Lionel froze for a few seconds, then rushed into the bathroom and gently patted Iris's back.

"Honey… Are you pregnant?"

The excitement he couldn't hide made Iris curl her lips in a bitter half-smile. When the nausea eased, she straightened up, breathing hard.

"Did you forget? The doctor said I can't have children."

Lionel still couldn't hide his hope. "Let's go to the hospital tomorrow anyway. Just in case, right?"

He picked up his phone and booked an appointment. Iris opened her mouth, then closed it again. She didn't say anything.

The next morning, they went to the hospital fully disguised.

It was a private hospital, and the doctor was someone Lionel knew well.

"Mrs. Potter's uterus suffered severe trauma. Based on the test results, the chance of pregnancy is almost zero."

Even though Iris hadn't expected anything, hearing the regret in the doctor's voice still made her chest ache.

If she had returned to her original world three years ago after completing the mission, she would've had a healthy body.

Yet, she chose to stay. And now, even leaving meant returning with this damaged body.

Still, as long as she could leave, that was enough.

She glanced calmly at Lionel, who stood beside her with disappointment written all over his face.

He only looked down for a moment before pulling her into his arms.

"It's okay, honey. If we want a kid someday, we can always adopt."

Iris quietly pushed him away. "Kids don't matter anymore."

Lionel clung to her arm. "Right. As long as we're together, that's all that matters."

Iris lowered her eyes and thought that that wouldn't happen, either.

The doctor said the nausea from last night was likely caused by stress and emotional exhaustion, nothing serious.

After they left the hospital, Lionel suggested taking Iris to Whalers' Bay to clear her head.

She didn't refuse. She wanted to see the ocean one last time, anyway.

It was the first place she saw when she came into this world.

Back then, Lionel had jumped into the sea during his depression and got terrified of the water for a long time afterward. Iris slowly helped him heal and fall in love with the ocean again.

She stood there, exactly the way she had back then, but her heart wasn't what it used to be.

The bay was secluded and quiet, perfect for zoning out.

The October sea wind cut through them. Iris pulled her coat tighter around herself.

She got cold easily.

Lionel quickly draped his jacket over her shoulders and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"That better?"

An elderly couple walked past, hand in hand.

The old lady said, "Look at young people these days. So affectionate."

The old man squeezed her hand proudly. "Hmph. If they're still like that at our age, that's what really counts."

They laughed and walked away together.

Iris's body stiffened.

Yes, she and Lionel weren't that impressive. Three years married, and his heart had already changed.

Lionel didn't notice anything. He leaned in and brushed against her ear.

"Honey, when we're old, we'll be just like them."

The nausea surged again. Iris wanted to rip the fake tenderness right off him.

Just then, Lionel's phone rang. He glanced at the screen but didn't answer right away. After hesitating for a second, he said, "Wait here, okay? I need to take this."

A minute later, he came back, guilt written all over his face.

"I'm sorry, honey. I can't stay with you. There's an emergency at the label company, and they need me right now."

Iris didn't respond. She simply handed him his jacket back, signaling him to go.

Seeing how calm she looked, Lionel hesitated, like he wanted to say something.

In the end, he only said, "Head back soon. Don't stay out too late."

After that, he left.

Iris narrowed her eyes and watched his retreating figure, her expression full of irony.

The label company, huh? She had clearly seen the caller ID. It was Pamela Briggs.

Before Iris could even get angry, a sharp gust of wind hit. Warm liquid rushed between her legs, followed by sudden, stabbing pain in her abdomen.

Iris's face went paper white.

Iris went to the hospital closest to Whalers' Bay.

Because of the damage to her uterus, every period left her in unbearable pain.

In the beginning, she would start getting anxious days before it came.

Lionel hated seeing her suffer. No matter how busy he was, he would drop everything and stay by her side, warming her stomach, making her hot cocoa.

With him around, Iris slowly stopped worrying. Most of the time, it was Lionel who reminded her that her period was coming.

But this time, he had forgotten, too.

After taking painkillers, Iris leaned back against the hospital bed and summoned the system.

"Find Lionel's current location."

[Okay, Iris.]

With a soft chime, a location map appeared in her mind.

Lionel was stopped on Suncrest Drive. About three minutes later, the marker moved to Imperial Gardens, Building 13.

That was where Pamela lived.

Iris opened a short video app, searched Pamela's account, and entered her livestream.

"Welcome to everyone who just joined!" Pamela glanced at her watch. "But my boyfriend's on his way, so I'll be ending the stream soon."

Her voice was soft and sweet, the kind that put people at ease.

As soon as she finished speaking, the sound of a door opening came from off-camera. Her face instantly lit up with excitement.

She muted the mic and tilted her head up, eyes bright, like a puppy waiting for attention.

The next second, an arm wrapped around her neck. The man lowered his head and kissed her hard, as if he couldn't wait a second longer.

Even though his face wasn't visible, the livestream chat exploded instantly.

[Ahh, they're so sweet! Kiss more. I wanna see!]

[PDA on a livestream? You two are too much!]

[That's illegal, kissing in front of us… But I love it!]

Unlike the excited fans, Iris felt like she'd been drenched in ice water. The cold spread from her chest outward, leaving her shaking uncontrollably.

That man was Lionel. The sleeve visible in the frame was the exact jacket he had been wearing.

Just an hour ago, that jacket had been draped over her shoulders. The thought made Iris nauseous.

The two of them kissed for nearly a full minute, completely unwilling to part.

Iris flipped her phone face down.

After a while, the mic turned back on. Pamela smiled shyly, her tone sweet and apologetic.

"Sorry, everyone. My boyfriend's here, so I'm ending the stream. See you tomorrow."

At the very last second before the stream ended, Iris caught a line of scrolling comments.

[Go on, go on. We know when to leave. Can't interrupt a couple and their private session!]

Iris laughed soundlessly. It felt like a string in her head had been yanked out of tune, buzzing nonstop.

She stayed in the hospital overnight and slept poorly. When she woke up in the morning, she saw Lionel slumped beside the bed, gripping her hand.

Suppressing her discomfort, Iris pressed her lips together and pulled her hand back.

Lionel startled awake. When he saw that she was up, guilt flashed across his face as he grabbed her hand again.

"I'm sorry, honey. I've been too busy these past few days and forgot about your period. It's my fault. Are you feeling better now?"

Yeah. Juggling two women would make anyone busy as hell.

Iris tried to pull her hand free again, but Lionel held on even tighter.

"Why didn't you call me yesterday and tell me? When I couldn't find you after I got home from work, I almost lost it. Next time, you have to tell me. Nothing's more important than you."

If Iris had heard that before, she would've cried her eyes out. Now, she just looked at him calmly for a few seconds, then turned her head away and closed her eyes.

"I'm still tired. I want to rest."

Lionel froze. Seeing her so distant made panic rise in his chest.

"Honey…"

Before he could finish, his phone vibrated. He glanced at it. A moment later, the Lionel who had been clinging to her suddenly changed his mind.

"Get some rest. I'll go buy you some soup."

After he left, Iris opened her eyes abruptly, got out of bed, and followed him.

Lionel walked down the corridor, turned into the obstetrics wing, and slipped into the stairwell.

Only one door was closed.

Iris stood outside it. From where she was, she could clearly see a petite girl with delicate features.

It was Pamela.

When Lionel saw her, he frowned slightly. "Why are you here?"

Pamela pouted and lowered her head, but her eyes tilted up toward him, full of grievance.

"I woke up before dawn, and you were gone. I got scared."

Her eyes were already filling with tears as she spoke.

Lionel looked pained. He gently pulled her into his arms.

"What's there to be scared of? I'm not going anywhere."

Pamela rubbed her cheek against his chest. "It's not just that. I missed you."

Lionel rubbed the top of her head indulgently. "Since when did you get this clingy?"

Pamela didn't answer. She looked up at him like a puppy, her eyes overflowing with affection.

That kind of look was dangerous.

It was exactly how Iris used to look at him.

"Lionel, do you love me?"

The moment Pamela asked that, Iris instinctively slowed her breathing. Her heart lifted painfully into her throat.

Lionel's gaze darkened. He pressed his lips together, said nothing, then suddenly shoved Pamela back against the wall and kissed her hard.

As if that wasn't enough, he moved to her neck, sucking lightly and leaving a trail of red marks behind.

Iris's eyes burned. She felt as if her heart was being yanked apart, leaving her unable to breathe.

This was how Lionel looked when he was overwhelmed by desire. Back then, when she looked at him that way, he had lost control just the same.

She took a deep breath and turned to leave.

However, Pamela's next words stopped her cold.

"Lionel, I'm pregnant. You have to take responsibility."

Iris instinctively looked toward Lionel.

His body stiffened as shock flashed across his face. Then unmistakable joy surged in his eyes, followed by a conflicted frown.

Iris knew that Lionel had always wanted a child of his own.

She didn't listen any further and went back to her room.

Twenty minutes later, Lionel returned, carrying two bowls of chicken soup.

"How are you feeling? Any better?"

He set the soup down and bent toward her, trying to kiss her forehead.

Iris frowned and turned her head away.

Lionel froze, confusion written all over his face.

"I'm hungry. Let's eat."

After a long pause, Lionel slowly straightened up, looking like he wanted to say something but didn't know how.

"Honey, you've seemed down these past few days. Did something happen? If something's wrong, tell me. I'll handle it."

As he spoke, he opened the soup and held it out to her.

Iris took it and said calmly, "It's nothing. Probably just not feeling well."

Hearing that, Lionel finally relaxed, the panic in his chest easing.

Iris stayed in the hospital one more night and was discharged the next day.

Over the following days, she stayed home organizing the fragments of their past.

Birthday gifts they had exchanged. Anniversary presents.

Photos from trips they'd taken together. Train tickets, admission stubs, little souvenirs they had picked up along the way.

Movie stubs, concert tickets, entry passes to events…

Looking at the massive pile of memories, Iris felt dazed.

So much had happened in six years.

She glanced toward the living room sofa, where Lionel sat listening to a CD. The disc spun slowly as music filled the room.

Yet Lionel, usually completely absorbed whenever he listened to music, was staring blankly at his phone.

He hadn't gone out much these days, but his mind was clearly elsewhere.

On his screen was an ultrasound image.

Iris glanced once, then looked away.

At lunch, Lionel got a call from a friend who was the MV director.

"Lionel, the MV's views just hit another record! We should celebrate. Bring your girlfriend, too."

Lionel panicked and shot a nervous look at Iris. Seeing that she showed no reaction, as if she hadn't heard, he finally let out a breath and agreed.

After he left that afternoon, Iris messaged her lawyer and said she was coming to pick up the divorce papers.