At some point, the call had ended. Adrian's hand, still clutching the phone, dropped limply to his side, his entire body sinking into an icy void.
The hospital room was deathly silent, broken only by the monotonous beeping of medical machines.
"Vanessa, drop the act," Adrian said, his voice low and hoarse.
The woman on the bed stiffened instantly.
A few seconds later, Vanessa's lashes trembled violently. She slowly opened her eyes, about to force her usual frail smile, only to freeze when she met Adrian's terrifying gaze.
"Adrian…" she began, her voice trembling, instinctively reaching for his sleeve. "Let me explain…"
"Explain what?" Adrian flung the lit phone onto the blanket. "How you bribed some quack to issue a fake critical condition notice? Or how much effort you put into that little performance on stage today?"
Vanessa stared at the undeleted chat records on the screen, her face draining of color.
She shot upright, ignoring the blood backing into the IV needle, and clutched Adrian's wrist tightly.
"Adrian, don't be mad! I did all of this because I love you!"
Tears burst from her eyes, her voice sharp and unhinged, even carrying a twisted sense of justification. "If I didn't do this, how would you ever focus on me? What is Evelyn even worth? She doesn't deserve you! She took advantage of the situation and stole you for five whole years. I'm just taking back what was mine. What did I do wrong?"
"So you used your life as a scheme? Against me? Against her?" Adrian's eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving violently. The person before him felt like a complete stranger, terrifying in a way he had never known.
When had the girl who once cried over stepping on an ant turned into a liar like this… a complete lunatic?
"How long are you going to keep lying to me?!" he roared, making Vanessa flinch.
"I never lied about loving you! I just wanted to marry you!" Vanessa cried out, her manicured fingers digging into his sleeve. "Adrian, weren't you just worried about me? We're about to finish the wedding. Don't let that bitch ruin what we have, okay…"
"Shut up! Don't forget, Evelyn and I are legally married. This is just a ceremony!"
Adrian violently shook her off, the force sending Vanessa crashing back onto the bed.
He looked down at her as if she were rotting trash, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust. "Don't say her name again. You make me sick."
Ignoring the hysterical screams and sobs behind him, Adrian turned and staggered out of the room.
......
"Evelyn! Evelyn!"
Adrian sped wildly down the road, running three red lights in a row, desperate to see even a trace of Evelyn when he got home.
But in reality, the empty living room answered him with nothing but his own echo.
On the dining table, the strawberry matcha cake he had brought home that day had only a small corner scooped out. The rest was barely touched.
The cream had long collapsed and turned sour, and the strawberries on top had oxidized into decay.
A chill spread through Adrian's body as he searched the house, refusing to give up, looking for any trace of Evelyn.
But in the master bedroom, every piece of clothing that once belonged to Evelyn was gone.
The vanity was spotless, except for a few expensive perfumes he had casually bought for her in the past, still unopened in their packaging.
Adrian's chest tightened as he rushed into the bathroom, his breathing turning ragged.
Beside the sink lay several crumpled tissues.
Once white, they were now stained with large, glaring patches of dried dark red blood.
His pupils shrank, his breath catching in his throat.
After a moment, he reached out with trembling hands and picked up the bloodstained tissue. Lillian's furious voice echoed in his ears.
"Her brain tumor ruptured days ago. She had a massive hemorrhage! Even if she dies on the operating table, she would never look back at you again, you bastard!"
A crushing wave of terror seized his heart, strangling every nerve until he could barely breathe.
He didn't know. He had known nothing at all…
It felt as if a piece of his chest had been torn out, the pain so intense even his fingertips went numb.
Clutching the bloodstained tissue, Adrian's tall frame slowly collapsed inward.
He sank onto the cold tiled floor, his eyes red with anguish.
Five whole years.
Only in this moment, staring at the emptiness around him, did he truly realize how terrifyingly hollow this home was without Evelyn.
