All Chapters of The Quiet End of Us: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Conducting autopsies wasn't new to Henley. He was often called to assist on forensic cases due to the shortage of medical examiners and the overwhelming number of criminal investigations. It had practically become part of his unofficial duties.Before entering the autopsy room, he pulled out his phone to call Joanna. He wanted to let her know he wouldn't be home tonight.The apology he'd prepared was already on the tip of his tongue.No one answered, though.He checked the time—10:00 p.m. It was late, and Joanna was likely already asleep.Still, the silence gnawed at him. Why hadn't she called or sent a message all day? It was unlike her.Before his unease could settle further, a technician called out, urging him inside.With a sigh, Henley quickly typed a message explaining the situation and hit send. But even after changing into sterile gear and stepping into the morgue, his phone remained silent. No reply.The body had already been retrieved from the freezer.As the zippe

Seeing Henley lift his head, Addison flipped her hair over her shoulder with triumph."Joanna's parents have been gone for years. Legally, you're her only family now," she purred. "As long as you don't press charges, this will all blow over without any trouble. I won't have to live in fear anymore."She took a step toward him, her voice dripping with sweetness. "You'll protect me, won't you, honey?"Just like countless times before, she tried to throw herself into Henley's arms, eager to feel the heat of his racing heart.But instead of an embrace, his hands shot out, clamping tightly around her neck."It was you! You killed my Joanna!" he growled. "You deserve to die! You deserve to die!"His palm pressed firmly against her throat, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. Bloodstreaked arms strained with tension, veins bulging as if they might burst. His eyes were wild, bloodshot, and filled with a feral determination.Addison's face quickly turned purple, her eyes widenin

Henley spent a week in the hospital.The doctors had recommended he stay longer, but as one of the best surgeons in the field, he knew his hand was beyond saving. Even if he stayed for months, the damage was irreversible.Thus, he insisted on being discharged.He needed to go home—to the house he had shared with Joanna.On the way back, he received a call from the manager of the auto repair shop."Ms. Noe's car has been serviced and is ready for pickup. We've been trying to contact her, but her phone is disconnected. Since you're listed as the alternate contact, we thought we'd call you. When would you like to pick it up?" the manager asked.Henley's hand was useless now—he couldn't even hold a piece of paper, let alone drive a car. He gave the manager his home address and asked them to deliver it.The car arrived almost as soon as he did.Sitting in the driver's seat, he felt as if Joanna was still there with him.This car had been her birthday gift from him.That year, afte

Every moment from that day replayed in Henley's mind like a broken record.He remembered coming home to find Joanna on the phone, speaking with Seamus. Was that when her plan for body donation began?He also recalled that her wedding ring disappeared around the same time.When he asked about it, she had claimed it was damaged and needed to be repaired. But after searching every corner of the house, he found no repair receipts from any jewelry store.Perhaps the ring hadn't been sent for repair at all—Joanna might have thrown it away.The thought made Henley's skin crawl.That ring wasn't just any piece of jewelry. He had designed and crafted it himself, pouring countless hours into its creation.He had crafted it because someone once told him that a handcrafted ring, placed on the finger of one's true love, would bind the couple together forever.Even after death, they would meet again, no matter where they were, connected by the ring.He'd shared that idea with Joanna when he

Recently, a legal case had stirred significant attention—not just within the industry but also across online discussions, which were flooded with words like "affair," "cancer," "car accident," "hit-and-run," and more.Every detail of the case was magnified endlessly.It all began when Henley refused to give in to Addison's father's threats.He declared, "Even if it ruins me, I'll make sure the person who killed Joanna pays the price!"Once the case became public, Henley was dismissed from his teaching position, and the hospital where he worked issued a termination notice.Online, voices condemning him surged in a wave of collective outrage. People labeled him a scumbag, claiming he deserved the "social death" he was facing.Despite this, Henley no longer cared.These days, he lived like a walking corpse.After dealing with legal matters, he would rush to the landfill to sift through trash, searching for the ring he had lost.That ring had become his only lifeline.Finding it