Chapter 4

But now, Dennis felt like a stranger to me. It was the same face—exactly the same—but I no longer felt my heart skip the way it used to.

Dennis reached out, his fingers brushing my cheek. That's when I saw it—the ring on his fourth finger.

That spot used to be bare.

"I'm tired," I said quietly. "Can I go home and rest first?"

I pulled my gaze away, but not before locking eyes with him.

Panic flickered in his eyes almost instantly. "Yeah... of course."

"But there are guests at the house today," he added quickly. "My friend just became a dad. He didn't have a venue for the baby's one-month celebration, so they're using our place."

He looked at me carefully. "You don't mind, do you?"

I used to think he was something otherworldly. Whenever I was bullied, he always appeared like a hero in a storybook. Whenever I was sick, he stayed calm, steady.

One winter, the two of us had gone out to buy fireworks. We passed by a couple arguing. The girl was in tears—turned out the guy had lied to her and snuck off to meet another woman.

Back then, he turned to me and said, "Anna, when you look for a man in the future, make sure your eyes are wide open. Pick someone like me as your standard. I'll never lie to the person I love."

But now? Every word from his mouth was a lie.

Maybe I've grown steadier, too. I didn't even want to call him out. I wanted to see how far he would go—how long he thought he could keep lying.

"I don't mind," I said.

He smiled when he heard that and reached for me.

I stepped back before he could touch me.

Surprise flickered in his eyes for a second, then he gave a soft laugh, as if trying to reassure himself.

"You're distant with me now. But that's okay. I'll stay by your side and help you become who you were before."

But deep down, I knew I wasn't going back. I couldn't.

Three years ago, he tricked me into going abroad to work with Doctors Without Borders. Since then, I'd seen more life and death than I ever thought possible. I watched children smile at me one second, and turn into cold, lifeless bodies the next.

That's when I learned to value time—because you never know if tomorrow or tragedy will come first.

And now? I had no desire to waste a second more on someone who didn't deserve it.

Dennis didn't take me to the master bedroom—the one that used to be mine. Instead, he led me to a guest room.

He explained, "My friend... he's a little proud. He told people this was his house, so he's been using the master bedroom for now. Once things settle down, I'll have the housekeeper clean it up for you. You can move in then, okay?"

"Mm." I set down my bag.

He looked at me for a moment, then said, "Knowing you, you probably don't enjoy noisy scenes anyway. Rest here for now. I'll take care of things."

After he left, I reached into my pocket and took out a small stone.

Etched into it were the words: Peace and Joy. A little boy gave it to me.

He had lost both his parents. He was all alone.

His small, dark hands placed the stone in mine, as he said, in halting English, "This is for you. You can give it to someone you love, so they'll always be safe."

I accepted it, and stood up to find some candy for him.

But before I could move, a gunshot rang out.

He dropped in front of me, a bullet to the head.

I screamed, hysterically, trying to resuscitate him, but a colleague pulled me away.

Now, pulled back to the present, I opened the guest room door and finally took a good look at the house.

Earlier, I'd been too overwhelmed to notice.

But now, I saw it clearly—signs of another woman were everywhere. In the bathroom, a towel and skincare products. Flowers on the coffee table. A baby bottle. Toys.