He Let Go of Me First

From Noah's tone, it was clear they had met many times before.

But strangely, my heart didn't ache the way it usually did. I felt calm.

Theodore took my hand and whispered, "Noah's still young. Don't overthink it, okay?"

I gently withdrew my hand from his grasp.

The pain inside me grew sharper, each movement sending a jolt through my bones as if invisible hammers pounded relentlessly.

"I know," I replied quietly.

It had rained heavily the day before, and the road leading to the lake had been washed out. We had no choice but to get out and walk.

Noticing how weak I was, Theodore instinctively reached for me, his hand hovering with concern.

Then, a panicked scream tore through the air.

"Get away from me! All of you, get away!"

I looked up.

Ruby was surrounded by several men, her face streaked with tears. The moment she saw us, she cried out, "Help me! Theodore, help me!"

Her voice trembled violently, and her terror was impossible to ignore.

Without hesitation, Theodore let go of me and rushed toward her. "Don't be scared!" he shouted. "I'm here!"

Weakened by pain, I stumbled the moment he let go, crashing hard onto the unforgiving ground.

Jagged gravel bit into my side, tearing my skin and sending a white-hot burst of pain through me. Warm blood spilled quickly, gritty with embedded stones.

Though I had grown accustomed to pain after so many punishments, a muffled gasp still escaped my lips.

When I looked up, my husband was already holding Ruby, his face tight with panic.

Clenching my jaw, I forced myself upright, refusing to stay down.

Ruby was crying, her voice soft and trembling. "I thought I'd never see you again, Theodore."

Before she could finish, her body went limp.

Theodore's eyes reddened as he scooped her into his arms and rushed her back toward the car. Noah burst into tears too and ran after them on his short little legs.

"Hurry! Take us to the hospital! Ms. Sinclair fainted!"

The driver looked at me, bloody and alone, as if he wanted to say something.

Yet, Theodore's furious voice came from the car first. "What are you waiting for? Move!"

The engine roared to life, and the car sped away.

I stood there in a daze.

From beginning to end, not one of them looked back at me.

Blood soaked through my dress, and pain pressed into every nerve until even breathing became difficult.

Still, I remained silent.

I only stood there and watched them disappear.

With their departure, it felt as if another fragment of my memory slipped away too.

"It's alright," I murmured to myself. "I'll be leaving soon anyway."

Glancing at the blood trickling from my wound, I ripped a strip from my dress lining and pressed it firmly to stem the flow.

Limping and half-dazed by pain, I began the long walk home from the mountain.

Hours slipped by as I trudged onward.

…

When I finally reached the city outskirts, Theodore finally sped toward me in his car, looking panicked.

"Ruby fainted," he explained the moment he got out. "In that situation, I had no choice."

He hurried over to me, his voice tight with urgency. "Amanda, I panicked."

The guilt and worry on his face looked real enough. When he grabbed my hand, his fingers were trembling.

I only looked at him quietly.

Then, with some effort, I pulled my hand free and asked, "When are we getting divorced?"

Theodore froze. "Divorced?" he repeated. "When did we ever say anything about divorce?"

He stared at me, stunned. "Amanda, what's wrong with you? Why are you saying things like that?"

He stepped toward me, reaching out as if to touch my forehead.

Then, he finally saw the blood, the tear in my dress, and the wound I had been carrying all along.

It Was Only a Parrot

"What happened to you?" Theodore's expression changed the moment he saw the blood. "Come on, we need to get that treated before it gets infected."

I instinctively stepped away. The distance between us suddenly felt like a chasm.

My voice was quiet, but there was no room for argument. "If we don't get divorced, what about Ruby?"

Theodore looked at me, confused. "Amanda, I've only ever treated Ruby like a sister. You know that. She's had a hard life in the Sinclair family. We've been married this long. Don't you know how well I've treated you? How could I possibly change because of another woman?"

I repeated the words silently to myself. 'Like a sister?'

My lips parted, but no words came out.

Whatever Ruby wanted, Theodore never refused. He stood by her every time, even encouraging Noah to grow close to her.

I thought, 'Why can't you just admit you've changed, Theodore?'

He didn't say anything else.

Instead, he called for the doctor to help me inside, then got back in the car and left.

…

As the engine's hum faded into silence, an emptiness spread through me, echoing louder than any goodbye.

My memories had mostly slipped away, but the ache in my body only sharpened, as if pain was all I had left.

I staggered forward, each step threatening to send me crashing to the floor.

Polly saw me and hurried over to support me. "Mrs. Calloway, you need to be careful. You've grown so thin these past few days."

She looked me over anxiously. "Should I call the doctor back?"

I shook my head. I had no one to blame but myself.

It was my choice to remain, all for the sake of love, so perhaps it was fitting that love would be the end of me too.

…

After my wound was cleaned and bandaged, I took the medicine they brought me and drifted into a hazy sleep.

I had no sense of time when the sudden shouting outside my door jolted me awake.

I barely reached the door before it flew open with a crash.

Ruby came rushing in, clutching a bloodied parrot in her arms.

The sight of those familiar blue feathers emptied my mind in an instant.

"Mrs. Calloway, I'm sorry," Ruby cried. "I was just playing with Noah when it suddenly flew at me. It scratched me and tried to peck me. I panicked and swung at it."

Her voice broke as tears spilled down her face.

"It hit a rock in the garden. There was something sharp there, and…" She sobbed harder. "I didn't mean to. I really didn't."

Then, she dropped to her knees in front of me. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Calloway. I'll accept whatever punishment you think is fair."

A second later, Noah came running in after her.

"Mommy, Ms. Sinclair didn't mean it!" he cried. "Please don't punish her!"

I stood frozen, unable to look away from the small, lifeless form cradled in Ruby's arms.

Bluebell, my beloved parrot, lay motionless and streaked with blood.

She was the little bird I had rescued—bright, lively, always clinging to me. In her own fierce way, she had guarded our home, mimicking voices and calling my name whenever I returned.

She had been Noah's favorite, too.

She had been the spark of laughter in our home.

My hands shook as I gently lifted her limp body from Ruby's grasp.

"Noah?" I asked softly, "Wasn't Bluebell your friend too?"

Noah's eyes filled with tears, but he could not say a word.

For a split second, something cold and bitter flashed through Ruby's expression.

Then, her face contorted, and her voice rose sharply. "If this bird's life truly matters that much, then fine—I'll trade mine for it!"

Before anyone could stop her, she threw herself sideways into the wooden armchair beside me.

The impact knocked me off balance, too.

Ruby collapsed to the floor unconscious, and the room erupted into chaos as the servants rushed forward to lift her up.

…

By the time Theodore got back, the entire house was in an uproar.

His face was icy as he ordered the servants to carry Ruby away. Noah followed behind them, sniffling hard.

Then, Theodore strode toward me, each step clipped and sharp against the floor. "It was only a parrot," he snapped. "Did you really expect Ruby to pay for it with her life?"

When He Brought Her Home

I felt dizzy.

My lips trembled, bloodless, as I forced the words out. "When we first took Bluebell in, Noah had only just been born.

"Back then, when Bluebell was sick, you visited every veterinarian you could find to save her. I thought… to the Theodore I knew, she was never just a parrot."

He fell silent.

A heavy silence pooled between us, weighing on my chest like a stone.

After a long moment, he responded, "I'm sorry. I'll find you one that looks exactly the same, alright? We can start over."

I forced a smile, though it barely held. "No need, Mr. Calloway. Bluebell was Bluebell. There'll never be another one."

Cradling her small body, I walked out to the back garden.

In spring, the garden bloomed in a riot of color. Bluebell had loved tumbling through the flowerbeds, returning to me dusted with petals and carrying the scent of blossoms, before leaping straight into my arms.

I kneeled and dug a small hole with my own hands.

Then, I gently placed her in the earth, her tiny body already cold.

Silent tears slipped down my cheeks.

They were the first tears I had shed since learning I was about to leave.

Theodore followed me the entire time without saying a word. He stood there quietly, watching as I buried Bluebell.

I didn't know how long he stayed like that.

At some point, his expression changed, as if he had just lost something precious. Panic flickered in his eyes. Then, he asked Polly to stay with me before leaving.

…

That night, I ate alone.

After just a few bites, I let my fork fall to the plate.

"Mrs. Calloway," Polly said softly, "please don't keep everything inside. If you're hurting, you can talk to me."

I looked at her in confusion.

My mind was empty. No memories or emotions rose up to meet her words.

I knew then that my memories were almost gone.

When she saw my blank expression, she hesitated before adding, "Tomorrow is the day Ms. Sinclair moves in."

I smiled faintly. "That's good."

I had stayed in this world for six full years.

Everything was finally falling back into place. Theodore would bring Ruby home, and the system would restore me.

Polly turned away and wiped at her tears. "Mrs. Calloway, you have to take care of yourself. Mr. Calloway… he didn't deserve you."

I gave no response.

By then, I could no longer remember anything about Theodore at all.

I didn't sleep that night.

Pain wracked my body, and before dawn, I could barely make out the distant echo of music and celebration drifting from far away.

…

Morning came.

"Host," the system said, its mechanical voice echoing in my mind. "I'm here to take you home."

Suddenly, a searing pain ripped through every part of me.

I couldn't breathe.

I collapsed to the floor, struggling to move, but I couldn't even push myself back up.

Polly heard the noise and hurried inside. As soon as she saw me, her face went pale. "Mrs. Calloway! I'll get the doctor!"

With the last of my strength, I grabbed the hem of her skirt.

Now, all that remained inside me was relief.

"No need," I whispered. "Goodbye… Polly."

Tears spilled down her face as she gripped my hand tightly.

"I'm… going home."

For the first time in ages, I smiled—a true, heartfelt smile.

Polly pulled me into her arms and sobbed so hard she couldn't speak.

Right then, laughter and music drifted in from the front of the villa, followed by a low and gentle voice I knew all too well. "Ruby, welcome home. As long as I'm here, you'll always have a home."

As laughter and music filled the air, my breathing grew softer and quieter. Then, it faded away.

From that moment on, Amanda Hunter no longer existed in this world.