Chapter 5
No one knew how long Anne had been bedridden in the hospital, but Julian’s eyes were red from staying up. Anne frowned at his unkempt appearance and pretended to be considerate. “Julian go back and rest for a few days, let Sam take over.
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Julian glanced at the empty chat window with Scarlett on his phone. He swallowed the words he was about to say and stayed silent.
Usually, at times like this, Scarlett would throw a tantrum or blow up his phone with messages. Why was she so quiet this time?
A sense of unease crept into Julian’s heart and he headed home to check things out. Just as he was about to leave, Anne grabbed his arm.
“Julian, about the hospital fees for the next few days…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but Julian understood.
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He paid the fee with a sense of frustration, only to be told there were insufficient funds. “How is that possible?”
He swiped his card several times but kept getting the same result. Finally, he checked with the bank and discovered that $14.000
was missing from his account.
Julian felt something was wrong, then
raced home in his car. He tried to convince himself that Scarlett was just upset with
him.
He opened the door, but there was no expected accusation or scolding. The silence was deafening–so quiet it felt eerie.
Julian flicked on the lights and saw that the living room looked unusually empty. He rushed into the bedroom and glanced around, realizing Scarlett’s belongings were gone. The only thing left in the wardrobe was a bag of Anne’s dirty laundry he’d brought back earlier.
He dialed her number with a trembling
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hand but only got a mechanical cold. shutdown reminder. “How … how could this be?” His heart pounded painfully as if it were being roasted over an open flame.
Julian wandered around the house like a lost soul, but Scarlett was nowhere to be found. Eventually, his eyes fell on a few sheets of paper on the coffee table. He picked up the documents in despair, his eyes falling on the glaring words “Divorce Agreement” with their signature on the last
page.
Julian stared intently at his signature, remembering how he had quickly signed the papers that day because he worried about Anne. He had yet to look at the details before signing. At that time, all he could think about was Anne.
Underneath the agreement was a thin
medical record–a document for a
termination of pregnancy. When had Scarlett undergone the procedure?
Suddenly, a sharp, almost unbearable pain
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shot through his chest. It was as if each of these scratches was a deep, painful incision on his heart, bleeding profusely.
There was also a tiny plain ring next to the coffee table. He held it in his palm and sat helplessly in the dim room, replaying memories in his mind.
He bought this ring after getting frostbite from distributing flyers in winter. It could also be considered as their keepsake. Despite their numerous arguments and periods of silence, Scarlett never took it off.
But now, by transferring the money from their shared account and leaving only the ring, she’s made it clear that their relationship was definitively over. She wouldn’t be coming back.
Scarlett had been so kind and gentle. She married him without even asking for a
proper wedding. What had he done in
return?
Julian’s eyes turned bloodshot as the
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Chapter 5
memories of his cruelty toward her flooded back. His chest ached and he clutched at
his heart, gasping for air as tears streamed down his face.
The phone rang and he grabbed it
anxiously, but it wasn’t from Scarlett. Sam and Anne’s voices came through when he picked up the phone.
“Julian, the hospital said the fees are only covered until tonight. The nurse just reminded us–have you paid yet?”
“Julian, you should rest. Once you’ve paid, Sam can stay with me. I’ll be fine.”
“Julian? Oh, and could you order us some food? We’re starving.”
A surge of anger exploded in Julian’s chest. His eyes darkened as fury stormed within him. Hearing his silence, the voices on the other end pressed him again.
“Get out! Both of you, get out of my life!” He shouted angrily and smashed his phone into pieces.
