Chapter 4Gone but Never Guilty

Jaxson gasped sharply. He recognized it. Years ago, when we were crammed into a drafty rental, when a single pack of instant noodles had to be stretched into three meals, he'd still managed to save enough for a diamond ring. The day he put the ring on my finger, he watched me admire it happily, a smile tinged with a hint of pain. "We might have nothing now, but I promise I'll give you a good life someday." Back then, I'd hugged him and kissed him fiercely. "I know, my amazing forensic pathologist husband!"

I let out a bitter laugh—he probably never imagined that the woman who promised to stick by him through thick and thin would leave him with a newborn daughter and vanish, leaving him to work and raise a child alone, wearing himself out so much he ended up in the hospital multiple times. But Jaxson, I had no choice...

He carefully removed the ring, holding it between his thumb and forefinger, rotating it under the light, examining it closely. The more he looked, the graver his expression became. It was a design he'd spent half a year choosing; how could he forget it? Quickly taking off his gear, he pulled out his phone with trembling hands and opened his contacts. But my contact information had long been deleted. He took a deep breath, then accurately dialed my old number on the keypad.

It connected.