After Returning to the Future, His Love Turned to Madness

The research team often claimed that Rocco Ferrari was utterly, hopelessly in love with me.

I had a rare condition; my body reacted harshly to direct contact, prone to allergies, and conceiving a child was almost impossible. To shield me from any pain, Rocco took every precaution. Whenever we were intimate, he insisted on double protection, refusing to risk my health.

He couldn’t stand the thought of me enduring the agony of IVF treatments, so he made a bold public statement, declaring himself infertile and indifferent to fatherhood. It was his way of protecting me from judgment and speculation.

Rocco had dreams and towering ambitions in research, but he lacked the funds to bring them to life. At the same time, I had my own mission: to gather data from this era.

So, I hid my true identity and became the silent benefactor of his entire team, funding every project and ensuring his vision never faltered.

One afternoon, while delivering lunch to Rocco, I stumbled upon a conversation that froze me in my tracks. His colleagues were laughing, their teasing words piercing the air.

“Rocco, did you lead last night’s virtual meeting while on Avery? Your voice even changed; was it that good?”

Rocco chuckled, giving his colleague a playful nudge, a smug grin spreading across his face.

“Don’t make things up. But, yeah, the feeling without it is incredible.”

Those words crushed me. My chest tightened as my heart crumbled to ash.

Later, with trembling hands, I reached out to my team in the future world.

“I want to go back.”

A familiar voice answered, calm and reassuring.

“Understood. The time-travel ship will await you at the base of Liora Cliff.”

“The scheduled departure is in five days.”

…

Rocco slid his hand beneath Avery’s shirt, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

“Cold hands? Let me take care of that.”

The office heating had been unreliable for days, leaving most of the staff clinging to their hot water bottles. Yet, Rocco seemed to have his own solution, which earned him more than a few envious glances.

“Lucky guy. I wish I had someone to warm my hands like that.”

Avery Conti let out a startled giggle, her cheeks flushing a deep red as she perched comfortably on his lap. She tilted her head back, surrendering to his touch, clearly reveling in the moment.

They were so wrapped up in each other that they failed to notice me standing just outside the window, frozen in place. The scene etched itself into my mind like a cruel work of art.

Passion consumed Rocco as he pressed Avery onto the cold lab table, his movements deliberate and intense. Avery looped her arms around his neck, her voice dripping with mock sweetness.

“Rocco, you’re freezing me. Do you warm your wife like this at home?”

Rocco’s expression darkened instantly, his voice sharp as ice.

“I’ve warned you before, don’t bring up Valerie when we’re doing this. Her name doesn’t belong here.”

“Valerie hates the cold. Do you think I could ever treat her this way?”

Avery pouted, but Rocco’s lips curled into a wicked smirk. His grip tightened, his tone now mocking.

“You, on the other hand, are big and hot, like a cow. But I wonder… do you have any milk?”

“Why don’t you try and find out?”

Others cheered beside him.

Rocco actually leaned in, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

My fingers trembled as I lifted my phone and recorded the scene unfolding before me. Every second felt like a stab to my chest, but I forced myself to dial Rocco on video.

He answered immediately, his upper body filling the screen as he straightened. The faint tremor of the camera betrayed his movements, his breaths barely audible but unmistakable.

One of his hands was pressed firmly over Avery’s mouth. Yet, his expression on the screen was warm, as if nothing was amiss.

“Hello, Valerie. What’s up?”

Could he not even bear to leave her for a moment? A wave of revulsion churned in my stomach, the urge to fling my phone almost overpowering.

“Nothing,” I said, forcing calm into my voice. “I just wanted to see what you were doing.”

His smile brightened, his happiness like a dagger twisting in my heart.

“Do you miss me? The office is freezing, so I’m doing a bit of exercise to warm up.”

His gaze sharpened as he noticed my background wasn’t familiar. His demeanor shifted, tension etching into his features.

“Valerie, you’re not home? Where are you?” His eyes flickered toward the door, his concern poorly masked by his usual charm.

I pressed my back against the cold, white wall, forcing a mask of indifference to settle over my face. My voice remained steady as I spoke into the phone.

“Didn’t you say you wanted braised pork last time? I’m at the supermarket fire exit—it’s too noisy inside.”

Rocco exhaled, relief softening his voice, and smiled like a carefree child.

“Valerie, your braised pork is the best. I’ll come home tonight.”

As the call ended, I watched him pat Avery, murmuring something about switching positions. My stomach churned as their laughter mingled with the others.

It was as if the years of love we had shared had turned into nothing more than a cruel joke. My heart felt like it had been shattered into countless pieces.

The others chuckled, moving aside to give them more space. I turned away before anyone noticed me, my legs carrying me out of sight. The lunchbox in my hand suddenly felt heavier than I could bear, and without a second thought, I hurled it into the nearest trash can.