Before I could finish my question, Tristan quickly pressed a hand over my mouth. "Shh."
"Don't say such unlucky things. If you weren't here, what meaning would my life even have?"
He thought I was upset about the hospital's routine checkup results and gently comforted me, telling me not to worry.
I stared at him coldly.
Just ten minutes ago, this same man had been cursing me—wishing I had died all those years ago. And now he was consoling me like a tender lover.
Everyone in the city knew how deeply Tristan loved me.
When he became the city's most sought-after attorney, he immediately announced our relationship to the media.
One night, I casually mentioned craving sticky rice cakes. He left instantly, driving five hours in the middle of a storm. When he returned at dawn, the cakes in his arms were still warm.
On New Year's Eve, tens of thousands of fireworks exploded across the night sky, forming my name. He stood atop the iron tower, smiling down at me as he shouted, "Happy New Year."
That night, just like always, he lulled me to sleep—and once I drifted off, he quietly slipped out through the door that led to the underground garage.
His silhouette—cold, distant, and mysterious—was visible through the reflection of the glass.
I clutched the medical report tightly as tears dripped onto the floor.
I had waited ten years for this day.
To hear his voice clearly.
To see his face without blur or distortion.
This had been my hidden wish for a decade. Yet the moment that dream finally came true, I couldn't breathe—because today, I heard the truth behind his "sweet words."
If his words tonight were lies, then how many lies had he fed me over the past ten years?
A crushing distrust clawed at my mind.
A taut string inside me suddenly snapped, then I remembered the detail I had ignored.
Three months ago, after taking a shower, I slipped and knocked over a pile of clothes. While feeling around the floor, my hand brushed against lace.
Lace...
A fabric I despised—too frivolous, too bold. I would never wear it. Yet somehow, it was in my home.
Tristan had rushed in anxiously when he didn't hear me moving, helped me up, and while dressing me, casually said it was a "new handkerchief."
Back then, I believed him.
That night, I turned on every light in the house and searched each of the eight bathrooms one by one.
In the small attic bathroom, I found it.
A delicate lace lingerie set.
A faint scent still clung to it—the same high-end perfume Jasmine had been wearing at the bar.
I placed the lingerie back where I found it, then turned and saw our framed photo sitting on the vanity.
My legs gave out.
I collapsed to the floor and cried until my lungs burned.
After we got married, he insisted on placing photos of us everywhere—saying he wanted to see me no matter where he turned.
...
Three hours later, I finally stopped shaking.
With a steady hand, I dialed the travel agency.
"Hello, I'd like to cancel the Maldives couple's tickets I booked yesterday."
"And... there's another service I want to arrange."
Outside, the deep winter night was unbearably cold.
But in the innermost VIP suite of a luxury hotel—the heat was suffocating.
The supposedly aloof and untouchable Attorney Jasmine was curled up in Tristan's arms like a contented cat.
A vivid red lipstick mark burned on her pale neck.
"Jasmine, being with you makes me truly happy." Tristan held the back of her head and kissed her fiercely—almost violently.
Jasmine teased him, "And compared to Celine?"
The air froze for a moment.
Tristan leaned back, instinctively pulling away as though a galaxy separated them.
"Don't mention Celine when we're together. You crossed the line."
"Don't forget our agreement." His eyes sharpened.
Realizing her mistake, Jasmine quickly forced a smile and joked about how pretty my hearing aids were.
"That was custom-made for Celine. It's worth a fortune. I even carved the little cat-paw pattern myself."
His voice softened, tinged with pride. He never forgot how surprised and overjoyed I looked when he gave them to me.
Jasmine's smile was stiff, but when she saw his expression relax, she let out a silent breath.
"For tomorrow's case... do you need my help, darling?"
"It involves multiple deaths. You've been exhausted lately—just get some rest."
