Perhaps it was the long period of neglect, but it ultimately sparked a sense of crisis in Summer. At last, she tore off her mask and revealed her true colors.

The next morning, Tabitha woke to a barrage of provocative messages Summer had sent the night before.

"I know you saw us. How did it feel, watching your husband kiss another woman while your son covered for him? You know, Kieran loves it when I cry. He said it gives him a sense of satisfaction, especially when we were in bed.

"The more I cried, the harder he'd go. Even when I lost my voice from all the screaming, he still wouldn't stop. Once, he even said he wanted to stay by my side 24/7. I bet he's never done any of that to you, right?

"I guess not, because even your precious son is a big fan of mine. He said he felt extremely at ease around me. One time, he thought I was asleep and secretly called me 'mommy.' Honestly, Mrs. Lowe, I think you failed miserably as a wife and a mother."

Staring at the taunting texts, Tabitha suppressed the storm of emotions and took screenshots of every single one of Summer's texts.

With only three days left before she could depart, she decided these messages would be her parting gift to Kieran and David.

That morning, Tabitha asked to be discharged. The hospital informed Kieran immediately.

Soon after, his call came through. He sounded unsurprisingly apologetic. "Tab, I can't leave the office right now. I'll send someone to take you home instead. David's with me, so don't worry about him and just rest well at home."

She knew exactly what he meant—they were spending time with Summer—but she simply responded softly, "Okay."

Three days before leaving this world, Tabitha returned home and instructed the household staff to gather all her belongings and discard them.

One of the maids looked puzzled and asked, "Mrs. Lowe, are you replacing them with new ones?"

Tabitha nodded. "Yeah."

Little did they know, it wasn't just the belongings being replaced—even the lady of the house was, too.

Two days before leaving this world, Tabitha opened the secret room only she, Kieran, and David could access.

The walls were covered with dense clusters of photographs from the past decade—photos of the three of them together, and every annual family photo taken since David was born.

Over the decade, the man in the photos had grown from young and awkward to mature. The family had grown from two to three. But now, one face would have to disappear.

Tabitha took a pair of scissors and sat in that room from morning till night, cutting herself out of every photo, leaving only Kieran and David. She then pulled out the marriage certificate Kieran had carefully stored in the safe seven years ago.

As she held it, she noticed the wedding vows tucked underneath it.

"Tabitha, to me, you are my whole world. Because of you, my world is no longer black and white… I will love and protect you forever. I believe we will grow old together, loving each other through every lifetime."

Tabitha read each word carefully, taking in the overflowing affection of a 22-year-old Kieran.

By the time she reached the end, she smiled silently, her eyes slightly wet. Finally, she slid the vows back beneath the marriage certificate.

Along with the pieces of her own cut-out photos, she stacked them in the center of the garden and set them on fire. She stood there, watching the photographs and the certificate turn into ashes.

The day before leaving this world, Tabitha printed out all the photos and messages Summer had sent over the past few days.

There were pictures of Kieran shirtless, holding Summer in his arms, her neck covered in hickeys. Others were of David leaning against Summer's lap with admiration while she read him bedtime stories.

Some were the three of them, all wearing cartoon headbands, smiles wide as they posed at a theme park.

…

Tabitha had thought seeing those photos would hurt, but all she felt was a dead calm. She packed all the printed photos into a folder, slipped her wedding ring inside, and sealed them together.

The day she left was their seventh wedding anniversary. That morning, Kieran and David, who hadn't returned for days, came home early. Kieran carried a heart-shaped cake in his hands.

"Tab, I've been busy with work lately—I know, it's my fault. Today is our anniversary. I promise you, David and I won't go anywhere but stay by your side."

David raised his little palm in oath. "Mommy, I swear I've been keeping an eye on Daddy every day. He's really busy at work."

Tabitha looked at them, so certain in their words, and asked softly, "Aren't you two tired?"

Weren't they tired, playing the roles of devoted husband and perfect son while juggling her and Summer?

Kieran and David answered in perfect unison, "Not at all!"

David held Tabitha's hand, eyes sparkling like stars as he gazed at her. "I'd never feel tired, as long as it has something to do with you, Mommy."

Kieran gently pinched her cheek. "No matter how busy or tiring work gets, all my fatigue vanishes the moment I see you, Tab. Besides, it's our anniversary—I always come back for you, no matter how much work I have."

Tabitha smiled quietly, saying nothing.

He set the cake down and headed into the kitchen, already making himself busy. He had given all the household staff the day off and planned to cook some of her favorite dishes himself to celebrate their anniversary.

David wasn't about to be outdone. He brought a small stool over, started cutting fruit, and juicing it. After hours of bustling around, the dishes were finally ready and set on the table just past noon.

Kieran lit a candle shaped like the number seven, took her hand in his, and gazed at her with overflowing love. "Tab, if you hadn't been by my side back then…"

"Wow! Daddy and Mommy are so romantic!" David exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly.

Just then, a ringtone cut through the warm moment. Tabitha pulled her hand back and handed Kieran the phone, the screen flashing Summer's name. He smiled and said he wouldn't answer anyone's calls today.

Still, she insisted. When he saw the name on the screen, he hesitated for a moment before grabbing it.

"Tab, it's my assistant. I'm worried something urgent has come up at the company, so I'm going to take it," he said, then moved to the side and answered the call.

When he returned, his face, without any surprise, carried that familiar apologetic look. "Sorry, Tab. Something came up. I need to handle it right away."

David didn't know what was said on the other end, but seeing that it was Summer's call, he immediately jumped off his stool and ran to Kieran. "Mommy, I want to go, too! I can help watch Daddy, so he finishes work and comes home faster."

Looking at the father and son before her, Tabitha simply nodded. "Go ahead."

Kieran visibly relaxed, lifted David, and each pressed a kiss to her cheeks. "Good girl. Wait for us to come back, okay?"

"Mommy, we'll see you in a little while!"

With that, they hurried off, completely unaware of Tabitha's strange acceptance. They had no idea that this would be the last time they would see each other.

She watched until Kieran's car disappeared from view, then tossed the already-burned-out candles and the cake into the trash. Returning to her bedroom, she picked up the prepared folder and stepped out the door.

Ten years ago, Tabitha first met Kieran at a private sanatorium on the outskirts of the city. Now, the sanatorium lay abandoned, its walls blanketed in creepy ivy.

She walked along the paths she remembered, stopping and lingering, letting the memories of him wash over her like a tide.

From the indifference he showed when they first met, to the way he gradually grew used to her presence, until that stormy night when he held her tightly in the pouring rain, refusing to let go…

Tabitha's steps eventually paused under a massive banyan tree in the back garden. Ten years ago, it had been lush and sprawling. Now, it still thrived with life.

Her fingers traced the faint, almost erased carving of two names on the trunk. She could almost relive seeing the obsessive, anxious, but affectionate look in the eyes of the young man Kieran had once been.

He had said, "I'll only ever love you in this lifetime, Tabitha. I won't let you leave me. We'll be together forever."

And then, carefully, he carved their names into the bark.

In the end, his heart had been split in two—half given to Tabitha, half to Summer. That "forever" he swore would happen only lasted ten years.

The 19-year-old Kieran could never have imagined that, ten years later, he would lose Tabitha forever.

She dug a small pit in the soil with a stone, placed the folder carefully inside, and then covered it meticulously with earth. After that, she made one final call to him.

Almost immediately, Kieran answered, his voice as gentle as ever. "Tab, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

Tabitha looked up at the banyan tree and asked, "Do you still remember the banyan tree at the sanatorium?"

He chuckled softly. "Of course. That's where I confessed to you. Time really flies, huh? It's been ten years already."

She smiled, too. "Good. I've prepared a little gift for you and David. I buried it under the tree, so don't forget to come get it."

"David's practically bouncing as soon as he heard this. I'm looking forward to it, too. Once we finish work, we'll pick it up. Tonight, the three of us will look at it together at home."

Tabitha didn't answer and just hung up the phone.

There would be no more "three of us". She knew tonight, neither Kieran nor David would return home. From now on, the Lowe residence would no longer have her presence.

A long-missed mechanical voice sounded in her ears. "Tabitha, the exit procedure is ready. Confirm departure?"

"Confirm."

The moment she replied, a blinding white light appeared before her, forming a corridor. A sudden gust of wind whipped through the area, shaking the banyan tree and scattering its leaves into the air. Without hesitation, she stepped forward.

Farewell, Kieran and David.