Chapter 15
Gary continued his report, but Evan’s attention had shifted. His gaze lingered on the photo displayed on his screen—a woman in a sleek black business suit.
She looked capable. Confident. Bright.
A stark contrast to the Olivia he had encountered—disheveled, desperate, and broken. She had tried to impress him, only to flee in disgrace after being rejected.
A wave of annoyance washed over him.
Had he been too harsh?
At 9 PM, I was making noodles in the kitchen when my phone buzzed.
A message from Gary.
Since my inquiry about his boss’s measurements, I hadn’t heard from him. Now, a series of numbers appeared on the screen, followed by a short message:
My boss says you want to buy him a new suit. Here are his measurements.
I froze.
What… did this mean?
Had he changed his mind and decided to give me a chance?
No. I immediately dismissed that thought. More likely, he was just preventing me from using the suit as an excuse to contact him again.
If I misinterpreted his intentions and went to him with the suit, I could end up humiliating myself again.
I wanted the job—but not at the cost of my self-respect.
Cautiously, I replied:
Okay, got it. I’ll buy the suit and ship it as soon as possible.
Gary relayed the message.
Evan, still flipping through a book, responded with a simple: “Mm.”
Gary hesitated. “…Should I remind her?”
Evan didn’t look up. “Don’t bother. She already gave up.”
Gary was baffled. How does he even come to these conclusions?
But he said nothing more.
The next day, I went suit shopping.
A car tailed me.
I ignored it, moving from store to store, searching for something similar in fabric, cut, and craftsmanship to the charcoal-gray suit Evan had worn.
Two hours passed. My legs ached.
I still hadn’t found one.
It wasn’t that charcoal gray was a rare color. But his suit… it was unmistakably a bespoke masterpiece from a master tailor. Even the most prestigious designer labels paled in comparison.
Frustrated, I slumped onto a bench.
I could already imagine his expression when he received my replacement—a mixture of disdain and amusement.
Forget it.
After a brief rest, I impulsively entered a store and picked out the closest match.
As I paid, the saleswoman smiled. “Your husband has a great physique. Is he a model?”
A model? Ha.
Evan would consider that an insult.
Leaving the store, I texted Gary for the shipping address.
Meanwhile, someone was watching.
From a distance, Olivia’s stalker snapped a picture and sent it to Julian.
Julian had just returned to the office, but his mind was elsewhere.
Ever since that moment at the golf club, something had gnawed at him. The figure he had glimpsed… It looked so much like Olivia.
More importantly, she had been with a man.
Julian could cheat. That was his right. But his wife?
If even one of her fingers was touched by another man, he’d want to skin that man alive.
Olivia was his.
Her only purpose was to love him and grow old with him.
So, he had put her under surveillance.
His phone vibrated. A new message.
A photo of Olivia.
Three hours of shopping.
A men’s suit in her hands.
Julian’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk. So, she’s buying something for me?
I had planned to ship the suit immediately after leaving the mall, but my message to Gary remained unanswered.
So, I brought it home.
Tossing the bag onto the sofa, I went upstairs to shower.
That afternoon, I began packing the rest of my belongings.
Only eight days left.
Standing in the middle of my bedroom, I looked around.
The house I had lived in for years.
Every item had been my choice. The curtains, the furniture, the paintings on the walls… even the nursery.
I had once imagined raising a child here. A future. A lifetime.
Now, I had to leave it all behind.
A wave of sadness crushed me.
While clearing out the bottom drawer of my study, my fingers brushed against an old USB drive.
Curious, I plugged it into my laptop.
Photos appeared on the screen.
Julian and me.
High school. College.
He had been so clean-cut back then. So handsome.
I stared at the images—laughing and crying at the same time.
For a moment, I felt like I had traveled back in time… back to when we were still us.
An overwhelming urge struck me.
I wanted to say goodbye.
Not to this Julian.
But to the Julian I had loved.
That evening, Julian unexpectedly came home for dinner.
I hadn’t cooked for him. I didn’t want to.
Instead, I pulled out a box of instant noodles—possibly expired for over a year.
Julian frowned. “What’s this?”
“Dinner.”
“…You expect me to eat this?”
I shrugged. “Go find your meals elsewhere, then. Isn’t that what you love? Other women. Other beds. Even the damn food.”
Julian stiffened.
Was she… kicking him out?
His previously good mood soured instantly. “Other wives make delicious dinners for their husbands. You’re giving me instant noodles?”
I almost laughed. The fact that I haven’t poisoned your food yet should qualify me for sainthood.
“I made tomato soup for myself,” I said instead. “If you want it, go ahead.”
Julian’s expression darkened. “You know I hate tomatoes.”
I slapped my forehead in mock realization. “Oh, right.”
His jaw clenched. Without another word, he stormed upstairs.
I enjoyed my tomato soup alone in the dining room, a comedy show playing in the background.
Upstairs, Julian sat in his study, brooding.
How could she be like this?
She had spent three hours picking out suits for him in broad daylight—so why was she being so cruel now?
Even though he hadn’t told her he’d be home for dinner, shouldn’t she have rushed to the market and made something decent?
And now… she didn’t even remember his preferences?
A darkness coiled in his chest.
Abruptly, he got up and walked toward the closet.
His gaze landed on the suit bag Olivia had brought home.
But something was… off.
His usual space remained untouched.
Then, his eyes flickered to the other side of the closet.
His steps slowed.
Something was wrong.
The closet.
Her side of it…
It looked emptied.
