Chapter 5

Like many betrayed women, I became increasingly sensitive to details, trying to find any trace of his infidelity.

But Liam seemed to be covering his tracks even more meticulously.

He deleted his car's navigation history, put Sera's chat on 'do not disturb,' and even switched to a stronger men's cologne.

But he shouldn't have forgotten to log out of his cloud drive that day. He shouldn't have been careless enough to let me discover her existence.

I still held onto a sliver of hope, wanting to know if his choice had changed.

As he was straightening his suit before leaving, I looked up at Liam in the mirror.

"You haven't forgotten what day this Thursday is, have you?"

"Of course not," he said, hooking his lower lip. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, a hint of guilt flickered across his face. "But... I'm working on a project lately, so I might be home late that day. Still, I've already bought your gift."

He turned and handed me a beautifully wrapped small box.

"Eleanor, open it. I picked it out carefully."

I opened the box, disappointed, but as I saw what was inside, I felt a sudden chill, as if plunged into an icy abyss.

It was an expensive women's watch.

Identical to the one Sera had shared on her Ins page.

Was his love no longer unique? Was he now trying to fob me off with the very same gift?

"Eleanor, don't you like it?" Seeing my frozen expression, Liam frowned slightly, showing a rare flash of impatience. "If you don't like it, I'll get you another one later."

It seemed that in his mind, I should have been overjoyed and satisfied with this gift.

Even if what he offered was deceit, lies, and thoughtless dismissiveness.

My breathing felt erratic.

My stomach suddenly churned, a confused, dull ache.

"Eleanor, what's wrong?" I heard his anxious voice.

After a brief ringing in my ears, Liam's voice became clearer and more urgent.

I struggled to compose myself, barely managing to straighten up.

"I'm fine, just a stomach ache. You should go to work."

Liam, still persistent, frowned at me. "Eleanor, your face is pale. Are you really okay?"

"I'm fine, just go! I want to be alone!" I practically bit out the words.

Even as I pushed him out the door, he stubbornly asked, "Eleanor, don't force yourself. Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

I finally calmed down, shaking my head with a sense of resignation.

Since he had already made his choice, there was no turning back for us.

It was time for me to choose the right moment to return to my own world.