“This is the end.”
She hadn’t hinted at anything, but Shawn knew this was a message directed at him. When she’d typed that period, she’d also ended their long–running relationship.
The rest of the day passed in a blur for him. As night fell, the warm and cozy villa turned into a cold structure. Lying on the bed, he felt nothing but emptiness. It was a horrible feeling.
His phone lit up several times where it lay by his pillow. Jessica had texted him, asking him to meet her outside. He didn’t even bother reading the messages, though..
Shawn lay in bed until midnight, unable to sleep, so he turned on the bedside lamp and gave up trying. Then, he moved to Noelle’s side of the bed, trying in vain to feel the last of her warmth.
She would’ve slept there last night, right?
Chapter 11
He lay there, trying to recall the last time they’d shared a bed. His heart was colder than his body–silk sheets were soft and smooth, but they took much longer to warm compared to
cotton.
Years ago, when he and Noelle had just graduated and had yet to start chasing such luxuries, they’d held each other every night to keep warm
Suddenly, Shawn missed Noelle desperately. His heart hurt like hell. It felt like someone had clenched a fist around it.
He was finally pulled out of his thoughts when his alarm rang. He couldn’t lie there anymore. He suddenly thought of the one thing Noelle had left for him–the exquisite jewelry box. He ran to the dressing table and picked it up.
It was small–just the right size to fit on his palm. When he opened it, he saw that the item inside was an oddly–shaped piece of silver instead of some exquisite jewelry.
Initially, Shawn didn’t understand it. Why had Noelle given him this?
He absentmindedly rubbed his wedding band. It was the one he’d made himself. Then, the realization hit him like a bolt of lightning.
This piece of silver… It was Noelle’s wedding ring! She’d melted it!
There was no greater sorrow than a heart that had lost hope, and Shawn finally accepted reality. Noelle hadn’t run away from home, nor had she left due to a tem,
She wasn’t ever coming back.
tantrum.
Shawn lost the mood to do anything else. He drove to the police station and cried, “I want to make a police report! My wife has gone missing, and it’s likely she’s going to take her own life!
Noelle was an adult, free to go wherever she wanted. No one could control her. If he wanted to make a police report and find her, he needed to have a proper excuse. Otherwise, the police. would only turn him away.
Thanks to his excuse, the police immediately started searching for her with him until the sky turned bright. However, they found nothing.
A female police officer asked, “Did you and your wife get into any fights recently?”
Shawn stammered, “N–No. We’ve always gotten along well.”
The police officer had seen enough to know that he was hiding something. She said, “If you’re serious about finding your wife, you’d better be honest with us. Otherwise, we–won’t be able to help.”
“I… I had a mistress. I think my wife found out.” Shawn’s face burned.
Chapter 12