Chapter 1

Olivia stared at the numbers on her computer screen, her eyes dry and sore.

It was 11:47 PM. She glanced at her phone again—still no messages.

It was Friday, and as usual, Jacob would text her around six: [Dinner meeting tonight. Go to bed without me.] Then, around two in the morning, he'd crawl into bed beside her, reeking of booze and some unfamiliar perfume, turn his back to her, and be snoring in less than five minutes.

They hadn't had dinner together in three months.

Olivia closed her laptop and rubbed her temples. The living room was dark, the only light coming from the city outside, casting everything in a hazy, blue-gray glow. They'd

They'd moved into this 1,700-square-foot place last year. Jacob said the old one was too small, not good for guests. She'd agreed. He said he wanted to put her name on the deed, and she'd agreed to that too.

The real estate agent had smiled and said, "You two are so in love." Jacob had put his arm around her waist, looking all gentlemanly.

Back then, she really believed they were in love.

Her phone suddenly vibrated, and Olivia instinctively sat up. But when she saw the name on the screen, she froze—it wasn't Jacob, it was Mom.

"Mom, why are you calling so late?" Olivia picked up, her voice tinged with a tiredness she hadn't even realized.

There was a brief silence, then her mom spoke, slower than usual, each word carefully weighed. "Olivia, I just wanted to ask... are you coming home for National Day?"

"Yeah," Olivia replied. "I already bought my ticket. I'm taking the train on the third."

"That's good, that's good," her mom said, hesitating for a moment. "So... is Jacob coming with you?"

Olivia glanced toward the bedroom—Jacob's slippers were still neatly lined up by the door. He hadn't come home yet. "His company's been really busy lately. He probably can't make it."

"Oh," her mom replied, and then there was another silence.

Olivia suddenly felt something was off. Her mom was always a chatterbox—she could go on for half an hour about anything, from weddings to illnesses to pork prices at the market, never running out of things to say. She'd never been this quiet before.

"Mom, what's going on?" Olivia asked.

"Nothing, nothing. What could possibly be wrong? I just miss you," her mom said.

"Mom," Olivia said, her voice a bit more serious. "Just be honest with me."

There was a soft sigh on the other end, so quiet it sounded like her mom was afraid someone might overhear. Then she said, "Really, it's nothing. I just haven't been feeling well lately, so I went in for some tests. The doctor wants me to do a few more, but it's nothing major, so don't worry."

Olivia gripped her phone tightly. "What kind of tests? What exactly is wrong?"

"It's just... during my last checkup, they found something unusual and want to take a closer look. I'm telling you, it's really nothing. Your brother's just blowing it out of proportion. I only called to ask if you're coming home. By the time you get here, I'll already have the results, so don't overthink it."

She didn't let herself spiral. Her mind went blank, ears ringing, with just one thing echoing in her head: shadow, tests, results.

"Mom, you need to go get those tests done tomorrow," Olivia heard herself say, her voice so calm it barely sounded like her. "Call me as soon as you know anything. I'm changing my ticket—I'll be home tomorrow."

"No, no, you don't need to do that. Just go to work—" her mom said.

"Mom," Olivia cut her off, "please, let me come home. If you don't, I'll just be useless here."

After hanging up, Olivia sat alone in the darkness for what felt like forever. She didn't cry—she just felt cold. The warmth from the heater couldn't touch the chill that had settled deep inside her.

Suddenly, the living room lights snapped on.

Jacob stood in the entryway, his suit draped over his arm and his tie hanging loose. He stopped short when he saw her sitting on the couch. "Why aren't you asleep yet?" he asked, sounding a little surprised.

Olivia looked up at the man she'd shared her life with for eight years. He was thirty-seven, but thanks to good self-care, he still looked like he was in his early thirties. When they first got married, people envied her—said she was lucky to have landed someone handsome, successful, and with no in-law troubles. His parents stayed back in their hometown, and they barely saw them once a year.

Back then, she truly believed she was lucky too.

"My mom's sick," Olivia said.

Jacob paused for a moment, then walked over, tossed his suit jacket onto the armrest, and sat down next to her. "What kind of sickness?"

"Not sure yet. She needs some tests. I'm heading back tomorrow."