But soon, she regained her composure and stood up, walking toward me.

She pulled me to the other end of the hallway and whispered, “What are you doing here?”

“A follow-up checkup,” I said calmly.

She nodded, looking relieved. “Eric got hurt. He’s our company’s financial officer and has been a big help. I came to check on him.”

I didn’t say anything—just looked at her lying so effortlessly.

She grew anxious. “What? You think something’s going on? We’re just colleagues. Don’t be so petty. All I think about is the company.”

“You’re overthinking,” I replied. “The doctor said the dialysis wasn’t thorough enough. There’s some residue, so I had to come back for another test.”

She finally relaxed a little, her tone softening. “Then go get your test done. Call me if something comes up. I can’t leave now. Eric’s injury is pretty bad. He needs someone around.”

Heh. A twisted ankle counts as serious compared to my failing kidney?

Just then, Eric’s voice came from inside the ward—soft, with a touch of forced concern.

“Does dialysis hurt a lot? You can barely stand Andrew.”

He smiled faintly, pretending to care. “But you’re still young. With proper treatment, you’ll get better.”

Watching his fake sympathy, I suddenly asked, turning to face him, “I heard from some coworkers that you got married abroad. Who’s your wife?”

Eric froze for a moment, then his face flushed red. His eyes darted toward Charlotte with a hint of shyness.

“She’s an exceptional woman. You know her too,” he said. 

He didn’t say her name, just looked at me, his gaze carrying a trace of provocation.

Charlotte frowned and pulled me aside. “Why are you asking that? Eric needs rest. Don’t bother him.”

“She’s an important client of our company,” she added defensively. “She’s out of town and can’t make it back right now. I’m just helping her take care of Eric — is that so wrong?”

Her voice rose, sharper now.

“You’re being petty. It’s just one bad kidney—stop acting like it’s the end of the world. The company needs us to keep it afloat. Can’t you think about something other than yourself for once?”

I looked at her and suddenly smiled.

“Alright then. Take good care of him. Wouldn’t want to offend a client,” I said quietly.

Without another glance at them, I turned and left the ward.

I remembered how, back when Eric first joined the company, Charlotte always gave him special attention; calling on him during meetings, taking him along on business trips.

I’d even convinced myself it was normal. She was the boss and he was a subordinate. It was just her being responsible.

On my way to the clinic, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Charlotte.

[Sorry, I was a bit harsh earlier. Don’t be mad.]

[Once I finish things here, I’ll come find you. The company needs us both right now. Don’t start anything unnecessary.]

I stared at the screen for a while, then set the phone down without replying.

During the check-up, the doctor examined my scans with a serious look.

“The recovery isn’t good,” he said quietly.

“And honestly, your chances of returning to a normal life are very low.”

He looked up. “Where’s your wife? Why isn’t she here with you?”

I sat there, strangely calm and finally replied in a faint voice, “She’s dead.”

A week later, Charlotte finally came home—with Eric beside her.

What shocked me even more was that Eric was holding their bastard child.

“Sorry, Andrew, I didn’t mean to trouble you,” he said, looking at me nervously. “My wife’s been really busy lately, so she asked me to take care of our baby. Honestly, I have no idea how to look after a kid, but Charlotte said she loves children. She suggested I move in here–to make it easy for all of us.”

I threw a glance at Charlotte. There wasn’t a trace of guilt or fear in her eyes.

As if her lie was flawless—something I could never expose.

“Eric’s wife won’t be back for a while,” she said naturally. “So let him stay with us in the meantime. We don’t have kids anyway and we could use the practice.”

Then she patted my shoulder lightly. “It’s all for the company.”

I forced a pale smile. “Sure. Come in.”

Taking the luggage from Eric’s hand, I played the part of the understanding husband. Then I went to the kitchen and made him a cup of honey tea.

“Here, drink this. You must be thirsty.” 

He accepted it with a smile. “Thanks, Andrew. You’re really kind.”

But less than ten minutes later, he suddenly let out a small cry, clutching his stomach tightly. His face contorted in pain. “Why…it hurts... so bad…”

Charlotte, who was talking on the phone in the living room, immediately hung up and rushed over to him. “What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

Eric’s face was pale as he shook his head. “I don’t know... it just hurts all of sudden…”

Her eyes snapped toward me, full of suspicion. “What did you give him?”

“Honey tea,” I said flatly.

“He was fine a moment ago.” Her voice rose. “He drank your tea and now he’s in pain. Did you put something in it?”

Eric tugged at her sleeve, speaking in low voice, “Charlotte, don’t say that. Maybe I just caught a chill…”

“Don’t defend him!” she snapped, her eyes burning into me. “Be honest, Andrew. Did you put something in that tea?”

I stared back at the fire in her eyes, realizing she didn’t trust me at all. Suddenly, I didn’t feel like explaining anymore.

“Yes,” I said coldly. “That’s because he took my place, slept in my bed and used my things!”

A sharp slap landed across my face. It hurt—not sharply, but a heavy, numbing ache that spread from my cheek to my ear.

“Are you insane?” she shouted, her finger trembling as she pointed at me. “Eric is already sick and you tried to kill him. How did I ever marry such a petty, jealous man like you? If you weren’t still useful to the company, I’d have divorced you already!”

Eric stood beside her, pretending to wince in pain, playing the victim perfectly.

“Calm down, Charlotte. Don’t scold him anymore,” he murmured. “Maybe he just lost it for a second.” He looked up at me, his eyes shone with triumph.

I didn’t say a word. I turned around, went into my room and shut the door. My cheek still burned. Never to my imagination did I think she could hit that hard.

That night, I couldn’t sleep. The air was freezing. When I reached out, the space beside me was empty—Charlotte wasn’t there.

Then I heard soft footsteps in the hallway. I slipped on a robe and quietly followed the sound to the guest room. The door was slightly ajar, a sliver of light spilling through the gap.

“You shouldn’t have slapped him that hard,” Eric said quietly. “You two aren’t divorced yet. I’m afraid he’ll make trouble.”

Charlotte gave a short, cold laugh. “He deserved it.”

“So... when will you divorce him?” Eric pressed. “You promised you’d leave him after he helped you rebuild the company.”

Through the gap, I saw him wrap an arm around her neck. Their faces were so close their lips were almost touching.

“I know,” she sighed softly. “But it’s not the right time yet. Let’s wait until I’ve taken over all his client accounts. Then I’ll leave.”

And with that, Charlotte kissed him.

Even here, in our own home, she couldn’t hold herself back.

The sounds of their bodies entwined came faintly through the wall—soft at first, but they grew louder.

I walked away and passed the nursery. The baby was sleeping soundly. I stepped closer, leaned down and carefully lifted the tiny human into my arms. He had Charlotte’s eyes.

The little one stirred slightly, curling closer against my chest, but didn’t wake.

I stepped out of the apartment. When I opened the door, a gust of cold wind hit my face, freezing my skin.

Only an hour later, they finally realized the baby was gone.

My phone rang. Charlotte’s furious voice blasted through the receiver.

“Andrew! Where did you take Eric’s baby? Bring her back right now!”

I looked down at the sleeping infant in my arms. His breathing was steady, his long-lashes stayed still.

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

“It’s his baby that’s missing,” I murmured. “Why are you panicking?”