Chapter 1Time Goes On

My wife had just returned from a business trip to a high-risk dengue fever zone and was required to undergo a mandatory seven-day quarantine. I spent the entire night packing her clothes and personal belongings, rushing to deliver them to her designated quarantine hotel.

The front desk staff checked the registration list three times before looking up at me.

“Sir, your wife, Stella, isn’t on this list. She never registered for quarantine.”

I froze. Just as I was about to dial her number, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a black Maybach pulling up in front of a hotel across the street.

Stella stepped out, walked around to the passenger side, took a young man’s hand, and leaned in to kiss him the moment he got out. The young man pushed her away with a laugh, but she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

That boy was Finn, the boy Stella had raised. He was also the very person she had sent abroad three years ago, swearing she would never see him again.

I stood rooted to the spot, my blood running cold. Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my hand.

It was a text from Stella, with a photo of a plush hotel bed attached.

[Wait for me to come home, baby.]

Home? What home would we have now?

* * *

I walked into the hotel. The lobby was empty.

Standing at the front desk, I asked the staff member, “The man and woman who just walked in—what room are they in?”

The young man looked up at me, his eyes filled with wariness. “Sir, we can’t disclose guest information.”

I didn’t press any further. Instead, I walked over to the lounge area, sat down, and sent a message to Stella Wood’s assistant, Emma Benson.

[Did Stella not go into quarantine as soon as she landed?]

The reply came back instantly.

[Connor, Ms. Wood hasn’t been on a trip recently. She’s been in the country the entire time.]

As I read the message, tears welled up in my eyes.

[I saw her with Finn Allen.]

The other end fell silent for a few seconds before a long paragraph popped up.

[Connor, there are things I’ve been holding back for three years. Every time Ms. Wood went on a ‘business trip,’ it was to see Finn. He returned to the country seven days ago, and Ms. Wood has been with him the whole time. This time, she claimed she was in quarantine because she wanted an excuse to spend a few extra days with him…]

My fingers trembled as I gripped the phone.

So, for the past three years, those non-negotiable monthly business trips abroad were all so she could cross oceans just to see Finn Allen.

[Connor, I’m sorry. I thought you two had such a good relationship that Ms. Wood would eventually settle down.]

I stared at the words ‘settle down’ and recalled three years ago when Stella woke up in a hospital bed, her wrist wrapped in bandages and her eyes red as she grabbed my hand.

“Connor, I have no feelings for him. I’m sending him away, and I’ll never see him again. Please believe me.”

I turned off the phone. All I could hear at that moment was the sound of my heart shattering to pieces.

Just then, the elevator doors opened. Finn stepped out with his arm around Stella, and the two walked toward the hotel gift shop. Instinctively, I pulled my hat lower and tugged my mask up over my face.

Poking Finn’s chest, Stella said in a flirty tone, “It’s all your fault for having no restraint. I was already drenched before you realized we ran out of protection. I told you we could just do it without one, but you insisted on coming down to buy some.”

Finn chuckled and wrapped his arm more tightly around her shoulder before leaning in to kiss her forehead.

His voice was deep and firm. “We can’t. What if you get pregnant? I can never let you go through that kind of pain.”

Stella pouted coyly, tapping her fist lightly against his chest. “If I get pregnant, I’ll just have it! I don’t mind having your children!”

I froze. Suddenly, another memory flashed in my mind.

Three years ago, after that incident , Stella took the initiative with me. We weren’t married yet, and we were at her apartment.

Overcome by passion, I had held her tightly and murmured, “We don’t have protection… What if you get pregnant?”