Chapter 4

Coralie left the hospital alone the next day at noon, with no sign of Kellan.

As she opened the door to her home, a mouth-watering aroma greeted her.

Kellan was busy in the kitchen, and when he glanced up, he saw Coralie.

"Darling? You're home already?"

He hurriedly turned off the gas and approached her with a smile.

"Why didn't you call me? I could have picked you up."

He eagerly took the items from her hands.

"I was cooking for you. I was going to bring it to you. But since you're back, wash up and get ready to eat."

As Coralie glanced around, she noticed a book on the kitchen counter titled "Recipes for Expectant Mothers".

Watching Kellan's back, she wanted to ask him if it was exhausting to perform like this, but she found it pointless to ask.

Entering the bedroom, a strange scent hit her-perfume, distinctly feminine.

In the trash can by the bed, a few used condoms lay discarded, and a torn black stocking peeked out from under the quilt.

Each item was a stark reminder that Perla had been here while she was away.

She quickly opened the window, nauseated by the room's atmosphere, wishing she could leave immediately if not for the things she needed to pack.

Besides some documents, she intended to discard everything else, soon filling two large suitcases.

"Darling, it's time to eat!"

Kellan said as he opened the door, his eyes widening at the sight of the suitcases.

"Honey, what are you doing?"

Coralie smiled faintly. "Nothing much. These things have been around too long, and they make the room smell strange. I thought I'd get rid of them."

Kellan's face flushed red as he noticed the black stocking and condoms in the trash.

"Don't misunderstand, honey. Denton brought a woman over yesterday, and somehow they ended up here. I'll give him a good scolding tomorrow."

Coralie listened to his made-up story with teary eyes, wishing Kellan could be honest with her. At least then, their breakup would be more amicable.

"I understand. Just remind him not to leave things lying around next time."

Kellan led Coralie to the dining table.

"To apologize, I've made several dishes. Once you eat, you can't stay mad, okay? I have some work at the company. I'll be back later with some snacks for you."

As he dressed and left, Coralie lowered her head, pretending not to see the two insulated containers he left by the door.

But when she saw the dishes on the table, her eyes welled up again.

Out of the eight dishes, not a single one was something she could eat.

The local cuisine was spicy, and even after seven years here, Coralie was still not used to it.

Kellan had avoided spicy food for years to accommodate her tastes, yet today, every dish was a spicy dish.

Coralie knew these weren't made for her. She got up and threw all the dishes in the trash before preparing a quick meal of ravioli for herself.

After eating, she resumed packing.

She had finished with the master bedroom and moved to the study, ready to pack her frequently used books.

On the most visible shelf, she found her sketchbook.

Inside were countless pairs of eyes-some happy, some angry, some gentle, and some peacefully asleep.

As she touched the drawings, a sharp pain spread across her heart.

These were her most treasured things.

At first, just seeing Kellan's eyes would bring her to tears.

Though he looked nothing like Toby, through those deep eyes, she always saw Toby's reflection.

Gradually, Coralie found herself forgetting what Toby's eyes looked like, for her heart had long been filled with Kellan.

She tore the sketches, tearing apart the dream she had nurtured for seven years.

Kellan didn't come home again that night, and Coralie received only a text saying he had to work late at the company.

She was too weary to expose his lie and simply replied with an "okay" before falling asleep.