The Quiet End of Us

"Professor Noe, have you really made up your mind?"Hearing the slightly mournful voice on the other end of the line, Joanna Noe absentmindedly twisted the wedding ring on her finger and replied, "Yes, I've made my decision to donate my body.""But your condition... There might still be a chance—" the person on the other end began."Pancreatic cancer is unbearable," Joanna interrupted calmly. "You're my student and a front-line doctor—you should know better than anyone else. Besides, I can't hold on any longer."She slid the ring off her finger, a flash of sorrow crossing her eyes. "While my organs are still in relatively good shape, I want to go peacefully. Donating my body to the medical school will be the last lesson I can give you all as a teacher."The ring traced a silver arc through the air, landing in the trash can.After a brief silence, her student spoke. "We'll schedule it as you wish—seven days from now. I'll draft the donation agreement and send it to you soon. Pleas

Henley never came back that night. Instead, Joanna received a message from him.Henley: [The prosecutors contacted me for an urgent autopsy. I won't be home tonight.]Henley was a renowned name in his field. Whenever a tricky case arose, people sought his expertise first. Assisting law enforcement was nothing out of the ordinary.Not long after, there was a knock at the door.It was a food delivery—a halibut fish stew.Joanna immediately recognized the restaurant. It was one of their favorites, a place where they often dined together.The delivery guy, a young man with a bright, cheerful smile, explained, "Your husband asked me to apologize on his behalf. Since he couldn't come home to cook for you, he specially ordered this fish stew for you. He said he'd make it up to you next time."He added with genuine admiration, "Wow, your husband treats you so well!""Does he?" Joanna didn't take the food. Instead, she signed the receipt and handed it back. "I'm not going to eat it. If

Henley kissed Joanna's forehead gently before sending her off at the medical school gate."Be careful on your way home," he reminded her gently.A few passing students cast envious glances their way."You're the university's famous heartthrob professor." Joanna shyly pushed him back, discreetly ending the kiss. "This kind of public display isn't ideal.""I don't care," Henley said firmly. "I just want the whole world to know you're the one I love most."Though Joanna's demeanor remained as composed as ever, Henley couldn't shake the gnawing unease that crept into his heart. It was this persistent feeling that made him express his affection so frequently, as though doing so could ease the turbulence in his heart.At his insistence, Joanna agreed to have lunch with him.Late-stage pancreatic cancer had nearly stolen her appetite, but she forced herself to eat so Henley wouldn't suspect anything was wrong.During lunch, he brought up her missing wedding ring again.In less than a

The early morning sunlight bathed the streets, washing away the remnants of the torrential rain and thunderstorm from the night before. It was as if none of it had ever happened.When Henley woke up, all he found in his arms was one of Joanna's scarves."Joanna? Joanna, where are you?" he called.Panic-stricken, he stumbled out of the bedroom, shouting her name as he searched every corner of the house. But there was no sign of her.A suffocating fear gripped him.Although the storm had passed, a lingering dread consumed him. He called Joanna's phone repeatedly.Once, twice, three times...Henley called over a hundred times, but not a single call was answered.He wanted to go out and look for her, but the fear left over from the night before paralyzed him. Stepping outside felt like an insurmountable task.This had never happened before.Joanna always stayed by his side during his episodes.She would hold him gently, her soft fingertips brushing against his forehead as she wh

Lying in bed, Henley woke with a start. Cold sweat soaked the sheets beneath him.He glanced at his phone. The emergency calls from the hospital had stopped, but an unshakable sense of dread gnawed at him."What's wrong, honey?" Addison stirred beside him, curling her body like a cat's as she draped herself over him. Her fingers lazily traced patterns on his chest.Henley grabbed her hand abruptly, his expression dark and cold from the remnants of his nightmare."I warned you—no marks on me. Not a single trace!" he snapped. "If Joanna sees, I won't forgive you."In truth, he had strict rules for their time together.Not only was Addison forbidden from leaving marks, but she also couldn't wear any scented perfume that might linger on him. Anything that might tip Joanna off was strictly prohibited.Addison's eyes instantly welled with tears as he gripped her wrist."You're hurting me," she whimpered, her voice a mix of fragility and seduction.With her lace strap slipping off he