Chapter 3

When I returned home, the sky was already bright.

The house was dead silent, just as it had been when I left for the emergency room.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

"Is this Ms. Brooks?"

A crisp, professional female voice came through. "We need a final confirmation regarding your three-year African ecological photography expedition. Have you truly considered this? The conditions in the African wilderness are extremely harsh, and you will be away from your family and friends for a long time."

I gripped my phone tight. "I have considered it."

"Very well. We will handle your visa application; we just need you to provide the necessary documents. The departure date is set for the 5th of next month. Does that work for you?"

The 5th of next month. Just two weeks away.

"That works," I replied.

After ending the call, my gaze swept across every corner of the room.

This home was something I had built, piece by piece.

Four years ago, when I moved in, the place was empty, containing only the most basic furniture.

I had poured so much heart into it—picking the color of the curtains, choosing the style of the sofa, filling the balcony with lush greenery, and hanging my own photography on the walls.

I once thought this would be my forever home with Julian, that we would live here together for a long, long time.

But now, it wouldn’t be long before I left for good.

I pulled out a suitcase and was halfway through packing when the door opened.

Julian stood in the doorway. Seeing my open suitcase, he froze. "What… what are you doing?"

My movements faltered for a second, then I said with a natural tone, "It’s nothing. I just felt like there’s too much clutter in the house. It’s been a while since I did any cleaning, so I’m just tossing out the things I don't use or need."

Julian looked at my calm face, then at the items I had packed, and that nagging sense of unease bubbled up in him again.

Just tossing out what he didn't need?

He was about to ask more when his phone rang.

It was a specific ringtone.

His expression shifted slightly. He picked up the phone and walked to the balcony to answer.

"…Yeah, just got home. What's wrong?"

I kept my head down, organizing my equipment bag, acting as if I hadn't heard a thing.

From the balcony, Julian’s lowered voice drifted over in fragments.

"The wound hurts? Is it infected… Don't worry, I'll come over and take a look right now… Alright, I know. Just lie still and don’t move around…"

After hanging up, Julian walked back with a complicated look on his face.

I had finished wiping the last camera lens and was carefully placing it into the custom-made protective case.

I looked up and asked with a smile, "What’s wrong? Something up at the hospital?"

"It’s Chloe…" Julian hesitated. "She said her wound suddenly hurts a lot. It might be an infection, so I need to go over and check."

I looked at him, suddenly feeling like a massive failure.

Four years. Over a thousand days and nights of companionship and devotion, and I still couldn't win a man’s wholehearted love.

I nodded, my tone light. "You should go, then. A wound infection isn't a small matter; you can't delay it."

My reaction was too calm—so calm that it made him feel flustered.

"Wendy, I…"

"Go on." I stood up and zipped the camera case shut. "Ms. Quinn is the one who needs you most right now. Don't keep her waiting."

Julian suddenly felt that the person in front of him had become incredibly like a stranger.

In the past, if I had heard him say he was going to see Chloe, I definitely would have had red eyes and asked, "Didn't you just get back from the hospital? Is there no other doctor? Does it really have to be you?"

But now, I was simply smiling, even considerately reminding him not to keep her waiting.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Julian suppressed the strange feeling in his heart. "Let's have lunch together, okay? That new Japanese place you’ve been wanting to try."

I smiled. "Sure. But if you get held up there, it doesn't matter. I can handle lunch on my own."

Julian opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately, he stayed silent, turned around, and left the bedroom.

I stood in place, listening to the sound of his car engine starting and fading into the distance.

Then, I continued packing.