Gone Before the Vows Turn Cold

Chapter 1 “Ms. Hartwell, everything for your staged death service has been arranged. Here’s the agreement. Please sign here.”

Elodie Hartwell looked at the agreement placed before her. The content was as follows.

“Client: Elodie Hartwell.

Cause of death: Cliff fall, body devoured by wild animals, no remains left.

Date of death: One week from today.”

A week later would be her fifth wedding anniversary with Silas Creed. It was also the day she planned to fake her death and disappear from his life.

She wanted to let everything between them end where it started.

A news channel was airing an exclusive interview with Silas as she stepped out after signing the contract.

The host asked, “Mr. Creed, you’re so accomplished at a young age. What’s your secret to success?”

Silas raised his left hand and pointed to the wedding ring on his finger. “My secret is that I have a wonderful wife.”

The host was slightly stunned. “Oh? I thought you’d talk about your insights and strategies for the industry.”

“That’s not important to me. My entire fortune couldn’t even compare to a single strand of my wife’s hair.”

“Your wife is so lucky to have a husband like you…”

Silas glanced at his watch before turning to the camera with a smile. “Sorry to interrupt the interview for a moment. I know the time’s almost up. I’d like to take this opportunity to say something to my wife.”

“Of course. Go ahead, Mr. Creed.”

There was a hint of gentleness in his voice. “Elodie, I’ve asked someone to get you some brown sugar ginger tea. I think it should be arriving soon. Drink it and get some rest. I’ll be back soon to give your stomach a nice massage.”

A group of women was watching the live broadcast on the big screen nearby. A chorus of envy erupted as soon as his words fell.

“What kind of person is Mr. Creed’s wife? She must be something else to make a man like him so loyal.”

“He’s so sweet and loving. I’m literally crying from jealousy.”

Voices filled with admiration and envy buzzed in Elodie’s ears. She was the only one who gave a mocking smile.

Everyone thought she must have saved the universe in her past life to marry such a rare and perfect man like Silas. She used to think that, too.

However, no one knew that he had been keeping a mistress the whole time during their marriage. He had been with that woman for four and a half years out of their five years of marriage.

He was with her whenever he claimed to be on a business trip, losing self-control and entangling himself in an affair.

Elodie still remembered the first time she saw the videos. It felt like her heart had been stabbed multiple times by a thousand needles until it was torn beyond repair.

She also remembered that Silas had stood before her and taught the bullies a harsh lesson when she was bullied at school as a child.

He told her, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you from now on.”

There was another time when a truck lost control and came straight at them while they were driving.

His first instinct was to throw himself over her to protect her. He ended up in the hospital for over six months and nearly went into a vegetative state.

The first thing he asked the nurse when he woke up was, “Is Elodie okay?”

Only after hearing that she was fine did he finally relax. “It doesn’t matter what happens to me as long as she’s okay.”

That was when she fell completely in love with the man, who was willing to risk his life for her.

She couldn’t fathom how someone could love her so deeply and still sleep with another woman without remorse.

Perhaps men could truly separate love and lust.

She gently touched the wedding ring on her finger before slipping it off.

She walked along the street and passed a disabled homeless man. Inside the chipped bowl in front of him were only a few scattered coins.

She walked over and dropped the ring into the bowl. “Sell this. It’s worth enough for you to buy a house and start a small business.”

The cripple thanked her profusely.

In fact, she was being rather tactful with her words.

That ring was a custom piece designed by an international designer. The diamond alone was worth over ten million dollars.

However, she didn’t want it anymore.

If a wedding ring was supposed to represent love and loyalty, hers was utterly worthless.

Her phone rang. It was Silas.

“Elodie, where are you? The person delivering the brown sugar ginger tea said you weren’t home.” His voice sounded urgent. It was as if he was genuinely worried.

She replied faintly, “I just went out for a walk.”

“Where are you? I’ll come pick you up right now.”

“It’s fine. I’m heading back soon.”

“I’m worried about you. You’re on your period today. I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone.”

He arrived within five minutes. He rushed out of the car and took off his jacket before wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling her into his arms.

“Why are you dressed so lightly? You’ll catch a cold, especially during your period.”

She glanced up at him in his arms and saw several kiss marks on his neck above the collar. They were still vivid with bite marks.

A faint scent of another woman’s perfume lingered on him. It turned out that he had just come down from Avery Sloan’s bed before attending his interview.

He caressed her fingers and suddenly asked with surprise, “Elodie, where’s your wedding ring?”

Chapter 2 Elodie pulled her hand away from Silas. “Maybe I accidentally lost it when I was out earlier.”

He immediately reached for his phone. “I’ll have someone look for it right now.”

She shook her head. “It’s alright. Just consider it gone.”

“How can we just let it go like that? That is our wedding ring. It’s a symbol of our love.”

A symbol of love?

His repeated betrayals had long disfigured their love.

Elodie laughed. “It’s just a piece of jewelry. It doesn’t guarantee love.”

He replied, “Diamonds are the hardest thing in the world. They represent my unwavering love for you.”

“What if you betray me one day?”

“That’s impossible.”

“I said ‘what if.’”

He looked into her eyes with solemn sincerity and swore. “If I ever betray you, may I be stabbed in the heart a thousand times and die a miserable death.”

She looked away, unwilling to watch his feigned devotion.

She would immediately rush over to kiss him if she heard such a serious vow back when she still loved him. She would have felt guilty for even doubting him and pushing him to such extremes.

However, she didn’t love him anymore. His words sounded like a joke to her.

“Elodie.” He pulled her into his arms from behind and sounded a little aggrieved. “Why did I feel like something’s off with you lately? You seem distant.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” He continued, “Are you upset because I’ve been too busy to spend time with you lately?”

“I said I’m fine. Can you let go of me first?”

“I won’t.” He held her tighter. “Next week marks our fifth wedding anniversary. I’ve prepared a surprise for you…”

His phone rang as he spoke. He released her almost instantly and checked his phone.

She could see the subtle smirk on his face from where she stood. He glanced at the screen, and his expression shifted into something playful and flirtatious.

He typed a quick reply before turning back to her and saying in an apologetic tone. “Elodie, something urgent just came up at the company. I have to head over now.”

A flicker of hope rose in her heart. “When will you be back?”

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on her forehead. “Probably not tonight. How about I bring you your favorite pastries tomorrow morning?”

With that, he was gone.

His tablet was still lying on the couch in the living room.

She picked it up and noticed that his WhatsApp was still in sync.

Two minutes ago, a message came in from someone saved under the contact name “Peaches”. It was a photo.

The woman in it was dressed in a revealing bunny girl costume. She wore black mesh stockings and scarlet stilettos. Her eyes were hazy, her cheeks flushed, and she ran her tongue over her fingers.

Silas asked, “Are you thinking about it again?”

Peaches replied, “Someone’s feeling lonely without her master here tonight.”

Silas sent, “We’ve done it seven times earlier today. Are you still not satisfied?”

Peaches asked, “Are you coming over or not? I’m all yours tonight. I’ll let you do whatever you want with me…”

Silas replied in two words, “Wait there.”

Elodie turned off the screen and closed her eyes in agony. She thought she had stopped caring. Yet, it still felt like someone had stabbed her hard in the chest the moment she saw those messages.

Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes.

She had no idea when she had fallen asleep. All she could remember was that her dreams were filled with scenes of a woman and a man tangled together. The man had Silas’ face.

Her phone vibrated.

She tapped on the screen. It was a video. The footage of the video looked exactly like the one in her dream.

The man and the woman were entangled in a fiery embrace. It was even more intense than the ones in her dream.

Silas’ face was twisted with lust. Her stomach churned at the sight of that.

Avery sent her another message. “Have you ever seen him like this? He said only with me can he let himself go like this.”

The clip lasted barely a minute before it looped over and over again.

Elodie watched it repeatedly as if to punish herself. She wanted to burn his image into her brain, to erase even the last shred of love she had for him, and to drive him out of her heart completely.

She had already asked her lawyer to prepare a divorce agreement.

She wiped her tears, placed the agreement into a delicate gift box, and tied it with a ribbon.

Silas came home around noon the next day and carried a box of pastries. “My sweet girl, I’ve kept my promise. I brought you your favorite treats. Aren’t you happy?”

She gave him a short and cold response.

He noticed her reddened eyes and cupped her face as he kissed her tears away. “Why are you crying? Who upset you? Tell me. I’ll make them pay.”

He still carried a mix of that cloying scent that lingered after a night of intimacy and the smell of a woman’s makeup. It made her feel even more nauseated.

She pushed his hands away and stepped back. “No one. I just watched a really emotional movie last night.”

He pulled her into his arms tenderly. “Don’t watch things like that alone anymore. Wait for me next time. We’ll watch it together.”

They’d watch it together? He had already given all his time to Avery.

Elodie wanted to ask if he even had any time left for her.

Silas pointed at the delicate gift box on the coffee table. His eyes lit up as he said, “Elodie, is this for me?”

She nodded. “Didn’t you say you have a surprise for me for our anniversary? Well, I have a surprise for you too.”

He looked delighted, holding the gift like it was a treasure. “Can I open it now?”

“Open it a week from now on our anniversary.”

Chapter 3 Silas thought for a moment before nodding with a gentle smile. “Alright. Let’s reveal our surprises together on our anniversary. It’ll be more meaningful that way.”

Elodie was suddenly curious to find out the kind of expression that he would have when he heard of her death and saw the divorce papers.

Would he be shocked, confused, or relieved?

He tried to comfort her, “I heard there’s a great movie out. Do you want to watch it together?”

She didn’t want to, but the cinema he mentioned was next to their high school building. It was where he had confessed his feelings for her for the first time.

They had shared countless sweet and romantic moments on the street behind the school when they were still students. Those were their happiest and most love-filled days.

Since everything had started there, it should end there too.

The crowd was thick at the cinema.

Silas gently wrapped her arm around Elodie, shielding her from being jostled.

A few girls in the crowd recognized them.

“Oh my gosh! Isn’t that Mr. Creed? That woman in his arms must be his wife! She’s gorgeous!”

“Oh dear, how does someone like him even exist? He’s handsome and even faithful!”

“They’re such a perfect match. They’re a dream couple…”

He protected her until they reached their seats. Then, he took off her coat and held it for her.

The cinema manager came rushing over with a fawning smile, carrying a hand warmer and a cup of brown sugar ginger tea.

“Mr. Creed, we heard Mrs. Creed isn’t feeling well these past few days. We’ve prepared these for her as per your request. Is there anything else you need?”

Silas accepted them before placing the warmer on her lower abdomen and handing her the tea. “It’s the perfect temperature. Elodie, here. Drink some.”

She accepted it emotionlessly and wordlessly like a robot.

Silas frowned slightly and said to the manager, “Get us some snacks too. Nothing too oily, spicy, or sweet. Elodie doesn’t like those.”

“Sure. Got it. Right away.” With that, the manager scurried off.

The movie’s opening had already played across the big screen.

A woman quietly approached Elodie and whispered, “Excuse me. My seat’s inside. May I get through?”

The lights were already dimmed. Elodie couldn’t react immediately and instinctively moved aside to let her pass.

It wasn’t until the woman walked past her and Silas and finally sat down beside him that she suddenly realized the voice was painfully familiar.

She was the woman who was tangled with Silas in the video. It was Avery.

Avery accidentally tilted her cup a second later, spilling the soda onto Silas’ lower abdomen. “Oh no! I’m sorry! I’m truly sorry…”

She apologized as she reached into her bag for a napkin and began wiping his shirt.

However, her hands didn’t stop at the stomach. His abdomen was clearly the part that was wet, yet she kept moving her hand lower and pressing down as if teasing him.

Elodie could feel the arm wrapped around her shoulder suddenly tensing before his entire body stiffened. She glanced at his lower abdomen out of the corners of her eyes.

Silas gripped Avery’s wrist firmly and shot her a warning glance as if telling her not to make a scene.

However, Avery still wore a playful grin and continued wiping with the napkin, neither too gently nor too roughly. “Sir, how about I buy you a pair of pants?”

“No, it’s fine.” His voice turned hoarse.

The movie began.

It was an animated film. The animals were adorable, and the storyline brought a lot of laughter. However, Elodie couldn’t enjoy it at all.

The movie had already played for ten minutes, and Silas suddenly got to his feet. “Elodie, the manager doesn’t know what snacks you like. I’ll go check with him.”

He still held her coat. He draped the coat over his arm to hide the reaction in his lower body.

Avery also got up and followed as he left. She curled her lips into a mocking smile and glanced at Elodie as she passed her seat. It was as if she were saying, “See? He still chooses me.”

Elodie received a text message five minutes later. “Women’s restroom.”

She left the theater quickly and headed to the end of the corridor where the restroom was. She heard the muffled grunts of a man trying to restrain himself and the broken pleas of a woman from the first stall in the women’s restroom.

There was no doubt that the woman was Avery.

The man’s voice sounded even more familiar to her. She froze in place like she had turned to stone.

The noises in the stall grew louder. The woman cried out sharply.

She then heard him laugh softly. “That’s it? You tracked me to the cinema, and that’s all you got?”

Avery whimpered and was caught between laughing and sobbing as she replied, “I missed you. I just didn’t want to see you with her.”

His voice turned colder. “I can agree to anything else you want, but you can’t bring Elodie into this. You’ve crossed the line today.”

“Fine. I get it. But don’t you think it’s thrilling to do it in a dark theater like this?”

He let out a chuckle. “Yeah, kind of.”

“How about we continue tonight?”

His voice was now rough and gravelly. “I’ll buy tickets for the midnight show.”

“Make sure it’s the last row. That way, we don’t have to sneak around in the restroom. We can just do it in our seats…”

The manager came running toward the restroom at that moment.

He wasn’t holding the snacks but a small square box. He called out softly outside the women’s restroom, “Mr. Creed, I brought the protection at your request.”

The sounds inside finally paused momentarily. Silas’ figure appeared at the entrance.

Elodie quickly ducked behind a pillar. Her heart was pounding. She heard him let out a chuckle again. “Fast service.”

“Of course. The movie only lasts for three hours. We can’t waste your precious moment.”

Silas sounded pleased. “Take good care of Elodie. Don’t let her get suspicious, alright?”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Creed. Mrs. Creed seems like a naive girl. Girls like her are the easiest to fool. She’ll believe everything you say.”

Elodie left in a hurry, almost as if she were running away. She returned to her seat and cried for a few minutes before telling herself that was the last time—the very last time she would cry for him.

The truth was, it wasn’t even for him. It was for the boy in her memories, the one who once had eyes only for her. However, he was no longer the same person. Since that was the case, she didn’t want him anymore.

Chapter 4 Silas returned to the seat just as the movie was about to end.

He still reeked of that sickly-sweet scent. It was unmistakably unpleasant.

Besides that, he still brought back a box of popcorn. “Elodie, I’m sorry I took so long. The popcorn machine at the cinema broke down, and they took forever to fix it. This batch is freshly made. You should have some while it’s warm.”

She waved. “I don’t want it anymore.”

“Why didn’t you drink the warm brown sugar ginger tea?”

“I don’t feel like drinking it.”

“Alright, no food and drinks then. Let’s just enjoy the movie.”

She sneered. “The movie’s coming to an end.”

“This is all because of the repair guy. It took him forever to fix it.”

“So you spent three hours waiting for him to fix it?”

He nodded earnestly. “Yes. The manager can vouch for me. You can ask him if you don’t believe me.”

“There’s no need for that.” She grabbed her bag and walked away.

He took her coat and the popcorn before chasing after her. “Elodie, what did I do wrong? Just tell me. I’ll make it up, okay? Please don’t shut me out like this. It scares me.”

“Scares you?”

“I’m scared that you don’t love me anymore.”

She turned around and looked into his eyes.

He was the one who betrayed their love first. He was the one who said one thing and did another. He was the one who stopped cherishing her.

Therefore, she chose to protect her heart and herself now.

She had already given one of her torn and blood-stained shirts to the fake death agency with blood drawn from her own fingertip on it. He would receive that bloodied garment a week from now. She would then be gone forever.

“Elodie, why aren’t you saying anything?”

She let out a deep sigh and said faintly, “It’s just my period. I’m a little tired.”

“I’ll take you home to rest then.”

“Okay.”

Silas kept trying to talk to her and telling her jokes on the way home.

However, she simply said, “I’m a bit tired. I’d like to rest.”

Only then did he stop talking.

He walked her to the bedroom once they arrived home.

She asked, “Do you still need to go to the company tonight?”

He nodded. “There are a few things I didn’t complete yesterday. I’ll need to work overtime tonight.”

“Then you should go.” She lay on the bed, her back facing him as she dismissed him.

He just stood there. He seemed to sense something amiss but couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

She suddenly decided to toy with him a little. “Can you not go tonight?”

He seemed to visibly relax a little.

She still relied on him. She still acted like a child in front of him and wanted to keep him close. This meant she hadn’t found out anything yet.

He said gently, “My sweet girl, I had promised to attend tonight’s meeting. A lot of executives are waiting for me. I swear I’ll make time for you next week, okay?”

“Next week?”

“Yes. Next week is our fifth wedding anniversary, remember? I’m planning a grand celebration. I want everyone in Helton City to know that you’re the love of my life.”

A grand celebration?

She laughed. That would make everything even more thrilling. “Alright then, go ahead.”

“You’re the best. I had better get going. It’s almost time. I can’t keep them waiting.”

Couldn’t keep them waiting? Or just her?

He then left in a rush.

His tablet vibrated on the couch again. They got in touch again.

Silas had sent a message that read, “Are you ready?”

Avery sent him a photo. She was dressed in a nurse’s costume this time.

It was certainly not a proper costume. It revealed every part that should and shouldn’t be covered.

Silas replied, “I’m going to destroy you tonight.”

She shut off the tablet and began packing her things, including her clothes, bags, shoes, and every gift he had ever given her, until she pulled out a tin box tucked at the back of the closet.

Her hands trembled slightly. Inside was a thick stack of love letters he had once written to her.

When they first got together, he had written. “From now on, Elodie will be the love of my life.”

On his birthday, he wrote. “My only wish is to grow old with you, Elodie.”

On her 20th birthday, he wrote. “You’ve finally reached legal age. I can’t wait to marry you.”

On their wedding day, he wrote. “Welcome to my world, my most beautiful and adorable princess.”

She didn’t bother reading the rest.

She took all the letters outside and set them ablaze.

The next morning, she was woken by the sound of Silas entering the house. He seemed to be quite furious. “Elodie, our wedding ring was stolen by a beggar! He sold it to a pawn shop!”

She was slightly disappointed. He found it after all.

“And he sold it for only ten thousand dollars! It’s such a disgrace to our ring!” He walked over and took her hand before trying to slip the ring back on her finger. “Now, returning it to the rightful owner…”

She pulled her hand back and refused to wear it again.

He looked confused. “Elodie, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’ve just gained a little weight lately. The ring doesn’t fit anymore.”

He laughed as he said, “No problem. I’ll take it to the jewelry shop and have it resized.”

“Suit yourself.” She then asked, “You didn’t do anything to the beggar who sold the ring, did you?”

He came up to hug her again. “Don’t worry. I know you’ve got a kind heart. You couldn’t bear to watch him suffer, so I let him go.”

“Give him some money. He seemed quite pitiful.”

“Alright, I’ll give him another ten thousand dollars.”

Her phone rang at that moment, and she answered it.

“Hello, Ms. Hartwell. We’re calling from the fake death agency. We’ve prepared your new identity document at your request. Would you like to come collect them?”

“Yes. Please send me the address.”

“We’ll send the location to your phone shortly.”

“By the way, can the new document be used to book flights?”

“Yes, you can absolutely do that.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

Suddenly, he felt slightly anxious after she hung up the phone. “Elodie, what’s with the new identity document and the flight ticket? Are you leaving? Where are you going?”

Chapter 5 What once felt like happiness in Silas’ embrace now made Elodie feel deeply uncomfortable.

She struggled to free herself from his embrace and forcefully pulled away from him before putting some distance between them.

He panicked and quickly followed. “Elodie, are you thinking of taking a trip? I’ll cancel all my work and spend every moment with you next week. Please, don’t be mad at me. Don’t leave me, okay?”

She felt nothing but emptiness in her heart.

The man who was now begging her to stay was the same man entangled with Avery in the video. Which one was his true self?

She no longer knew.

Yet, it didn’t matter anymore. She would be gone from his life forever soon. The question of his authenticity no longer concerned her.

She responded faintly, “You’re overthinking. Didn’t you say that we have an anniversary ceremony coming up?”

He was still suspicious as he pressed on. “But you mentioned some new identity documents earlier. What was that for? And you talked about buying a plane ticket.”

“It’s for a classmate of mine. She lost her ID and can’t buy tickets. I’m helping her reapply.”

“Which classmate?”

“You don’t know her.”

“I know all your classmates.”

She changed the subject and asked him rhetorically, “Forget about me. What about you? Did you finish all your work last night?”

“They’re almost done.” His phone rang again just as his words ended.

She was already used to Avery calling to steal him away at every opportunity. He would always leave anyway.

She simply walked to the couch and sat down to wait.

She overheard him scolding someone in a lowered voice, “I told you not to call when I’m at home!”

A woman’s sobbing voice came from the other end of the phone. He glanced nervously in Elodie’s direction and licked his lips diffidently. “Alright. I’ll come over now.”

He hung up and spoke with a hint of hesitation. “Elodie, there’s still a minor issue at work from last night…”

She simply nodded. “Go ahead. You’ve been busy at work lately. I understand.”

He rushed out the door once again.

She held her phone and waited. She wanted to see what outrageous video Avery would send this time.

As expected, a message from her arrived shortly after.

It was a photo this time. It was a hospital report. This was what she saw.

“Patient: Avery Sloan.

Pregnancy: Four weeks.

Diagnosis: Threatened miscarriage.”

Avery sent her another message. “We had a little too much fun at the cinema last night. Now the baby’s in danger of miscarriage. Someone from the hospital said the father needs to come over to sign the paperwork. Sorry, Mrs. Creed. Your husband is mine again today.”

Avery was pregnant?

Her grip on the phone tightened. She stared at the screen and was stunned for a long time.

Another message arrived. “Oh, I forgot to mention. He’ll be mine for the whole week. He promised to take me on a vacation to Hessmir to celebrate our baby.

“He’s calling you right now. Be prepared, Mrs. Creed.”

She emphasized the title mockingly.

Elodie’s phone rang almost immediately. The word husband flashed on the screen.

She took a deep breath and answered it. “Elodie, I’m truly sorry. Something urgent came up at work, and I need to go on a business trip—”

She cut him off before he could finish. “Sure, go ahead.”

He kept apologizing. “Don’t worry, Elodie. I’ll be back for our fifth anniversary and bring back the wedding ring that symbolized our love. I’ll put it on for you again during the ceremony.”

“Silas, do you love me?”

“Of course! You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

She said calmly, “I’ll leave you if you betray our love one day. I’ll leave you forever.”

He let out a chuckle like she was joking. “You wouldn’t have the chance.”

“I’m serious. You’ll never find me again if I ever find out.”

“As long as you’re still Elodie Hartwell, I’ll find you even if you disappear to the ends of the earth.”

“Really? What if I’m no longer Elodie Hartwell?”

He laughed even harder, teasing her like he was coaxing a kitten. “How could you not be you? Alright, Elodie. Stop overthinking. I swear that you’re the only one I love. I’ll surely be back in a week.”

The fake death agency sent her an address ten minutes later.

When she arrived, they handed her a stack of identity documents. “Ms. Hartwell, this will be your new identity from today onward.”

She flipped through them. Her new name was Elira Wren.

Elira felt like an elude or exit, whereas Wren was a migratory bird. She was about to leave Silas forever.

She chose the name for herself.

From this moment on, Elodie Hartwell no longer existed. There was only Elira Wren.

“Ms. Hartwell, oh sorry, Ms. Wren. We’ve also booked your flight. It’ll be next Saturday at ten in the morning. You’ll be flying to Iolana.”

She carefully stored the document and nodded with appreciation. “Thank you. I’ll transfer the full payment to your company’s account shortly.”

“Ms. Wren, you still have a week to consider it. We won’t charge you a penny if you change your mind.”

“That won’t be necessary.” She stood up. Her voice was firm and resolute. “I won’t change my mind.”

Chapter 6 The messages from Silas and Avery kept coming over the next few days.

There were three days left before their anniversary.

Avery’s message came. “The sea breeze in Hessmir feels amazing. The seafood here is so fresh, but he said I can’t have it because I’m pregnant, so he went out of his way to buy some Western food for me.”

She had also attached a photo of a beach in Hessmir. It showed white sands, palm trees, and Silas unpacking takeout containers not far away.

Silas also sent Elodie a message. “There’s not much Western food here. I had to go really far to find it. Elodie, what did you eat today?”

Elodie caught up with her close friends that day. They had barbecue and stew and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

After all, she was about to start a new life under a different identity. It would be hard to see them again, and she wanted to say goodbye to them properly.

There were two days left before their anniversary.

She received a message from Avery again. “The baby’s barely a month old, and he’s already studying early childhood education. He’s going to be such a great first-time dad.”

Attached was a photo of Silas’ desk with a pile of books titled “Prenatal Education Guide”, “The Wisdom of Early Learning”, and “Pros and Cons of Breastfeeding”.

Silas’ message came in after that. “Elodie, I’ve been reading all day and learned so much. What about you? What did you do today?”

That day, she went to the bank to convert all the money in her accounts into euros and withdraw it in cash before deactivating every account registered under the name Elodie Hartwell.

One day before their anniversary, Elodie received a message from Avery as usual.

“He feels bad about me being pregnant and won’t let hotel staff touch my clothes, so he did the laundry himself.”

Attached was a photo of Silas getting busy in a hotel laundry room.

His message came in not long after. “I have no idea doing the laundry is such an exhausting chore. Let’s just hire someone to do it in the future. I couldn’t bear seeing you doing all of these.”

She had always hand-washed his clothes during the five years of their marriage. Now, he was washing clothes for another woman.

How ironic.

A local charity stopped by at that moment.

Elodie handed over all her old clothes that she had washed and packed for them. She felt an overwhelming sense of relief after returning home and seeing how empty the house had become.

It turned out that it only took a moment to decide to quit. It was easy for one to let go when love was gone.

She went to the mountaintop alone the night before their anniversary. The wind whipped around her, but she didn’t feel cold at all. All she felt was that the scattered stars and crescent moon hanging quietly in the vast sky above were beautiful.

It was already nighttime when Silas called her.

He sounded cheerful. “Elodie, I just landed. I’ll be home soon. How about I bring you some snacks?”

“I’m not home.”

“It’s getting late. Where are you?”

“I’m on the mountain.”

“The mountain? What are you doing there?”

“I’m here to look at the stars.”

“Wait for me there. I’ll come to you right now…”

A burst of noise suddenly came from the other end of the phone. It was a woman’s voice.

He scolded the woman in a lowered voice.

However, the woman didn’t give up. He went silent for a while.

She then heard what sounded like a man and a woman kissing. She heard it loud and clear.

She sneered. “Silas, are you still coming?”

His voice was husky, and he was breathing heavily. “Elodie, I promise I’ll be with you from tomorrow onward. I need to wrap up a few things at the company tonight. I’ll then give you my full attention, okay?”

She smiled. “Sure.”

“You’re being so understanding, Elodie. I’ll see you at the venue tomorrow morning. Don’t forget to bring the gift you prepared for me. I’m really looking forward to your surprise.”

“Silas.” It would be the last time she called his name.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

It didn’t matter anymore. Elodie Hartwell would no longer exist in the world after tonight.

She hailed a cab after she descended the mountain. “Hi, head to the airport please.”

The driver saw she was alone and asked with concern, “Miss, where’s your luggage? I can help you carry it.”

“I don’t have any luggage. Just drive.”

All