Final Approach to Freedom

Chapter 11

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting golden rays across the tarmac. Evelyn Montgomery stood by the aircraft stairs in her crisp pilot uniform, the four stripes on her chest gleaming under the sun. She swiftly scrolled through the flight checklist on her tablet, her slender fingers moving with practiced precision as she issued clear, concise instructions to the ground crew.

Alexander Hartley stood ten meters away, struck by how unfamiliar his wife seemed. The commanding aura around her was a stark contrast to the gentle woman he knew at home.

"I..." His Adam's apple bobbed as he forced out the words, his voice rough. "I came to see her."

The Aviation Director arched a brow, giving him a once-over. "Professor Hartley?"

"I want to tell her I don’t want a divorce." Alexander clutched the file in his hand tighter. "She left the papers and disappeared. I—"

A distinguished university professor, he now looked like a chastened student. The memory of Evelyn’s resolute back as she packed her bags last night sent an invisible hand squeezing around his heart.

"Don’t want a divorce?" The director scoffed, gesturing toward the Boeing 787 preparing for takeoff. "See that plane? Captain Montgomery is flying an international route today. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to train a female pilot?"

Alexander fell silent. He truly didn’t.

"Marriage should be support, not shackles." The director’s tone was sharp. "You should’ve ended this long ago. Rumor has it you’ve been pining after your first love?"

The words stabbed into Alexander’s chest. He remembered Evelyn silently crying in the kitchen the day Sophia Whitaker returned to the country—the day he chose to look away.

"I just need to see her once," Alexander said, his voice trembling. "After that, I’ll sign."

The director suddenly laughed. "Captain Montgomery has been reassigned to international flights. She’s probably in Country A by now. Isn’t that clear enough, Professor?"

Alexander froze as if struck by lightning. He hadn’t realized Evelyn would go so far as to alter her career path just to escape him.

Meanwhile, at thirty thousand feet, Evelyn gripped the control yoke as the director’s voice came through her headset. "Your husband came looking for you."

"No need to meet." Her voice was steady. "Tell him signing sooner is better for everyone."

Ending the call, she gazed out at the rolling sea of clouds beyond the window. This time, she had finally flown free from the cage called "Alexander Hartley."

Alexander staggered back home, only to find Sophia curled up at his doorstep.

"Alex!" Sophia threw herself into his arms, her cloying perfume assaulting his senses. "I’ve been waiting for ages—"

He instinctively stepped back, but Sophia’s sharp eyes caught the divorce papers on the coffee table.

"You’re getting divorced?" Her voice shot up, tears instantly welling. "Is it because of me? Should I just die?"

She snatched the papers and hurled them at his face before limping dramatically toward the door. The scattered pages revealed Evelyn’s signature, burning into his vision.

Alexander slowly sank to his knees. A crushing realization settled over him—he might never catch up to the plane that had already taken off.