Chapter 4

Keira glared at me, a chill flickering in her eyes.

Suppressing the terror in my chest, I forced a helpless, bitter smile. "Keira, what are you doing back? I wanted to give you a surprise, but my legs just gave out. A pen dropped under the desk. When I tried to grab it, I fell…"

The tension in Keira's shoulders melted instantly.

She hurried over, and her voice regained its usual tenderness. "Why did you come home on your own without calling me first? What if you had hurt yourself even worse?"

In my mind, I heard her exhale a long sigh of relief.

[Thank God. I thought he found out. He didn't touch the drawer, right? Whatever. It doesn't matter anyway. The pills have been swapped out for days. It's a slow-acting toxin. Even if they run tests, it'll just look like organic organ failure.]

My body went rigid, and my hands clenched into tight fists at my sides.

I couldn't understand why, even if she had fallen out of love with me, she wanted me dead so badly.

That evening, Gabriel showed up at our doorstep.

The moment he walked through the door, he looked at me with deep concern and showered me with warm inquiries. "Cody, why did you suddenly leave the hospital? You didn't even say a single word to me! What do you feel like eating tonight? I'll cook for you!"

"I'd like some honey-glazed ribs," I replied calmly. "Sorry to trouble you, especially since the kitchen isn't exactly in the best shape."

The smile on Gabriel's face froze for a split second. In the past, whenever he offered to cook, I'd always stop him.

Keira, standing nearby, immediately frowned and threw me a reprimanding glance. "Gab's tired after a long day at work. Why are you always bossing him around like a maid?"

With that, she turned straight toward the kitchen. "Gab, I'll help you wash the vegetables."

Sitting in my wheelchair, I watched them stand side by side at the counter.

They shared occasional glances and soft smiles as steam rose from the pots, blurring their faces.

It was just like it had been years ago.

The year we graduated, Gabriel complained that renting was too expensive, so I let him move into my apartment completely rent-free.

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Gabriel swore he'd cook for me every day to repay the favor.

To preserve his pride, I agreed.

Later, when Keira came over to see me and found Gabriel busy in the kitchen, she'd frown and rush in to help just like this.

Back then, I was secretly congratulating myself on how lucky I was to have a loving wife and a loyal friend.

Looking back now, I was so stupid that it was sickening.

…

As dinner wrapped up, Gabriel suddenly let out a quiet sigh and looked over at me. "Cody, the weather's supposed to be nice next weekend. Why don't we head back to that mountain road in the suburbs to unwind?

"Ever since the accident, I've been haunted by it. I keep having nightmares at night. I want to drive that road with you again and finally overcome my fear."

Keira's eyes burned with enthusiasm as she chimed in, "I can swap shifts next week and go with you guys. Cody does need to get out and get some fresh air."

Gabriel's thoughts reverberated inside my head.

[You got lucky and survived the crash last time. But this time, you won't be so lucky!]

I slowly raised my head and curled my lips into a pleasant smile. "Sure. Let's all go together."

After dinner, Keira stepped out onto the balcony to take a call.

As I watched Gabriel clear the table, I decided to accelerate my plan.

After wheeling closer to him, I let a carefully measured trace of exhaustion creep into my voice. "Gab, I need to talk to you about Keira. I really don't know who else I can turn to."

Gabriel's hands stilled. "What's wrong, Cody?"

I took a deep breath, my eyes welling up with faint redness. "I think… Keira might be cheating on me."