Chapter 4

Henley's entire body trembled as she stepped outside and hailed a cab home.

When Kevin didn't see her return after a long time, his call quickly came through. "Henley, where did you go? The waiter said you took a cab and left. Are you feeling unwell? Should I come back and stay with you?"

His concerned voice echoed through the empty room.

Henley answered weakly, "There's something urgent back at the company. Please apologize to your colleagues for my absence."

Before he could reply, she ended the call firmly.

Soon after, Edith sent her a message. She wrote, "Ms. Johnstone, the death-faking pill is ready."

Henley gripped her phone tightly and slowly typed her reply. "I'm at home right now. Bring it to me."

Edith acknowledged her message and rushed over without delay. She brought all the instruction manuals along with the drug.

When she arrived, she hesitated. The hand she had lifted halfway withdrew abruptly.

She said, "Ms. Johnstone, maybe we should get someone else to test the pill. The company can't function without you holding things together."

Henley shook her head. She took the pill from Edith and slipped it into her pocket.

Just as she was about to speak, Kevin came rushing back in a hurry. Serena was right behind him with takeout boxes from the restaurant.

Seeing that Henley seemed to be discussing something with Edith, he tactfully said nothing. However, his gaze remained fixed on Edith.

Henley waved her hand, signaling Edith to leave first.

When only the three of them remained in the house, Serena walked up to Henley politely. "Henley, I'm Serena, remember? I'm Kevin's co-pilot."

Henley glanced at her dispassionately before shifting her gaze to Kevin. "Why did you suddenly come back? And why did you bring your colleague home?"

Kevin bent down so that he met her eyes. He looked at her face with affection.

He said, "You didn't eat anything tonight. I was worried about your stomach. Serena has experience with this kind of thing, so she insisted on coming back with me to look after you."

Henley nodded. Kevin turned and went into the kitchen to heat up the food.

Once he disappeared into the kitchen, Serena finally revealed her true colors. She looked around like she was the lady of the house. Then, she fixed her disdainful gaze on Henley.

"You saw us kissing, didn't you? I knew you would see it. That's why I did it on purpose. You've been married for so many years. Kevin got bored a long time ago. You're no longer attractive as a woman. How could you possibly keep a man's heart?

"Besides, Isaac always tells me he hopes I'll be his mom. Father and son really do think alike. Kevin marrying me is only a matter of time. If I were you, I'd leave early so that I won't be an eyesore."

Kevin suddenly poked his head out of the kitchen. When he saw Serena smiling brightly, he assumed the two women were getting along well. He quickly retreated back inside.

Serena's lips curled into a provocative smile as she called toward the kitchen. "Kevin, I think Henley's fine. I'll head out first. Don't forget that we have a flight together tomorrow night."

With that, Kevin reluctantly walked her downstairs. Unable to help themselves, the two lingered together in the stairwell for quite some time before finally parting.

When Kevin came back, Serena's scent hadn't faded from his body yet as he pulled Henley into his arms.

He said, "Henley, do you want me to take time off and go to the hospital with you? Or we could spend some time together tomorrow. Just the two of us. Ever since we had Isaac, it feels like it's been forever since we had time to ourselves."

Henley gently pushed him away and rejected his suggestion.

Saying that they were busy with Isaac was nothing but an excuse. They had had plenty of chances to spend time with each other. It was only that the person he wanted to hang out with had never been her.

A marriage that existed in name only was utterly devoid of the love it once had.

She brushed Kevin off with a few perfunctory words and went to bed early. After all, she had many things to take care of the next day.

At dawn, Kevin left first. Henley didn't bother asking where he went. She drove to the company and gathered all the senior executives for a meeting that took up the whole morning.

After handling the company's affairs, Edith laid out all the insurance policies in front of her. She examined them carefully and signed the ones that named herself as the beneficiary.

Henley terminated all the other policies in advance. She didn't want Kevin and Isaac to profit even a cent from her fake death.

By evening, she rushed back home and burned all the mementos of their relationship and their clothes. Since she was leaving, there was no point in leaving anything behind.

Henley had never been the type to lose her mind over love. She had told Kevin more than once that if he stopped loving her one day, all he had to do was say it, and she would leave.

They could have parted ways amicably. Yet, he kept it from her and let her discover the truth herself. It was a disgusting experience.

The flames rose high into the air. When Kevin returned and saw the scene, he was alarmed.

His voice rose an octave as an uneasy thought occurred to him. "What's the matter, Henley?"

With a blank expression, Henley answered coldly, "I just burned some things that are useless. There's nothing to make a fuss about. Next time you come back, take care of your clothes beforehand."

His white shirt was covered in lipstick marks of varying shades, but he seemed completely unaware.

Kevin said, "I talked with my superiors today about a promotion and had a few extra drinks. Soon, I won't have to fly around every day. I'll have more time to spend with you and Isaac."

He was bright-eyed when he said that. But to Henley, those eyes held nothing but deception and lies.

She held the death-faking pill tightly in her hand, and her eyes reddened slightly.

Going against her true feelings, she answered, "Alright."