Chapter 3

By the time I snapped out of my thoughts, I realized I had walked all the way to the hospital.

I stood at the entrance for a couple of seconds, preparing to turn around and leave.

Suddenly, a voice called out to me:

"Sophia! You're here to see Dr. Sterling? It feels like we haven't seen you around in forever!"

I forced a sweet smile and typed a quick reply on my phone.

But from our brief chat, I found out something interesting.

Carter hadn't gone to any remote town today. In fact, he was right here in the hospital.

If I had just come to the hospital on a normal day, his clumsy lie would have crumbled instantly.

He had built his lie on the foundation of my absolute, blind trust.

And he had trampled all over it.

After the doctor walked away, I didn't leave. I walked into the building.

But before entering, I made a quick stop at the diner across the street to buy a takeout order.

Carter's favorite meal.

My rule in life was simple: if the love is gone, leave with dignity. But since he wanted to play a role in a drama, I wanted to see how he'd finish his performance.

I walked up to his office, a path I knew by heart.

Just as I raised my hand to knock, a soft, whiny voice drifted through the door.

"You're so bad... You tore my new lace panties, and you have to buy me a new pair."

A man's low, deep voice coaxed, "I'll buy you whatever you want."

"Did you sleep with your wife last night?"

The air went dead silent for a few seconds. Then, Carter's voice rang out: "No."

Chloe let out a giggling laugh, her sounds growing louder and more shameless.

I didn't stay to listen to the rest.

Humans are masochists. Even when we already know the ugly truth, we still demand to see it with our own eyes.

But I didn't see this as a sign of weakness.

When it's time for your heart to get cut, don't run from the blade. Let it cut deep so you never look back.

He was ruthless, so I had no reason to be soft.

Before leaving, I stopped a nurse I knew and asked her to deliver the takeout to Carter's desk.

I typed a message on my phone, telling her that Carter was currently away from his desk and asking her to deliver it in exactly ten minutes.

Ignoring her confused expression, I turned and walked out of the hospital.

No secret stays hidden forever. People see who you are, even when you think you're a master of disguise.

After leaving, I caught a cab back home.

Less than twenty minutes later, my phone lit up with a FaceTime call from Carter.

He had received the food.

I swiped to answer, eager to see what lie he would spin this time.

The video connected, and the first thing I noticed was his messy, mismatched collar.

Carter was an extreme neat freak. He never allowed a single wrinkle on his clothes.

For his collar to be this messed up, he must have been in an incredible hurry.

After three years of marriage, I realized I didn't know this man at all.

He pretended to love me with his whole life, yet he slept with another woman.

He clearly didn't love me, yet the panic on his face right now didn't look fake.

I didn't understand, and I didn't care to.

So, I stayed silent, just staring at him through the screen.

His voice rushed out, filled with concern, "Sophia, why did you come to the hospital today? Are you feeling sick?"

Looking at him, a wave of exhaustion washed over me.

It was so pathetic.

We had reached this point, and if he had just owned up to it like a man, I might have respected him a little.

Instead, he chose to double down on his lies and test my reaction.

I casually typed a simple *[Fine]* and sent it.

Carter let out a breath and lied, "I was supposed to go to the outreach program, but an emergency surgery popped up and I couldn't leave. I literally just stepped out of the OR."

He watched my face closely as he spoke.

Seeing no anger on my face, he probed further, "Did you come up to my office?"

I almost laughed out loud.

He was lying, so I lied right back.

I typed out that I had gone to the hospital, remembered he was supposed to be out of town, and left the food with his colleague. His colleague must have misunderstood and brought it to his desk.

It was a lie filled with holes, but Carter swallowed it whole.

Seeing him visibly relax, my eyes chilled.

Even after the call ended, I sat in silence for a long time.

Since his lie had been exposed, Carter had no choice but to come home that night.

He acted as if nothing had happened, even bringing home a boba tea for me.

I didn't touch it. I just pushed it aside and sent him a text:

*[I'm going to visit my parents tomorrow.]*

The moment he read it, Carter asked, "Do you want me to come with you? I happen to be off tomorrow."

I shook my head, declining.

To stop him from pushing, I typed:

*[You've been working so hard lately. Just stay home and rest.]*

A brief hesitation crossed his face before he sighed, "Alright then."

It was exactly the answer I wanted, yet hearing him agree so easily still made my chest feel empty.

If this had been before, he would have either insisted on coming or begged me to stay home with him.

But now...

Whatever. People have to adapt to sudden changes, including the sudden death of someone's love.

The night went by in peaceful silence.

The only difference was that neither of us knew what was waiting for us tomorrow.

The moment I arrived at my parents' house, I told them the good news—I could speak again.

They were absolutely thrilled, declaring they were going to cook a massive feast to celebrate.

My mom insisted I text Carter to make sure he came over for dinner tonight.

I nodded and smiled. "Okay."

Tonight was definitely a night to celebrate.

But whether Carter could make it was a different story.

After breakfast, my dad came back from the grocery store around 11:00 AM.

Right then, Carter sent me two texts:

*[It’s so boring at home. I should have gone with you.]*

*[I miss you, babe.]*

II didn't reply. Instead, I opened our home security camera app on my phone.