Her pupils shrank to pinpoints.

"What are you doing!"

She had a cake in her hand, iced with blue waves.

Two little cartoon figures leaned together on top, sculpted out of mango.

Anyone could see it wasn't bought for me.

I'm allergic to mango.

William Simmons, on the other hand, loved mango.

Loved anything sweet.

Her hand shot out and clamped around the one holding the bat.

"You've lost your mind!"

"I've lost my mind?"

There were flecks of blood on my face.

I stared her down.

"You pretend you sold our home, but really you brought another man in to erase every last trace of me.

"Prudence, tell me who's lost their mind here."

Prudence gave a scornful little laugh.

"What, you're allowed to fake being sick to fool me, but I'm not allowed to fool you a little?"

I frowned.

Her smile turned even more scornful.

"If I didn't make a whole show of it, how could I possibly do justice to such a brilliant performance, Mr. Delgado?"

"You think I was faking it?"

"I don't think, I know. Someone showed me your real diagnosis. It's nothing but a little gastritis. Some medicine and you'll be fine."

"Who gave it to you?"

"Was it Mr. Delgado?"

A startled cry came from the doorway.

William looked at me.

"You… you've been discharged?"

He stepped forward and slid an arm around Prudence's shoulders.

"Mr. Delgado, don't get the wrong idea. You've been gone three whole years, so I've been helping look after Ms. Jenner for you.

"I'm her assistant, after all. I know her preferences better than anyone.

"I really thought you'd be back soon. I never imagined…"

He glanced at me.

"To think Mr. Delgado would lie in a hospital bed for three years just to force my hand…

"If I hadn't found out early that Mr. Delgado was deceiving Ms. Jenner, who knows how far she'd have fallen apart.

"And now, instead of reflecting on your own mistakes, Mr. Delgado shows up and starts smashing things. Mr. Delgado, you've really gone too—ah!"

Crack.

Without hesitation my fist landed square across his face.

The next second.

A tremendous force slammed into me and threw me to the floor.

Prudence planted herself in front of him, shielding him.

"That's enough, Vincent! When did you turn into this shameless brute!

"First you faked an illness to fool me, and now you're raising a hand to someone who's done nothing!

"Look at yourself. Is there anything left of the man you used to be!"

I raised my head, not believing it.

Her breath came fast and ragged.

The corners of her eyes had gone red.

As if I really were the one who'd changed first in what we had.

A laugh broke out of me.

"You're blaming me?"

Prudence went still.

"Prudence, what right do you have to blame me!

"The one who changed beyond all recognition first was you, not me!"

The girl who once ran with me through open fields.

The girl who rapped her knuckles on my head before the SATs and called me a slacker.

The woman who swore at our college graduation that she would marry me.

She had turned into someone I no longer knew, long before I did.

She stopped caring how I felt.

She took the boy she'd been sponsoring and pushed him up the ladder into an assistant's post at her side.

And when the boy got upset.

She tore up our marriage certificate without a second thought.

My fist clenched hard.

"Prudence, you're the one who changed. Not me."

Her mouth opened and closed.

"But I would never lie to you about a terminal illness."

"Lie to you?"

I laughed.

And as I laughed, tears blurred my eyes.

"Why do you think I lied to you!"

"Will said, you…"

"Will said, Will said…"

I shoved her away and pointed at William.

"You'll always believe him. You never once believed me!

"Whatever he says, you believe.

"Even if I put the diagnosis right in front of you, I'm still the one faking it, still the one lying about being sick!"

"Vincent, I—"

"Enough, Prudence."

I cut her off.

"You disgust me.

"I never should have married you."

Prudence's breath caught.

She grabbed me as I turned to leave.

Her eyes went red.

"I only turned into this because you were the one who did wrong first!"

I froze.

Stared at her, unable to believe it.

"Vincent, if you hadn't betrayed me first, why would I ever treat you like this?"

"What are you talking about?"

Prudence gave a cold laugh.

"However disgusting I am, at least I never crawled into bed with my own boss."

Crack.

My hand landed hard across her face.

William gasped and threw himself in front of her.

"Mr. Delgado, that's going too far!

"And is Ms. Jenner wrong? Back then, you were caught in bed with your female boss. Yes, you ruined her afterward, but who's to say you didn't force yourself on the girl and then turn it around on her once it came out!

"Ms. Jenner is your wife. Isn't it perfectly normal for her to doubt you?

"If you'd only kept yourself clean, how could she ever have failed to trust you!"

"You—"

My hand rose high.

Prudence seized my wrist.

She pushed William behind her.

Looked at me with that cold smile.

"What, I hit a nerve, so now you're humiliated and furious?"

My fist clenched tight.

I stared at her through my teeth.

"Prudence, you've suspected me all along—"

The day I drank my boss's milk tea and couldn't be woken up.

That was the day before Prudence and I were to be married.

That day Prudence slapped that boss ten times in front of everyone.

Shaking with rage.

"I will destroy you completely!"

On the day of the hearing, she argued the facts point by point, tearing through the boss's entire legal team.

Then she and I moved to another city.

The whole thing was sealed away, and no one ever brought it up again.

I looked at Prudence, my eyes red.

"You told your assistant even something that private."

Prudence frowned.

"Will isn't an outsider. After all, he's someone you and I once supported."

I laughed.

"So that's why you believe everything he says?"

Prudence frowned and said nothing.

"And if I really do have stomach cancer?"

"If it's real.

"If you die, I'll die with you."

The hand gripping my wrist trembled faintly.

I pushed her away.

"Prudence, you'd better mean what you say!"

I turned as I finished.

Slammed the door hard behind me.

Prudence's first instinct was to shield William behind her.

I let out a cold laugh.

I didn't look back.

Standing on the empty street.

A dull ache pulsed through my chest, wave after wave.

I felt at the front of my chest.

The protective charm my mother gave me.

Gone.

I turned back at once.

Opened the door with the same old key.

I'd only been gone a few hours.

Everything in the house had been repaired, made new.

Every piece of furniture I'd smashed had been replaced, in a few short hours, with brand-new pieces in blue.

Compared to before.

The whole house looked more alive now, not less.

Even the floor had been cleaned spotless.

As if no third person had ever set foot inside.

I stepped across the floor.

Searching frantically for the charm my mother had left me.

It was from the day I was diagnosed with cancer.

My mother had climbed nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps.

One bow at every step.

The charm she'd earned praying for his life.

"Where is it? Where the hell did it go?"

I knelt on the floor.

Searched the gaps in the furniture.

Checked the trash can.

Until a soft laugh sounded behind me.

I turned.

The little teddy in William's arms had a blue bow tied on its head.

The charm's cord had been shortened around its neck.

Sitting right there against its throat.

"Mr. Delgado, it happens to be Stuart Harrington's birthday.

"He wears so much designer stuff every day, he's gotten bored of it all.

"This charm your mother earned suits him better. Stuart really likes it."

My eyes went red in an instant.

On that charm.

At some point new stitching had been added.

【Stuart】

"Give it back!"

I strode forward.

William stepped back. "Mr. Delgado! You don't want it? That's fine, I'll take it off right now!"

And he actually went to undo the strap around the dog's neck.

But a clasp that should have come loose easily.

In his hands, it simply wouldn't open.

Back and forth.

The charm gave a ripping sound.

The stuffing inside spilled out.

"William!"

I reached out to grab it.

But a sharp pain tore through my wrist.

"Woof! Woof woof woof!"

Stuart planted itself in front of its master.

I stepped back.

It lunged at me.

Sank its teeth into my ankle.

"Stuart, no! Let go!"

William covered his mouth.

I dropped hard to the floor.

Fangs into flesh.

Splitting me apart.

"Stuart! Stuart, be good!!"

William kept coaxing.

But his hands never touched the dog.

Not until my Achilles tendon tore and blood ran across the floor.

Only then did the corner of his mouth curl.

He scooped Stuart up.

"Woof woof woof!"

In his arms, Stuart still snarled at me without stopping.

I gasped, ragged and undone.

My calf trembled faintly.

William looked down at me, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Sorry, Mr. Delgado. Stuart's shy around strangers. Anyone who doesn't smell like they belong in this house, he reacts to."

He rolled the charm between his fingers, playing with it. "This one, Stuart really likes it.

"Since it won't come off, Mr. Delgado, don't be so petty about it."

He turned away.

Stroked Stuart's head. "Good baby~"

I said nothing.

Reached out.

Found the fruit knife on the table.

"William."

He turned back.

The next second.

Blood burst from Stuart's neck.

Droplets of it spattered across William's face.

"Aroo... whimper!"

Stuart gave a shrill cry.

Bared its teeth to bite me again.

I pinned its head with one hand.

A wet sound.

The knife pulled free.

Stuart struggled a few times.

Then went completely still.

"Stuart!!"

William shrieked, his legs buckling as he dropped to his knees. "Stuart? Stuart, what's wrong! Open your eyes, don't scare me! Stuart!"

He lifted his head, eyes red. "You killed Stuart! You lunatic!"

I bent down, took off the charm, and looked down at him. "A dog that bites people was never worth keeping."

"Vincent Delgado! You murderer! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

William threw himself at me like a madman.

I stepped aside.

He crashed to the floor.

His knees bruising on impact.

He knelt there.

Breathing unsteadily.

"Will?"

Prudence's voice came from the doorway.

William's head snapped up.

His eyes filled with tears at once: