4
45%
At the hospital, Caleb frowned at his phone. Again, Lily had hung up on him. He knew he’d neglected Lily a bit lately because of Seraphina. But she was his wife; she should be understanding.
Seraphina noticed his distraction and pouted. He tried to calm his inner irritation, anxiously telling the doctor, “Seraphina isn’t well, please give her the best treatment plan.”
The doctor looked at him oddly. “Not well? Her physique couldn’t be healthier!”
Caleb froze. Seraphina immediately clutched her head, groaning, “Caleb, my head hurts so much…”
Caleb panicked. “Seraphina, let me help you to rest.”
Despite his inner doubts, Caleb patiently settled Seraphina. He suddenly felt like the doctor from earlier looked familiar. It was the doctor who had performed Lily’s C–section. He wanted to ask the doctor about Seraphina’s condition, but outside the door, he overheard the doctor talking to a nurse.
“That Lily is truly pitiful. She almost died on the operating table, and her husband is so concerned about another woman-”
“What woman? They’re not even married! If it weren’t for that man wasting time, the baby might not have died!”
“What an animal! I saw a glimpse; the baby was so small.”
*Buzz*.
It was like a bolt of lightning struck Caleb’s mind. He rushed forward, grabbing the doctor’s collar. “What died? Who died, you said?”
The doctor’s face also turned grim. “What are you pretending about? It’s been cremated for days! Where were you when it happened?”
Caleb, looking utterly distraught, was pulled away by several people. “Impossible… You’re kidding.” He fumbled for his phone, trying to call Lily to clarify. All he got was the automated
21:33 Thu, 12 Jun
message, “The number you have dialed is currently switched off
*Slam*.
Caleb smashed his phone to pieces. He knew he was losing control, but he couldn’t ren in his emotions. *Impossible… This doctor must be playing a cruel joke because he saw me with Seraphina.*
*The baby… His and Lily’s baby, how could anything happen to ? Lily hadn’t seemed abnormal at all these past few days!*
Even as he tried to convince himself, Caleb’s heart pounded faster and faster. Only one thought remained in his mind: find Lily and get to the bottom of it!
But Seraphina pouted and blocked him. “Caleb, I still don’t feel well. Can you give me a massage?”
Caleb forced down his impatience. “I have an emergency. Go find the doctor
Seraphina immediately put on a tearful, delicate facade. In the past, seeing her like this would have softened Caleb’s heart immediately. But now, he violently pushed Seraphina
away.
“I told you I have an emergency! Get out of my way!”
Seraphina hit the floor with a thud and didn’t get up for a long time. But Caleb didn’t spare her a single glance. Seraphina, enraged, tore at her hair and shrieked hysterically, “Lity! What kind of spell have you cast on Caleb?!”
Caleb sped off, running dozens of red lights. A thirty–minute drive took him ten. The passing drivers cursed up a storm, but he barely registered it.
Finally, back at the villa, Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. Lily must be waiting for him at home. Maybe she went to her parents‘ place for a few days and brought the baby home too.
With such expectations, Caleb pushed open the villa door, anxious and hopeful. But he froze.
When had the house become so empty?
21:33 Thu, 12 Jun B
<
Half the shoe cabinet and wardrobe were bare. The vanity was unsettlingly empty. The shelves that once held the limited edition collectibles he’d waited in line for Lily were gone. Even more unsettling to Caleb was the good luck charm that had always hung above the bedroom headboard; it had vanished.
He remembered Lily, cradling her slightly bulging belly, her eyes filled with anticipation. “With its protection, the baby will definitely be healthy.”
It wasn’t until he pushed open the long–sealed nursery door that Caleb collapsed to the floor. The room Lily had so painstakingly decorated now looked like a mere storage room.
He finally confirmed a harsh truth: Lily had disappeared from his life without a word.
