Chapter 4

Curtis returned just as the movie was about to end, reeking of that familiar sickly-sweet smell. He also carried a box of popcorn. “Louise, I’m sorry I’m late. The popcorn machine at the theater broke, and it took forever to fix. This is fresh—you should eat it while it’s hot.” Louise waved him off. “I don’t want it.” “You didn’t drink the brown sugar ginger tea either?” “I didn’t feel like it.” “Alright, no eating or drinking then. Let’s watch the movie.” Louise scoffed. “The movie’s almost over.” “Blame the guy fixing the popcorn machine. He took ages to get it working.” “So you just stood there for three hours waiting for him to fix it?” Curtis nodded earnestly. “Yeah! The manager can vouch for me. If you don’t believe me, you can ask him.” “That won’t be necessary.” Louise grabbed her bag and stood up to leave. Curtis followed her, holding her coat and the popcorn. “Louise, please tell me what I did wrong. I’ll change, I swear. Don’t ignore me—it scares me.” “Scares you? Why?” “I’m afraid you don’t love me anymore.” Louise turned to face him, locking eyes. How dare he? He was the one who betrayed their relationship, the one who said one thing and did another, the one who stopped treasuring her. If that was the case, she decided, she’d completely withdraw her heart. She had already given a torn and bloodied piece of her clothing to the agency helping her fake her death. A week from now, he’d receive that bloody garment. By then, she would be gone forever. “Louise, why aren’t you saying anything?” Curtis asked, his voice trembling. Louise exhaled slowly, her tone flat. “It’s just my period. I’m tired.” “Let me take you home to rest.” “Alright.” On the way home, Curtis kept trying to engage her in conversation, cracking jokes to lighten the mood. Louise merely replied, “I’m a bit tired. I’d like to rest.” Only then did Curtis fall silent. When they arrived, Curtis walked her to the bedroom. Louise turned to him. “Are you heading to the office tonight to handle work?” Curtis hesitated for a moment. “Yeah, there are some things I didn’t finish yesterday. I’ll have to work late again tonight.” “Then you should go.” Louise lay down with her back to him, effectively dismissing him. Curtis stood there for a moment, unmoving. He seemed to sense something was off but couldn’t pinpoint what. Louise suddenly felt like teasing him. She turned to face him. “Can you not go tonight?” Curtis visibly relaxed. If Louise was still depending on him, still being playful and clingy, it meant she hadn’t discovered anything. He smiled gently. “Honey, I’ve already made plans. A lot of executives are waiting for me. Next week, though, I’ll make time for you, I promise.” “Next week?” “Yeah, next weekend is our fifth wedding anniversary. I’m planning a grand celebration so everyone in the city knows you’re the love of my life.” A grand celebration? Louise laughed inwardly. That would make things even more exhilarating. “Alright, then. Go ahead.” “You’re such a good girl, Louise. I’ll head out now—I don’t want to keep them waiting.” Them? Or her? Curtis left in a hurry, and not long after, the tablet on the sofa started vibrating. Another message. It was her. Curtis: Are you ready? Zoe Roach sent over a photo. This time, she was dressed as a nurse. Of course, it wasn’t a proper uniform—what should have been covered was exposed, and what shouldn’t have been exposed was, too. Curtis: I’m going to destroy you tonight. Louise powered off the tablet. Then, she began packing her things: clothes, bags, shoes, and even all the gifts Curtis had given her over the years. Finally, she opened a metal box from the back of the closet. Her hand hesitated for a moment. Inside were all the love letters Curtis had written to her. A thick stack. When they first got together, he had written: From today on, Louise is the love of my life. On his birthday, he had written: My birthday wish is to spend a lifetime with my Louise, growing old together. On her twentieth birthday, he had written: Louise is finally of legal age! I need to marry you as soon as possible. On their wedding day, he had written: My beautiful princess Louise, welcome to my world. Louise didn’t bother reading the rest. She took all the letters outside and burned them to ashes. The next morning, the sound of Curtis slamming the door woke her. He was furious. “Louise! A beggar stole our wedding ring and sold it to a jewelry store!” Louise felt a pang of disappointment. How had he found it so quickly? “And he only sold it for ten grand! It’s insulting to our ring.” He walked over, taking her hand to slip the ring back on. “Alright, it’s back where it belongs—” Louise pulled her hand away. “No, I don’t want to wear it.” “What? Why not?” “It’s just… I’ve gained some weight lately. It doesn’t fit anymore.” Curtis chuckled. “That’s no problem. I’ll take it to the jeweler and have them resize it.” “Do as you like.” Louise asked, “What about the beggar? Did you do anything to him?” Curtis wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t worry. I know you’re kind-hearted and wouldn’t want him to suffer. I let it go.” “Give him some more money. He must need it.” “Alright, I’ll give him another ten grand.” Just then, Louise’s phone rang. She answered. “Hello, Miss Grant. This is the agency handling your fake death. Your new identification documents are ready. Can you come pick them up?” “Sure, send me the address.” “We’ll send the location to your phone shortly.” “By the way, can I use the new ID to purchase plane tickets?” “Of course, it’s fully functional.” “Great, thank you.” When she hung up, Curtis looked panicked. “Louise, what new documents? A plane ticket? Are you leaving? Where are you going?”