Chapter 4

At that point, I'd been crazy about Leonard for seven years. Letting go wasn't something I could just do.

But I wasn't the type to grit my teeth and swallow every insult, letting others trample all over me.

I stood my ground and refused to apologize. Night after night, I stayed late at the office, digging through files and surveillance tapes, never backing down as I searched for evidence.

Finally, my persistence paid off. I found the evidence that would clear my name for good.

But just as I was about to tell Leonard, Jenna got sick again and ended up in the hospital.

"That's all in the past now. Let's not bring it up again," Leonard said.

The truth came too late. Nobody wanted to hear it anymore. No matter what I did, Leonard wouldn't believe me anymore.

*****

After all that rushing around, we finally made it. When the flight attendant announced we'd landed on Westshore Island, I couldn't help but laugh bitterly, and the tears just kept coming.

Leonard always said he'd bring me here for our honeymoon. He talked about it all the time. But now I realized this was the place where he and Jenna built a life together.

So what did I really mean to him? If he never loved me, why did he even marry me? Was it wrong to love someone? Why did he give me hope just to let me down?

Vivian, Jenna's mother, had prepared a table full of delicious food ahead of time, waiting for them to arrive.

Once they got home, the three of them enjoyed the meal together, talking openly and laughing like a real family. Everything felt so natural and peaceful.

Suddenly, Leonard's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing slightly.

"It's Chloe," Jenna said tentatively. "Leonard, aren't you going to answer?"

Vivian's face changed, like she'd just connected the dots. Her expression hardened. "Chloe? Isn't she friends with Emily? Is Emily sending her to check up on you? You haven't even been here ten minutes and she's already tracking your every move?"

"Mom, you're reading too much into it," Jenna said, trying to smooth things over. But her eyes stayed fixed on Leonard, waiting to see what he would do.

The phone kept ringing for ages, but since nobody picked up, the call eventually ended.

"Jenna, Vivian, you two go ahead and eat. It's probably about the lab. Let me return the call real quick," Leonard said, grabbing his phone and heading outside.

Right as he was about to dial back, Vivian called out from inside, "Leonard, hurry! Jenna just fainted."

Leonard ended the call and hurried back inside. Without hesitating, he scooped Jenna up and carried her straight upstairs. He found her room without any trouble and gently laid her on the bed.

"Did I pass out again?" Jenna murmured as he set her down, blinking slowly and pretending to be disoriented.

"You're probably wiped out from all that traveling. You really need to rest," Leonard said, completely missing the fact that she was faking it. He carefully pulled the blanket up around her.

I couldn't stand watching this disgusting act any longer, so I let my gaze wander around the room.

Suddenly, I spotted a photo on the wall.

It was Leonard from his sophomore year. Back then, he was always so cold and distant, never letting anyone in. I never thought I'd see him like this, grinning from ear to ear with Jenna, looking genuinely happy.

That was the fifth year I'd been hopelessly in love with him. I wore my heart on my sleeve and everyone knew it. Quitting never even crossed my mind.

Looking back now, I couldn't help but feel stupid. I held onto someone who never loved me back, clinging to false hope and empty promises and setting myself up for a heartbreak I should have seen coming.

I stared at the photo in a daze, not even noticing when Leonard walked out of the room.

Suddenly, some invisible force dragged me into another room. I took a moment to steady myself, floating in the air.

What did I have to do to finally fade away? Was I really stuck here, forced to watch my own husband with another woman? God, this was too cruel.

I watched Leonard in silence.

He just sat there, lost in thought, looking uneasy. After a long moment, he pulled out his phone, glanced at the blank screen, and snorted. "You'd better not try to contact me again, Emily."

How was I supposed to reach him? I was already dead. He never bothered to look for me, never answered my calls. How could he possibly know I died alone in that lab?

I knew Chloe must have found my body. That was why she called. But she had it all wrong. Leonard never cared about my life.