Elena's lashes fluttered. She pursed her lips and didn't say anything.

Aaron didn't seem to notice her odd behavior. He approached her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I'm guessing that you missed me too much if you were willing to brave the sun instead of relaxing at home. Did you want to have lunch with me?"

Two years ago, she'd fainted due to low blood sugar. Since then, he'd forbidden her from going to work, fearing it would tire her out. He'd fed her the best food money could buy. He'd also installed surveillance cameras everywhere in their home so that he could see if anything had happened to her.

The surveillance cameras still worked perfectly, but it was clear his attention was no longer on her. Why else would he not have checked the cameras the whole morning? If he had, he would've realized that she'd left the house early that morning.

Well, it wasn't important anymore. Elena had already decided to leave this world, so it no longer mattered whether he still had her in his heart.

She caught a faint scent of roses on him and knew very well it didn't come from any of her perfumes. Turning her head away, she tried her best to hold her breath. "I wanted to go to one of the restaurants near here."

"Let's go, then. You can come to my office and nap with me afterward." Aaron smiled and held her tighter. "You know I can only sleep well with you by my side. If I weren't worried about you tiring yourself out from running around all day, I'd keep you with me at all times."

Did he want to keep her by his side so she could see how he fully utilized every second of his day? He had to run a company, keep her happy, and sneak away to be someone else's perfect husband and father, after all.

Elena smiled mockingly as she followed Aaron to the parking lot. They drove to a nearby restaurant for lunch before returning to Reed Tower.

She'd sat on the toilet bowl for a long time and hadn't slept a wink after learning the truth last night, so she napped for a long time.

It was almost 5:00 pm when she woke up. Aaron sat behind his computer as he attended to work, looking focused. But the moment he heard her footsteps, he immediately looked up. He grabbed some fruits and dessert from the mini fridge in the room.

"You must be hungry after napping for so long. I'm guessing you didn't sleep well last night, so I'll get off work early today and have dinner with you. Then, we can go home and rest together. What do you think?" he asked.

He was the one who'd suggested spending more time together, yet he went back on his word a mere 30 minutes later. His phone pinged, and his expression turned conflicted after reading the message. "I'm sorry, Elena, but there's an emergency with one of our projects.

"I have to deal with the situation in person, so I can't be with you tonight. How about you go to a restaurant you like and take a stroll after that? Buy whatever you want—think of it as me making it up to you."

Elena knew she should've been considerate. After all, she was alone, but Mia had a child with her. Aaron had already spent so many hours with her—it was understandable that he wanted to switch things up and be with his lover and child.

Still, she was pissed. She wanted to make things hard for him. "What could possibly be urgent enough for someone to go straight to you without getting through John first? Don't they know you're busy with work right now?"

Aaron's eyes darkened. Elena understood what that meant and continued indifferently, "Still, this is work. There's no point in me getting mad, nor will I ever get mad at you. It's tough enough for you to run such a huge company alone.

"I'm your wife, but I can't bear this burden with you. The least I can do is be more understanding when it comes to your work."

He relaxed, evidently relieved. "You're the best, darling."

"You wouldn't like me if I weren't, right?" She pulled her hand out of his and glanced at his phone. She saw a conversation on the screen. It was short, but there was a photo among the sentences.

It was too far for her to get a clear look at the photo, but she soon received the image on her phone. It was a selfie Mia had taken of herself in a black lace nightgown.

The angle was perfect, and her expression was saucy enough to make any man hard. She was alluring and pretty—it was definitely more seductive than someone as plain as Elena could ever be. She supposed it made sense that Aaron would choose to abandon her to be with Mia.

Then again, perhaps he'd been so busy having a family with Mia that he'd forgotten how crazy he'd been for Elena when they were newlyweds. They would do the deed four or five times a night before continuing the following morning.

However, he'd started controlling himself after a pregnancy scare. Her period had been a week late once, and he'd stopped going wild over her, even with protection.

He claimed he had to restrain himself because he didn't want her to get pregnant. He didn't want a child to come into the picture.

Now, Elena knew the truth. Aaron's restraint hadn't been due to his fear of getting her pregnant—he'd only been saving his energy for Mia.

She lowered her lashes, concealing the mockery in her eyes. Then, she grabbed her bag and left Reed Tower.

She got into her car and circled the building. However, instead of leaving, she parked her car elsewhere before taking a cab back to Reed Tower.

Before she got close, she saw Aaron hurrying to a mixed-use office complex opposite Reed Tower. He looked like he was in a rush.

Elena's expression shifted. She suddenly remembered that he had an apartment unit there. He'd bought it when they were still dating—it was for them to rest there after lunch because he was worried the office wouldn't be conducive for a nap.

In hindsight, Aaron had probably lied about leaving Reed Tower to pick her up because he'd heard his employees mentioning that they'd seen her. In truth, he'd been heading to the complex across the road for a date with Mia. He'd had no choice but to delay his plans because Elena had suddenly shown up.

Now that she was gone, he could head over there to be with Mia. He was truly in a rush.

Despite already making up her mind about leaving, Elena still felt horrible. She clutched her chest with her right hand, and the blood drained from her face. She almost broke out in a cold sweat.

"Are you okay, miss? Do you feel unwell? Should I take you to the hospital?" the cab driver asked anxiously.

The hospital? Yes, she should head to the hospital since she was feeling ill, and she needed someone to be with her.

She took a deep breath to calm down before pulling out her phone and calling Aaron. "My chest suddenly hurts, Aaron. I feel sick. Can you come home and take me to the hospital?"

Aaron stopped on the sidewalk nearby after receiving Elena's call. His gaze traveled between the complex ahead of him and Reed Corporation behind him, weighing his choices.

Ahead of him was his apartment, where Mia waited for him. Despite already giving birth to their child, she remained as gentle yet insatiable as before.

Behind him stood Reed Corporation, the company he and Elena had established together. It carried countless memories of their time together.

It was a difficult choice that made Aaron hesitate, but only briefly. He said, "I'm really busy now, Elena. Be good and head to the hospital yourself, okay? Or you can ask Dr. Jones—"

Elena hung up without waiting for him to finish. She didn't need to test him anymore, nor did it matter. When one needed to put on a mask to test the other person's love, the feeling itself lost its meaning. There was no point in clinging to it anymore.

She put her phone on silent mode and stuffed it into her bag. Then, she got out of the cab and walked along the sidewalk outside Reed Tower. She traversed the city on foot.

Now that she thought about it, she'd already been in this world for a decade. Throughout that time, she'd focused all her attention on Aaron. Her world had revolved around him, so she hadn't had the chance to take a good look at the city.

She hadn't tried to get a feel of the virtual world the author of this book had created—Halston City was actually a beautiful place.

She was leaving in two weeks, so it was high time she took in the sights. She didn't want to be lost for words and unable to describe anything about the place when she thought about it in the future.

Elena wandered the city until past 10:00 pm. When she returned, the house was still empty.

She had many missed calls and unread messages but deleted them without reading or checking the caller ID. Then, she went to the attic to retrieve some empty packing boxes. Once she was in her room, she started putting her things away.

The first things she started with were her expensive designer bags and jewelry. She'd transmigrated into this book, so she couldn't bring any of these things with her.

There was no way she would leave them for Aaron and Mia—she'd be much better off donating them, her shares, and fixed assets to the needy. She had a lawyer to handle everything for her, anyway.

Soon, Elena filled one box. It contained the jewelry and bags she'd accumulated over the years. Some were gifts from Aaron, and others were purchases she had made herself.

She texted Sean Quilton, her lawyer, and told him to drop by the following morning to take the things away. Then, she washed up and headed to bed.

She didn't know when Aaron returned, but he lay in bed with his arm around her when she woke up. She was revolted by the thought of being so close to him and instinctively pulled away.

Aaron looked glumly at his empty arms. "I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't mean to leave you to head to the hospital alone—I was really busy yesterday. To make it up for you, I made you your favorite seafood bisque for breakfast.

"Can you forgive me this once? I'm also a victim. I've been so busy with work that I haven't had time to be with you."

He really had a way with words. He could make it seem like she was the one to blame for him spending the night outside.

Elena parted her lips to speak when her gaze landed on a provocative mark on Aaron's chest. It had been revealed when he'd lowered his head, making his collar fall open slightly.

It looked fresh—it had probably been left there yesterday. She wondered how vigorously Mia had sucked to leave it there.

Was Aaron aware of it? If he was, did he think of concealing it? Or did he think Elena was a fool who didn't have a mind of her own and would believe everything he said?

Elena curled her lip slightly before saying softly, "Of course I'm not mad at you. You're only this busy for our family, right? I'm just used to being alone now. I was caught off guard when I sensed someone else in bed with me."

That took Aaron aback. He suddenly recalled that he'd delayed his return home from a business trip for three days because his and Mia's child had fallen sick. His business trip had lasted four days, and he'd spent three days with Mia and the baby.

He'd also stayed out last night to get his fill of Mia, so he and Elena hadn't slept in the same bed for eight days. This made him feel guilty.

"It's definitely a lot busier running a company alone. Once I settle everything I have in hand, I'll take a long break so I can be with you, okay?"

There he was again, making the matter seem like it was her fault. Elena smiled coldly. "Sure. I'll wait for you."

…

Aaron was pretty good in the kitchen. The seafood bisque tasted delicious, and he'd prepared a few other snacks to go with it. Elena managed to enjoy her meal despite having to endure his presence.

He was relieved to see her eating happily and left for work when she was done. Shortly after, Sean arrived. Elena handed him the things she'd already packed before getting back to work.

She and Aaron had gone through an amorous stage for three years before officially dating. Then, they'd dated for four years before being married for three. They'd accumulated quite a number of things after spending a decade together.

Aside from the jewelry and bags Sean had already taken away, Elena still had to clear a wardrobe full of clothes and shoes. She also needed to get rid of vases, paintings, daily necessities, souvenirs from trips, and the gifts she and Aaron had given each other.

She put away anything that belonged to her, whether bought by herself or Aaron. There were 14 days left until her disappearance, and she wanted to do it thoroughly. She wasn't even going to leave a shred of paper behind. Aaron wouldn't have anything of hers.

Elena kept busy until noon. As she waited for her takeout to be delivered, she was surprised to see Aaron return home.

A sudden downpour had drenched him, but he didn't bother drying himself. He ran straight to the bedroom, his expression ugly as he stopped before Elena. "Where's your wedding ring, darling? Did you lose it?"

Had he already noticed?

Elena suddenly felt a cruel vindication from being found out. "I didn't lose it—I sold it. I wanted to do some charity work, so I sold all the bags and jewelry you've ever given me.

"You know what it's like to go hungry and have no money, Aaron. I'm sure you won't resent me for doing this. You'll support me, won't you?"

Aaron was taken aback by Elena's nonchalant tone. After a brief pause, he said hoarsely, "It's okay if you've gotten tired of your regular jewelry—we can buy new ones together someday. But the wedding ring…"

He got on one knee and held Elena's hand. From his pocket, he pulled a familiar blue box and placed it on her palm. "You can change all other jewelry, but the wedding ring is unique. I went all the way to South Phrida to source the gem, and I designed and made the ring myself.

"It represents my love for you. You have to keep it with you at all times. If you don't, I'll give up everything—including my life—and go to the ends of the earth to get it back for you."

His gaze was sincere and tender, and his hand was warm around hers. Everything looked the same as before, but Elena knew better. Both of them had changed on the inside, so there was no way things could be the same.

"Okay." She felt like she had something lodged in her throat. She tried to pull her hand away but failed.

"Darling…" Aaron slowly stood up. Then, he leaned forward to kiss her.

She turned away, feeling discomfited. "It's daytime. Didn't we agree to practice restraint?"

He frowned and missed her lips in that split second. The kiss landed on her cheek.

"I'm sorry for being too forward." He smiled nonchalantly and opened the ring box, revealing an exquisite and lavish pink diamond ring. It was eye-catching and gleamed under the lights. Even if it wasn't worth a fortune, it was still expensive.

Aaron had indeed put his heart into designing and making the ring. It was created when his love for Elena was at its peak. It was too bad his love lasted for such a short time. It also came with lies and betrayal.

Elena's chest tightened. It was as if she'd been stabbed in a spot that had just recovered.

"Be good and take care of it. Don't lose it again." He put the ring back on her finger and tapped her forehead gently. He seemed to have much to say when his gaze met hers but ultimately didn't. Instead, he went back to work after giving her a brief hug.

…

Elena didn't know whether Aaron could sense something was up or whether it was just his guilty conscience acting up, but he returned particularly early that night. He cooked dinner for her and even took a stroll with her after the meal.

Since he was willing to treat her well, she would wholeheartedly accept it. They didn't have much time left together, so she would allow him to do whatever he wanted as long as it didn't involve intimacy.

Of course, she didn't reject him outright. She had the perfect excuse to keep him away.

She told him her sudden stomachache yesterday was a combination of a cold she'd caught from being in the rain and her period, which was coming soon. That was why she'd been in so much pain that she'd needed to go to the hospital.

Aaron had always doted on her, so he wouldn't make things hard for her over something like this. He even drew her a hot bath, hoping it would alleviate her period cramps when they came.

He was careless over certain things yet meticulous over others. He paid attention to details when something mattered to him, so Elena's period came and went without much issue under his tender care.

After resting easy for a week due to her period, Elena started getting anxious, especially when it ended. Aaron had always worn a condom when doing it with her since deciding not to have a child—the only time he allowed himself to go wild was during the few days immediately after her period ended.

In the past, he would've made the most out of these few days. Even if he was away on business trips, he would fly back to spend the night with her before flying off again the following morning.

What was she going to do if he insisted on having his way with her that night? Was it necessary for her to get nasty and reject him?

Elena kept thinking about this as she showered. However, she instantly stopped worrying when she stepped out of the bathroom and saw Aaron holding his phone, looking anxious. Her heart sank.

What was the point of her turmoil? Aaron had Mia now—she was much more willing to go along with him and do what he wanted. Why would he still be interested in a woman who restrained him and stopped him from going wild?

She recalled how he'd tried to go to meet Mia for a midday tryst during his lunch break. He'd already spent so many days by her side while waiting for her period to pass. How could he possibly hold himself back any longer and stay with her?

Sure enough, Elena was right.

As she applied her skincare, Aaron approached her and helped her dry her hair. Once it was dry and combed, he said tentatively, "A friend from university asked me out to discuss a possible collaboration, darling. You remember he left his company to start out on his own, right?"

He wasn't lying. His friend had indeed started his own business, but Aaron wasn't the same man as before. He now had a net worth of millions of dollars, and every move he made could have widespread consequences.

He had to be careful in everything he did, so how could someone from a startup company get him to meet them so easily?

It was clear he was too impatient to even give her a proper excuse. Still, Elena waved a hand without hesitation. "Go on."

"You're the best, darling." Aaron immediately beamed and hurried to pick out a shirt, tie, and suit.

Elena's heart suddenly throbbed painfully when she saw him looking so delighted. Had he cheated on her because of the novelty, or had he just fallen out of love with her?

Was the prospect of seeing Mia so appealing to him? Was it enough for him to cast aside the bond he shared with Elena?

Aaron left the house after changing and washing up. He even spritzed some cologne. Barely five minutes later, Elena's phone pinged.

She'd received a photo of Aaron leaning against the backseat with his shirt open and belt unbuckled. This was followed by a video.

"Have you missed me and the baby after so many days apart, Aaron?" Mia asked.

Aaron answered her with a muffled grunt. That wasn't enough for her. She pressed him for answers.

"Talk to me, Aaron. Have you missed me after so many days apart? Have you missed my body? Have you missed my tricks? Have you missed sticking it in me from the door to the bathroom? Have you missed our baby?

"He's started saying 'Daddy,' you know. Do you want to hear it? Do you want him and me to call you 'Daddy' together?"

Her words set Aaron on fire. He had nowhere to go, so he pressed her head lower. He panted and said, "Yes, I've missed you and our baby. Now, go faster, babe. Faster!"