Chapter 5

What once felt like happiness when he held her, now made Louise feel nothing but discomfort. She pushed herself out of his arms with effort, stepping away to create some distance between them. Curtis, panicked, immediately followed her. "Louise, do you want to travel? Next week, maybe? I'll clear my entire schedule, I promise. I'll spend the whole week with you. Please, don't be angry. Don't leave me, okay?" Louise felt a coldness settle deep in her heart. The Curtis who was now begging her not to leave, and the Curtis she had seen in the video entangled with Zoe Roach—who was the real Curtis? She couldn't tell anymore. But it didn't matter. Soon, she would be leaving him forever. Whether she could figure it out or not, it wouldn't change anything. With a calm expression, she replied, "You're overthinking it. Didn't you say there's an event for our wedding anniversary?" Curtis still seemed unconvinced and continued to cling to her. "But you mentioned something about new documents. What documents are you working on? And plane tickets—what's that about?" "It's for a friend of mine," Louise said indifferently. "She lost her ID and couldn't buy a ticket, so she has to get it reissued." "Which friend?" "…You don't know her." "I know all your friends." Louise skillfully changed the subject. "Enough about me. What about you? Did you finish work last night?" "Almost," Curtis replied. Before his words had fully settled, his phone rang again. Louise had grown used to Zoe Roach calling him whenever she pleased, disrupting everything. No matter what, Curtis always left. This time, she simply walked away and sat on the sofa, waiting. She overheard Curtis's low voice as he scolded, "I told you not to call me when I'm at home!" The faint sound of a woman crying came through the phone. Curtis glanced at Louise nervously and licked his lips in embarrassment. "…Fine. I'll come over now." After hanging up, Curtis looked conflicted as he explained, "Louise, it's the company. There’s still a small issue left from last night." Louise nodded without hesitation. "Go ahead. I understand work has been hectic lately." Once again, Curtis left in a rush. Louise held her phone in her hand, waiting for Zoe Roach's latest "surprise." As expected, Zoe's message came quickly. This time, it was a photo—a medical report. The document read: Zoe Roach, 4 weeks pregnant, threatened miscarriage. Attached was a message: Zoe Roach: Last night at the cinema, we got a little too carried away. Now the baby's at risk of a miscarriage. The hospital says the father has to be present to sign the forms. Sorry, Mrs. Irwin, but your husband belongs to me again today. ? Zoe was pregnant?! Louise gripped her phone tightly, staring at the report in disbelief. Another message followed: Zoe Roach: Oh, forgot to mention—he's mine for the rest of the week, too. He promised to take me to Hawaii to celebrate our little one. Zoe Roach: He's calling you now to make his excuses. Brace yourself, Mrs. Irwin. ? The way Zoe emphasized "Mrs. Irwin" carried an unmistakable note of provocation. Almost simultaneously, Louise's phone rang. The caller ID read: "Darling." She took a deep breath and answered. "Louise, I'm sorry. There's been an urgent matter at work, and I need to leave for a business trip…" Before he could finish, Louise interrupted him. "Go ahead." Curtis continued apologetically, "Louise, I promise I'll be back for our fifth anniversary. At the ceremony, I'll put the wedding ring—the symbol of our love—on your finger again, just like the first time." "Curtis, do you love me?" Louise asked abruptly. "Of course! You're the only woman I'll ever love," he declared. "If one day you betrayed our love," Louise said slowly, "I would leave you. Forever." Curtis chuckled, as if she had told a joke. "I won't give you that chance." "I'm serious. I'm not joking. If I ever find out, you'll never see me again." "As long as you're still Louise, no matter where in the world you go, I'll find you," he said, his voice indulgent, like a cat teasing its prey. "Is that so? What if I'm no longer Louise?" Curtis laughed even harder, his tone playful. "How could you not be Louise? Come on, don't overthink things. You're the only one I love, and I'll be back in a week to celebrate with you." Ten minutes later, Louise received an address from the company helping her stage her fake death. When she arrived, they handed her a stack of documents. "Miss Grant, from today, this is your new identity." Louise flipped through the paperwork. Her new name was Flora Wallace. As Flora Wallace, she would leave Curtis forever. She had chosen this name for herself. From now on, there would be no Louise in this world—only Flora Wallace. "Miss Grant—ah, excuse me, Miss Wallace—we’ve also booked your ticket. It's for next Saturday morning at 10 a.m., destination: Iceland." Louise carefully stored the documents and nodded. "Thank you. I'll transfer the full payment to your company shortly." "Miss Wallace, you still have a week to reconsider. If you change your mind, we won’t charge you anything." "No," Louise said firmly as she stood. "I won’t change my mind."