Chapter 3

The air in the hospital room made Evelyn feel suffocated.

“I have something to take care of these next few days. Let the nurses look after you.”

She was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she wouldn’t be able to breathe.

With that, Evelyn hurried out of the room, ignoring the obvious disappointment on the man’s face.

After returning home and closing the bedroom door, all the strength left her body, and she slowly slid down to the floor.

With a soft click, a photograph slipped out of her bag.

It was a picture of her and Mason in their high school uniforms, standing beneath a camphor tree and smiling at each other.

The photo had been taken on the day they finished their college entrance exams.

Evelyn still remembered how the eighteen-year-old boy had held her hand, his crescent-shaped eyes filled only with her reflection.

“Evelyn, we’re going to be together forever. We’ll never be apart.”

But now, another woman lived in his heart.

And she would soon marry into a family in faraway Southport, leaving this city behind for good.

Evelyn stood up and began sorting through everything related to Mason.

The doll he gave her when she was three, the clay figurine he made for her with his own hands when she was nine, the first love letter he wrote when he confessed to her at sixteen, the matching rings they exchanged at eighteen…

But Mason had filled every moment of her life since childhood. No matter how much she tried to throw away, the memories between them never seemed to disappear completely.

She spent the entire afternoon packing, yet there was still so much left behind.

Evelyn stopped what she was doing and went out to contact a real estate agent to sell the house.

If she couldn’t throw everything away, then she would abandon it all together.

Over the next few days, she stayed busy handling the paperwork for the sale.

Mason’s presence seemed to be slowly fading from her mind.

She no longer waited by the door every day the way she used to when she was deeply in love, hoping to catch sight of him.

When messages were passed to her through others, she only gave brief replies.

That day, after finishing all the procedures for the house sale, she received a call from Mason.

“Evelyn, where are you? I was discharged from the infirmary today. I prepared a surprise for you.”

Evelyn pressed her lips together before telling him to come to her house.

More than twenty years of shared memories deserved a proper ending.

Soon, Mason arrived.

The moment he saw her, he blindfolded her with a strip of cloth and led her into a jeep, saying it was to keep the surprise intact.

When they arrived, she removed the cloth and realized they were at the same restaurant where he had officially confessed to her when he was sixteen.

A banner hung across the restaurant lobby that read: “Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Mason Hart & Evelyn Ward.”

Evelyn paused, then glanced at the calendar on the wall and remembered—it was their anniversary.

She lowered her eyes, showing no sign of surprise.

Perhaps it was fitting. The place where their relationship had begun would also be where it ended.

Mason didn’t notice anything unusual. With an arm around her shoulders, he led her inside.

“This is our first decade together. We have to celebrate it properly.”

He had reserved the entire restaurant.

In the corner, a record player softly played their song—the same one he had sung to her the day he confessed his feelings.

But…

Evelyn looked around.

The flowers used for decoration were red roses, which she had always disliked.

The photos on the display wall hung unevenly, some even fallen to the floor.

And though the table was meant for two, there was only a single place setting.

Was this careless arrangement really what he called a proper celebration?

Mason clearly noticed it too.

He called the restaurant manager over and demanded coldly, “Why is everything arranged like such a mess?”

Cold sweat broke out across the manager’s forehead as he answered nervously.

“Colonel Hart, everything was arranged according to the instructions from your aide. We also thought it seemed odd and asked several times, but your aide insisted we follow exactly what she said, so we…”

Mason’s expression darkened for a moment, though the anger in his eyes quickly faded.

He leaned closer to Evelyn and coaxed gently, “I’ll deduct three months of Anna’s allowance as punishment. Don’t be upset, alright, Evelyn? Today is our anniversary. Don’t let someone irrelevant ruin the mood.”

Mason had always had an excellent memory. There was no way he had forgotten that just a few days ago he had said he would transfer Anna away immediately if she made a mistake.

Yet he had suggested another form of punishment first, simply to keep her in the position of his aide and allow her to stay by his side.

Evelyn saw through his intentions clearly.

She didn’t expose him and only sat down calmly.

After all, from this day forward, however long Mason wanted Anna to remain by his side had nothing to do with her anymore.

Mason’s tense posture relaxed, and he signaled for the waiter to bring out the cake he had ordered.

The moment the cake was set on the table, Evelyn let out a quiet sigh in her heart.

It was a chestnut cake.

It seemed Anna had been determined not to let them celebrate this anniversary.

“I’m allergic to chestnuts.”

Mason, who had spent more than twenty years by her side, obviously knew that as well.

This time, he could no longer suppress his anger.

“I’m going to find Anna. I want to ask her exactly how she handled this!”

With that, he rose abruptly and stormed toward the door.

Watching his retreating figure, Evelyn hesitated for a moment before following after him.