Marcus pressed a kiss to my forehead before helping Vivian up, guiding her toward the Maybach parked at the door.
My nails dug into my palms, biting down into my flesh as I watched them walk away. I was certain—Marcus would never come back to me.
His expression just now had been one of pure desire, unmistakable and raw.
I had barely taken off my heavy wedding dress when my phone vibrated, a new message alert flashing on the screen.
[We had sex while you were asleep last night. I wonder if you've ever been this happy?]
[Come to the underground parking lot and see for yourself.]
I shut off my phone, my hands trembling.
In the dim, deserted corner of the underground parking lot, I spotted the familiar Maybach, parked off to the side.
This was a quiet, closed-off shopping mall with few cars, and the Maybach was tucked in the far corner. It was hidden, barely noticeable to anyone passing by.
But I could hear it.
The window was slightly cracked, and through it, I could hear the woman's soft sobs mingling with the sound of Marcus' heavy breathing.
This time, there were no signs of hesitation. He was fully in it, unlike last night when he had been too afraid to make a sound, too worried I might catch him.
He never expected I would come here.
I leaned against a pillar, the weight of everything pressing down on me, like a lead ball tied to my feet. I couldn’t move.
"Lighter... a little..."
"Will the little goblin still act like a demon in front of Lila in the future?"
"Are you getting bolder?"
The man’s voice was low, almost mocking, like a fierce tiger toying with its prey.
Vivian’s sobs filled the space, her voice breaking, "I love you so much..."
The contrast between their words was jarring—the innocent little rabbit caught beneath the heavy paw of the tiger.
The rain stopped suddenly, leaving only a fine drizzle. The flowers outside swayed beautifully in the wet air.
Then the storm picked up again, the flowers blooming more fiercely, as if in response to the rising intensity.
He spoke gently, almost coaxing: "Okay, don’t cry. Don’t you want to go to work at the company? How about you become my secretary tomorrow, hmm?"
Vivian’s voice was soft, teasing: "Well… baby wants to go today."
"Okay!!"
A satisfied sigh.
At the company’s beginning, Marcus had sworn to me, his voice firm and sincere: "I’ll never hire a female secretary. There won’t be any woman other than you around me. If I break this oath, may lightning strike me down."
And what had I said?
Oh, I remember.
"If you betray me, I will disappear forever. You’ll never find me, not in this lifetime."
I’d said it calmly, and he had been terrified. His face drained of color, and he had held me close, his lips trembling. "Lila, I love you. I, Marcus Rivers, will never betray you—even if I die."
But what about now?
Not only had he betrayed me physically, but I was beginning to fear that he had also abandoned me in his heart.
Tears fell from my eyes, endless, like beads scattered from a broken string. My teeth clenched, and I bit down hard on my wrist, the sharp pain jolting me into clarity.
The bright red blood flooded my senses, clearing my mind in an instant.
It wasn’t worth it.
What love was there?
In just eight days, I would leave him behind, completely.
The ache in my wrist reminded me that this was the final path. I ran, not looking back toward the Maybach, running farther and farther away from the man who had once been everything to me.
I ran until my legs gave out, and finally, I collapsed by the side of the bridge.
This was the bridge where Marcus and I had first met. The memories flooded in, overwhelming me.
I remembered the summer nights, lying under the bridge with him, staring up at the stars. He would sometimes stay up all night, using a rotting cattail leaf fan to swat away the mosquitoes, making sure I could sleep peacefully.
In the winter, he would run over ten kilometers every day, pushing himself to the limit just so he could return to me, sweat-soaked and exhausted, only to climb into bed and warm my cold sheets.
Those were the days when we had nothing, when we were so poor...
I worked at a small restaurant, and the leftovers I brought home were enough to keep us from going hungry.
