Unfortunately, our love could not withstand the passage of time.
Stefan's eyes were filled with dreams of the future.
That was why he did not notice the cold look in my eyes as I read the message from my mentor.
"Congratulations, Elena Lynch. You are accepted into the Northwest Research Group. We will be departing tomorrow at noon. Please read the details carefully. Once you sign the confidentiality agreement, your current identity will be erased, making you untraceable for three years like you never existed."
I signed the agreement without hesitation.
Not just for three years.
For the next ten or twenty years and more, I would completely vanish from Stefan's life.
In this life, until I ran out of time, I would never come back.
If Stefan had the audacity to choose to leave me so he could be with Lyra Keene.
I could also choose to leave him and go to the vast grasslands.
My mentor urged me to pack my belongings as soon as possible.
However, as I looked around this villa filled with memories, I did not feel like taking anything with me.
I woke up early, gave the maid a day off and spent two hours cooking breakfast myself.
When Stefan woke up, he rushed over and took the spatula from my hand.
"Where's the maid? Why are you cooking?"
"Gave her a day off. It's your birthday, so I want to spend it with you alone."
Stefan was surprised at first upon hearing my answer and then his eyes immediately turned red.
"Ever since you got pregnant, you felt sick just from the smell of cooking. Even if there was no maid to cook for us, I should be the one doing it."
"Honey, please just rest and sit on the sofa. Let me handle everything today. My biggest wish for my birthday is for my wife to be happy every day."
If it were not for those messages from Lyra Keene...
At this moment, I would have felt like the happiest woman in the world.
Sigh, what a pity...
I sighed silently and handed Stefan his phone.
"You have a message."
Stefan was a bit nervous, but when he saw my confused expression, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"My wife is the best. You never check my phone and value my privacy."
He thought I was the best for being too trusting, too stupid.
Last night, after he fell asleep, I read every message on his phone.
He clearly put Lyra first, trusting my trust in him.
Also, his purchase history was full of different kinds of underwear and adult toys.
They did it in hotels, offices and cars.
On my birthday, on our wedding anniversary.
Lyra's messages always made Stefan keep his word to be with her.
What shocked me the most was a message Stefan sent to Lyra on the day I found out I was pregnant.
"Stop taking your medicine and get pregnant as soon as possible. I have a plan to make Elena accept your child so the two children can grow up together."
"You satisfy me the most. As long as you don't cause trouble in front of Elena, I'll give you everything you want."
Stefan indeed loved children so much.
But it was not just the baby in my belly that he loved.
I did not dare to think about the pain I felt last night.
I pretended to remain calm, but my hands just could not stop shaking.
I was worried he would notice something was wrong with me, but his attention was completely on his phone.
"Today is the day your pregnancy checkup results will be out. The hospital reminded me to take you there early. I'll go first, okay? You can rest at home and wait for me."
"Will you come back?"
Stefan smiled and gently patted my head.
"Of course I will. What are you talking about? Today is an important day. I want to spend it with the person I love the most."
"When you come back, don't forget to open your birthday gifts."
I pointed to the beautifully wrapped gift box on the coffee table.
Soon after Stefan left the house, I received a message from Lyra.
[You know what? I'm pregnant and your biggest advantage is gone.]
[I'm the one who will win in the end.]
I replied with one smiley emoji and placed my phone next to the gift box.
I imagined Stefan spending an unforgettable birthday with Lyra.
And me?
I glanced at the clock and walked out without looking back, getting into a mysterious car with no license plate.
As the car drove past the hospital, I saw Stefan's Rolls-Royce.
He seemed to sense something, so he rolled down the car window and looked in my direction.
At that moment, my mentor asked me if I wanted to say goodbye one last time.
Without hesitation, I shook my head.
From now on, the stars would remain the same.
However, Elena Lynch would no longer exist in this world.
