"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:

"Ms. Jenner!

"Mr. Delgado... Mr. Delgado killed Stuart!"

Prudence Jenner looked at the knife in my hand.

Then at Stuart, already gone.

Her pupils shrank all at once.

"Have you lost your mind!"

A hand seized my throat.

Pinned me hard against the wall.

"Do you have any idea? That little dog was there for Will through the whole worst stretch of his depression!

"I searched so hard to pick out that dog, and you just kill it like that!"

I looked at her, cold.

"Let that animal wear my mother's keepsake, and you'd better be ready to have it killed."

"You—!"

Prudence stared at me, shock in her eyes.

William choked out,

"Ms. Jenner, I didn't! I never took Mr. Delgado's protective charm!"

The hand around my throat tightened.

Prudence glared at me through gritted teeth.

"What is wrong with you? You were never this deranged before!"

I laughed.

A bitter laugh.

"You see? Whatever he says, you believe. Always.

"Even when I'm dying, you still—"

"Enough, Vincent Delgado!"

She grabbed my arm.

"You want to pull the same old trick again? Fine!"

She wrenched me forward.

My bleeding foot stumbled after her.

And she shoved me down against the railing of the open terrace.

Five floors below me, nothing.

She bore down on my shoulders, holding me there so I couldn't straighten.

"Then go on and die! Go on!"

I said nothing.

I only looked, quietly, into her eyes.

The eyes that once brimmed with love, that once called me "husband."

Seeing that I wouldn't speak,

she gave a cold laugh.

The force pressing me down eased a little.

"See? You're just putting on an act!"

With that, she turned away, still sneering.

"Prudence Jenner."

I called her back. "You said, if I really had cancer, you'd die with me.

"Is that true?"

She turned her head.

Mockery in every line of her face.

"If you really had cancer, I'd die right along with you!"

I smiled.

"Good."

Prudence froze.

Then she scoffed and turned away.

She strode toward William.

The next second.

A rush of movement behind her.

She whipped around.

"Vincent!!"