pity. “Mr. Foster, not long ago, you donated five million to have all the milagros taken down and discarded. They’re gone now… there’s nothing we can do.”

Adrian felt as if the ground had been pulled from beneath him. A ringing in his ears drowned out the world around him. What had he done?

In his ignorance, he had trampled over Isabella’s heartfelt wishes, obliterating the very hopes she had held for him. He deserved her departure!

In a fit of self-recrimination, Adrian slapped himself across the face, the sting a physical manifestation of his self-loathing.

After what felt like an eternity, he managed to regain his composure. With a newfound resolve, he spoke with intense seriousness, “I’m willing to donate another ten million now. Please, take down all the milagros that Ella and I hung up, and replace them with the wishes I’m making for Isabella.”