Chapter 6

Over the next few days, updates about Curtis and Zoe Roach kept coming through. Three days before the wedding anniversary— [Zoe Roach: The Hawaiian breeze feels so nice~ The seafood here is amazing, but he told me I shouldn’t eat seafood since I’m pregnant. He went far to get something suitable for me instead~] The attached photo showed a Hawaiian beach scene. Sand, coconut trees, and not far away, Curtis unpacking a meal. [Curtis: I can’t even find anything I like to eat here. I had to go far just to grab some lunch. Louise, what did you have today?] Louise had spent her day with close friends. Barbecues, hotpot—it had been a delightful gathering. Knowing she would soon leave this life behind and take on a new identity, she wanted to see everyone one last time. Two days before the wedding anniversary— [Zoe Roach: Our baby is only a little over a month old, and he's already diving into early education research. Such a dedicated new dad! ☺️] The photo displayed Curtis’s desk, piled high with books: Baby Prenatal Education Guide, Wisdom in Early Education, The Pros and Cons of Breastfeeding. [Curtis: Louise, I’ve been reading all day and learned quite a bit. What about you? What did you do today?] Louise had gone to the bank that day. She converted all her account balances into euros, withdrew the cash, and closed every bank account under the name Louise Grant. One day before the wedding anniversary— [Zoe Roach: He feels bad that I’m pregnant and doesn’t want hotel staff handling my clothes, so he’s doing the laundry himself. Look~] The photo showed Curtis busy in a laundry room. [Curtis: Wow, laundry is so exhausting. We should hire a maid. I can’t bear to see our Louise working this hard.] Louise chuckled. For five years of marriage, she had hand-washed all his personal clothes. And now, he was washing clothes for another woman. How ironic. At that moment, someone from a charity organization arrived. Louise handed over bags of her washed and packed old clothes to the charity worker. When she returned and saw the half-empty apartment, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief. Apparently, losing hope happens in an instant. When love is gone, it’s easy to let go. The night before the wedding anniversary, Louise went to the mountaintop alone. The mountain wind howled around her, but she didn’t feel cold. She simply felt the vastness of the night sky, dotted with stars and a crescent moon. It was beautiful. It was late when Curtis called. His voice sounded cheerful. “Louise, I just got off the plane. I’ll be home soon. I’ll bring you some snacks, okay?” “I’m not home.” “So late—where did you go?” “The mountaintop.” “What are you doing there?” “Watching the stars.” “Wait for me. I’ll come over right now—” Suddenly, there was a commotion on the other end of the line. A woman’s voice could be heard faintly. Curtis muttered something low, clearly annoyed. The woman didn’t back down. For a while, Curtis said nothing. Then, Louise heard the unmistakable sound of kissing—loud and wet. She let out a cold laugh. “Curtis, are you still coming?” His voice was hoarse, mixed with heavy breathing. “Louise, starting tomorrow, I’ll spend all my time with you. Tonight, I need to go to the office and wrap up some things so I can focus on us afterward, okay?” Louise smiled. “Sure.” “That’s my Louise—so understanding. Let’s meet directly at the ceremony tomorrow morning. Oh, and don’t forget the gift you’ve prepared for me. I’m so excited to see what surprise you’ve got!” “Curtis,” she called his name one last time. “What is it?” “Nothing.” There was nothing left to say. After tonight, there would be no Louise in this world anymore. After descending the mountain, she hailed a cab. “Hi, to the airport,” she said. The driver, noticing she had no luggage, asked kindly, “Miss, where’s your baggage? I can help you carry it.” “I don’t have any. Just drive.” All she had with her was a passport and a plane ticket. Everything else connected to the name Louise had been donated or burned. Half an hour later, the car stopped at the airport entrance. Louise scanned a code on her phone and transferred all the money she had left to the driver. The driver was stunned. “Miss, there’s been a mistake! It’s thirty dollars, not thirty thousand! I’ll refund—” “No need. Thank you for bringing me here.” After getting out, Louise removed her SIM card, snapped it in half, and tossed it into the trash along with her phone. Without looking back, she walked straight into the terminal.