I No Longer Dream of Tender Nights

The doctor unlocked his phone and pulled up a photo. In it, Darren Walsh stood in a white lab coat, cradling a baby in his arms. Beside him was a woman smiling sweetly into the camera—Alyssa Carver, the so-called sister he was always talking about.There was a sharp ringing in Jeanne Dotson's ears as her mind went completely blank. The doctor had just told her that the woman in the picture was Darren's wife—and that the baby was theirs.Her breathing grew heavy and uneven. Stumbling toward the elevator, she hit the button for the 15th floor, desperate to find Darren and demand an explanation.But as the doors slid shut, two familiar voices drifted in. Maybe it was because she was bundled up with her hat pulled low, but the men didn't recognize her—and they didn't bother to lower their voices."Darren, aren't you afraid Jeanne will find out? Why did you beg her to marry you in the first place? If you'd just married Alyssa earlier, you wouldn't have to sneak around like this just to

When Jeanne woke, the house was still empty. On her phone was a message from Darren. 'Baby, things are crazy at the hospital today. My day off has been canceled. Don't be mad, okay? No matter how busy I am tomorrow, I'll spend the whole day with you. I got you a surprise—wait for me.'Below it, timestamped an hour earlier, was a photo from Alyssa—of her and Darren smiling by a hot spring pool, the kind of bright, blissful smile that stung to look at.Jeanne's fingertips burned as she gripped her phone. For a second, she nearly called him to ask whether he was busy performing surgeries—or busy keeping his mistress company. But remembering her plan, she forced herself to breathe and typed a short reply. 'Okay.'If he wasn't coming home, all the better—it gave her time to pack.She boxed up the clothes Darren had bought for her, planning to donate them to charity. She fed the framed photos on the wall into the shredder, one after another. She carried the hundred wish cards she had wri

Jeanne fought through the stabbing pain in her leg, forcing herself to answer the voice that had called her name. "Darren… I'm here…"But no one replied.She jerked her eyes open. Blood blurred her vision, painting the world in red. The car interior was empty—completely still. She was alone. The man who had just shouted her name hadn't saved her.As her consciousness sank, Jeanne slipped into a dream. She dreamed of that year when Darren had chased her all the way to Los Cielos.Her racing club had refused to release her from her contract, and he—eyes bloodshot—had challenged them to a race. If he won, he would take her away. He had just earned his professional racing license for her at the time, and that was the first time he had ever driven a race car. Yet he dared to take on the twisting mountain road.Jeanne had sat in the passenger seat, guiding him through the turns, but disaster struck anyway. He misjudged a drift; the car skidded, broke through the guardrail, and tumbled d

When Darren saw her smile, the darkness clouding his face instantly lifted. "Jeanne, don't worry. You're the only one I love. I shouldn't have spoken so harshly that day. Whatever you want, just tell me—I'll do it. Just… don't stay mad at me anymore, okay?" He leaned closer, his voice soft and pleading, like he might cry.In the past, Jeanne would've melted at that tone, her anger dissolving under his coaxing. But now, the man before her felt like a stranger. Inside, she was still—cold and still, like ice sealed over deep water.Jeanne looked at the desperation in his eyes and curved her lips faintly. "Alright. Have Alyssa marry someone else then."The smile froze on Darren's face. His mouth twitched for a long time before he forced a strained grin. "Jeanne, don't joke like that." He reached out to touch her face, but she turned her head away. "She's my sister. You're really jealous of that? Pick another request, please. Anything else—you name it, and I'll do it."Jeanne's smile wi

The villa burned to the ground, flames leaping sky-high until nothing was left. The decoy corpse took Jeanne's place, perishing in the fire.When the blaze first broke out, the housekeeper, Mary, suddenly remembered that Jeanne was still locked inside her room. However, before leaving that morning, Darren had given strict orders—no one was to go near that door. As the fire spread, Mary panicked, finally grabbing her phone to call him.The line connected, and she nearly burst into tears. "Mr. Walsh! The villa's on fire! Ms. Dotson is still upstairs—""What? On fire? How could it be on fire?" a man's voice answered—it wasn't Darren's but Finn's.Then, Alyssa's voice came from the background. "Who's on the other end? What's burning?"Finn quickly explained, but Mary's voice grew more frantic. "Oh heavens, Ms. Dotson is still upstairs! I don't have the key to open the door—please tell Mr. Walsh to come back right away!"Finn was about to reply when Alyssa caught his wrist. "Let me ta