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.

The divorce papers had been printed for a while now, but Lionel had been home these past few days. Iris didn't want to stir up trouble, so she hadn't gone to pick them up.

After finally getting the papers, she drove back home.

The system announced in its cold voice, [Iris, you have seven days remaining before leaving this world. The exit channel is now 50% open. Please make sure to settle all matters within the remaining seven days.]

After the announcement, the system vanished.

Iris kept driving, her expression blank.

Then she saw Pamela ahead, walking off the curb toward a steakhouse.

Iris froze for two seconds and pulled the car over.

At lunch, during Lionel's phone call, she had vaguely caught a few words. Just enough to hear "celebrate" and "girlfriend".

On impulse, she followed Pamela to the private dining room where they were eating.

The moment Pamela walked in, the room erupted in teasing cheers.

"Hey, the famous singer's girlfriend is here!"

Pamela nodded politely at everyone. "Hi."

"Come on, sit. Order whatever you want. Otherwise, Lionel's gonna say we didn't treat you well."

Everyone laughed. Lionel cleared his throat and pulled Pamela to sit beside him.

"No need. Pamela can't eat this stuff right now."

Pamela blushed shyly.

The room went quiet for a few seconds until someone spoke.

"Can't eat this stuff… Wait, is she pregnant?"

Pamela lowered her head and leaned closer to Lionel.

That confirmed everyone's suspicion.

After another brief silence, someone said, "Then we really have to keep this quiet. Can't let Iris find out."

Lionel stiffened, and his face went pale.

Pamela glanced at him uneasily.

Outside the room, Iris narrowed her eyes. A chill crept up from her feet, twisting into anger. Something inside her snapped.

She had met all of Lionel's friends before. To protect her identity, she rarely interacted with them.

But every one of them knew she existed. They all knew her story with Lionel.

And now, it seemed they all knew about Pamela, too.

Iris took a deep breath, put on a polite smile, and pushed the door open.

"Hi, everyone! I was passing by and thought I'd join you for a bite."

Ten full seconds of silence followed.

The moment she walked in, Lionel and his friends all froze, their faces going stiff and ugly.

Iris curved her lips slightly and looked around the room.

"What's wrong? Am I not welcome?"

Only then did they snap out of it. "Of course you are. Come sit right…"

But Pamela was sitting next to Lionel, and there was no empty seat. The man offering smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

Lionel's gaze stayed locked on Iris as he stood up without realizing it.

Iris didn't care. She calmly sat across from him. "No need to fuss. This spot's fine."

Lionel frowned slightly.

Halfway through the meal, Iris looked at Pamela. "You must be Pamela! You're even prettier in person than in the music video. You actually remind me a bit of myself when I was younger."

Lionel stiffened. "She's not as pretty as you were back then."

Iris raised an eyebrow.

Pamela's face went pale, sadness flashing in her eyes.

No one else dared to speak.

In the blink of an eye, Pamela adjusted her expression and put on a gentle smile again, as if she hadn't been affected at all by Lionel's words.

"Why aren't you eating?" Iris asked her. "You've been sitting here forever and haven't touched your utensils."

Pamela smiled and placed a hand over her stomach. "I'm pregnant. I can't eat greasy food."

After speaking, she turned to look at Lionel, her expression hesitant, as if she wanted to say more.

The atmosphere grew even stranger. No one made a sound.

Lionel ignored Pamela's look. His brows were drawn tight as he stared at Iris, clearly anxious. He wanted to speak, but she cut in first.

"I see. You're right. You should be careful with what you eat."

Her tone was calm, as if she hadn't noticed anything unusual.

Suddenly, she set her utensils down and stood up.