Chapter 6

Milana hastily took the photo frame away, then sighed, [Ernest, did you see what was in the box?]

Even now, Milana was still trying to keep it from him.

No matter, because Ernest was over it.

He was leaving in two days anyway.

He responded by faintly shaking his head, then went inside the house.

Milana let out a sigh of relief before hurriedly calling someone to have the framed picture taken away.

She had accidentally given the wrong delivery address for the wedding portraits to Ernest’s house instead.

When she watched Ernest’s forlorn figure from behind, she was suddenly overcome with an inexplicable wave of guilt.

It suddenly occurred to her that they hadn’t even taken their wedding photos yet, even though they were going to be married in two days.

For the first time, she realized she may have crossed a line.

With that, she went into the bedroom and tentatively considered asking if Ernest wanted to have their wedding pictures taken today since there was still time to do so.

As soon as she opened the door, she froze.

The room felt eerily vacant, for Ernest’s wardrobe had been emptied out.

She felt her heart skip a beat, followed by an uneasy feeling settling in.

She asked, [Ernest, where are your clothes? Are you going somewhere?]

Ernest said coldly, "Don’t worry about it. I just thought I’d clean up before our wedding."

Milana glanced at the nightstand only to notice their picture had disappeared from its original location.

It was the only picture they had together.

She was feeling increasingly uneasy.

Deep down, she had a feeling that Ernest was going away from her.

Ernest seemed to have sensed her growing unrest, and with that, he opened the nightstand drawer to take the picture and set it back where it belonged.

Just like that, Milana’s uneasiness vanished like a puff of smoke.

It occurred to her that Ernest loved her too much to simply walk away.

With that in mind, she realized the fear she felt was completely unfounded.

When she looked at Ernest again, she suddenly recalled how Ernest had risked everything to save her when she tried to take her life by jumping into the sea three years ago.

While she was on the verge of drowning, Ernest used everything he had to keep her afloat and carry her to shore.

At some point, he hit his head against a submerged reef, which caused him to lose his hearing.

A sudden wave of remorse compelled her to wrap her arms tightly around him from behind and whisper close to his ear so he could hear, “Ernest, I’m so sorry. I was the one responsible for your hearing loss. Don’t worry, we’re going to get married in two days, and I’ll be by your side forever.”

Ernest felt his resolve falter for a brief second, but he stayed silent.

He still could not bring himself to accept the harsh reality that Milana had betrayed him.

There was not going to be anything resembling a future for them after two days.

After dinner, Milana uncharacteristically unearthed all of the mementos they had collected over the past five years and put them on display around the house.

A set of miniature clay figurines they had crafted together was set on the living room table.

A pair of mugs with their photos printed on them were set on a work desk.

Even a pair of shoes, scrupulously handstitched by her grandmother, had been taken out and set on the floor.

Ernest felt like tearing up the moment he saw the shoes. He murmured to himself in a voice only he could hear, “I’m sorry for breaking the promise I made, Grandma Rhea. I’m afraid I can’t take care of Milana for you anymore.”

When he turned around, he saw a large piece of “nail string art” painting displayed in the center of the living room.

It was his work. He had painstakingly hammered in every single nail as a gift for Milana after she accepted his marriage proposal.

He remembered how Milana ached with concern when she saw his hands bleeding from accidentally hammering himself while making it.

Now, she was completely indifferent to his suffering.

Once a person lost their feelings for someone they once cared for, it was easy to dismiss the other person’s pain.

Ernest did not feel even a single drop of joy when he saw all the mementos around the house.

The marriage had been nothing but a lie since the beginning.

There was no reason to keep up a lie. It was only right for it to be exposed for what it was without any mercy.

With that, he turned away, for he could no longer bear the sight of them.

At the same time, he received a text from Miles.

[Ernest, did you know Milana is pregnant?]

He decided to ignore Miles’s deliberate taunting.

The next text from Miles stopped Ernest in his tracks.

[Do you want to know whose baby it is?]