Chapter 40 CHARLOTTE The morning I left Milan had been unusually cold , and the air smelled a little different . I askedaria if the nobod it , but she answered by saying that she didnt feel anything unusual . I sneezed as we got into the car , and the suggested that we go back and reschedule if I wasnt feeling well . Its alright , Maria , I said with a thin smile . The drive to the airport was filled with conversations between her and the driver , Luigi . I could tell they had a rapport from prior conversations as they discussed a place I wasnt familiar with . I listened to their exchange , grateful for the distraction from the thought of leaving Maria all alone . I tried to dismiss her , but as I boarded the plane , I couldnt deny that I felt a little different . Maria had accompanied me to the airport , and the new driver had made a good impression by getting us there in record time . We had some time to talk while we waited , enjoying breakfast together in a restaurant . When it was time to board , we said our goodbyes , and for the first time in a long time , I felt my heart break a little . It wasnt the same feeling that engulfed me when Rogerio mentioned the divorce , this one was different . It was an old feeling , one that had planted its roots in my mind the day I finally accepted that I was alone in the world . When extended family members didnt reach out to me after a period of hoping there was someone who cared even a little , I remember laughing at my audacity to think that anyone was coming to save me . Then , a wave of impending doom enveloped me . That same feeling coursed through my body as if this was the last time I would ever see her , and the realization that I was on my own once more filled me with dread . Somewhere , in the corner of my mind , a small thought roamed . I could stay back and go to school in Milan ; there are great universities here , and I could get a job or start my own business . Los Angeles was a distant place that I barely knew . I was barely an adult when I left , and I can bet a lot of things would have changed by now . Perhaps I should stay somewhere I knew how to navigate the routes and pick the best cuisines , I thought to myself , smiling wistfully as I shook my head slowly . But then , surely , I could experience more than something I already had a history with , and it would keep me far enough from Rogerio so I could heal properly . I tried to convince myself that it was solely because I needed to create new memories , but another thing I could finally admit to myself was that I was running away from my life as Signora Thuthai . As I took one last glance at her , I realized that two things can be true ; in this case , three . One , I was running away from the Thuthais and everything that came with them , although the ring and money were great souvenirs . Two , I wanted a new life as Charlotte Edwards . I hadnt been that person in a while , and perhaps I could do a few things differently . Three , I would miss Maria . She was the closest person to me, and talking over the phone wouldnt feel the same as having conversations in person . But I knew I had to do this . We had already come all this way ; this wasnt the time to get cold feet . It was a hard but inevitable decision , so I put on a brave face . As I stepped onto the plane , Marias last words rang in my mind . If you ever need to come back to Milan , dont let anything make you hesitate . This is your home . I understood what she meant and thanked her for her kindness , but as I settled in and the plane started to glide off the runway and make its way into the clouds , I knew I wasnt coming back . I had escaped from yet another traumatic point in my life , and I was relieved it was over . If anything needed to be done about the house , Maria 21 22 Dancing into the Heart of Mr. Ce 25.8 Chapter 40 could handle it . She had all the money , and I didnt mind sending more , but I knew I didnt want to spend another night in that place . The sudden mood shift had me feeling disoriented for a bit . If I had given in to how I was feeling earlier , we could have been on our way to the estate , and I wondered if that was something I would have liked if I tried . As we moved further away , I settled in with the idea of something new . When I arrived at the hotel , I would plan an itinerary for the next day . I could walk through the city , stop by the school , and find more activities to do . I turned and stared at the person next to me ; she was asleep with her head hung low . I resisted the urge to touch her or move her head back into position . It would be a kind gesture , but I didnt want to initiate anything . I just wanted to get off and be in my hotel room . I didnt have to engage with anyone here . I looked away and closed my eyes , wishing I could fall asleep too . I knew that was futile because my thoughts raced all over the place at the prospect of being somewhere else . I couldnt shut them off , so I needed to do something else . I picked out a book and started to read it , but a few minutes later , she started to snore , and a part of me appreciated the days when I would travel on Rogerios private jet . I chuckled and closed the book . Welcome to the real world , I muttered to myself as I stared at the cover for a moment before putting it away . Deciding to go to the bathroom , I figured it would give me some time to myself , and perhaps my movement would wake her up and stop the snoring . I picked up my bag and made my way to the bathroom . Getting there was the easy part , but getting in was a different story as the attendant informed me that it was occupied . I contemplated making my way back to my seat , but as I turned around , I bumped into a man who had just gotten up from his seat . I bit my tongue to stop myself from cursing and focused on my bag and things scattered on the floor . Lowering my gaze , I mumbled an apology and bent down to pick up the items . As I fished for things that had gotten under some seats , I realized that he had walked away without saying a word . Rude , I muttered , standing up to look around for him , but I only caught a glimpse of his hair as he made his way towards the cockpit . I tried to see his face , but I felt a hand touch my shoulder , and I turned around . The attendant had found some of the other things , and the lady occupying the restroom had stepped out . I thanked her for finding them and went into the bathroom . This was my first time flying economy since my wedding , and I was already bumping into people , embarrassing myself in front of everybody . I exhaled and turned on the tap to wash my hands , staring at my reflection in the mirror . The air felt warmer as my eyes glanced around the small space . I couldnt wait until I got off the plane . I needed a warm bath to get rid of this cold feeling and some wine . I wondered what Id want for dinner ; first , I had to look up which city we were going to stop over in . Then I could plan what to eat and decide if I wanted to get back on a flight immediately . I toyed with the idea of booking first class this time . Signora Charlotte , do it , I whispered to myself . I made my best impression of Maria , trying to encourage myself to make that decision , but I didnt believe it enough to go through with it . I sighed and decided it was better to focus on one thing at a time : getting to L.A. If I had to endure snoring passengers and bumping into rude ones to be able to have enough to give myself a head start , then I would stick to it . I didnt come this far to lose sight of what I intended to do . A few minutes later , I slipped into my seat and watched the passenger who was still fast asleep . This time , I was envious of her ability to get comfortable enough to sleep through everything . I wished I could close my eyes and make it all go away until the end of the flight , but I was stuck staring at the clouds . I had always loved the view from the window ; it meant I could stare at the soft white water cushions , as my mom liked to refer to them . Looking at them made me feel a lot more comfortable than I had been . A few minutes later , I pulled my eyes 21:22 Dancing into the Heart of Mr. Col 26.0 % Chapter 44 away from them as the pilot announced that we were landing 1 got off the plane , walked into the airport , and decided to try out a restaurant . My next flight was in five hours , so I had time to explore this new city . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!