5
Initially, Caleb was filled with indignation. *It couldn’t be, could it?* He had clearly told Lily that he only saw Seraphina as a sister.
But as he stomped out countless cigarette butts on the floor, a masked dread began to consume his mind. He suddenly realized that in his memories, Lily had never made such a big deal. Whenever they argued, as long as he expressed a little dissatisfaction and then let it cool for a while, Lily was always the one to soften first and back down. She never just disappeared without a word, like this.
*Perhaps he really went too far this time, and she’s just expressing her anger
dramatically.*
He lit another cigarette. *If that’s the case, then this time, it’ll be my turn to back down.*
As he prepared to get up, Caleb suddenly noticed an envelope on the coffee table. The
sender’s name made him stop. *Lily sent him a letter? Looking at the date, it was
yesterday.* Was it an accusation of his misdeeds, or an explanation for why she left?
Forcing down his excited thoughts, Caleb’s hands trembled as he tore open the envelope.
The next second, his eyes were wide with horror.
The words “Cremation Notification” almost stole his breath. For a few seconds, he thought he couldn’t read English. But Lily’s graceful handwriting hammered the truth into him, over and over again. The doctor had been telling the truth!
21:33 Thu, 12 Jun
<
Looking at the printed date, he vaguely recalled that day–he had been celebrating Seraphina’s birthday. But on that same day, he and Lily had lost their child. His heart felt as if a large hand had gripped it, a piercing pain. Caleb couldn’t even begin to imagine how much more pain Lily, who had faced this reality earlier than him, must have endured.
He suddenly hesitated to look at the next document. What would it be? Photos of the
baby’s cremation? Lily’s accusations against him? He thought he had prepared himself adequately. But when he actually saw that black and white photocopy, he couldn’t stop his
entire body from trembling.
Lily was his wife, how could she have married another man? But the stark black and
white on the paper reminded Caleb that this was indeed a marriage certificate.
The Lily in the marriage certificate photo was not wearing makeup and looked incredibly gaunt. The handsome man next to her, however, couldn’t hide the boundless joy in his eyes.
Caleb violently stood up, clenching the paper in both hands until it was crumpled and distorted. *Impossible! Lily must have found something out, and she’s mad that I left her alone in the hospital, so she got a fake marriage certificate to spite me!* He vehemently refused to believe that Lily would marry another man. *That must be it! She’s angry at him!*
He stumbled out, driving towards Lily’s parents‘ house. He rushed up six flights of stairs and frantically knocked on the door.
“Mom, Dad! Is Lily home?! I’m here to take her home!”
Lily’s furious parents kicked him out. Her mother grabbed a broom and beat Caleb over the head, “How dare you show your face! My daughter almost died because of you!” Her father didn’t resort to violence, but his tone was just as hostile. “Get out! My daughter is already married to someone else. She has nothing to do with you anymore!”
Caleb didn’t resist, but at those words, he couldn’t hold back. “Dad, don’t provoke me like this. I know I went too far, and I understand how Lily felt when she found the fake marriage
certificate.”
“Fake certificate?” Lily’s father was full of mockery. “Is it fake? Go check the system yourself, you’ll know. After all, you can’t hide something like that from the system.””
Lily’s father’s words were like a massive boulder crashing onto Caleb’s heart, yet he still
44
clung to a last shred of hope.
Caleb sat in his car, dazed, waiting. He had asked his assistant to check the system for Lily’s marriage information. He was desperate to confirm the truth, yet he also felt terrified. He even impatiently hung up on Seraphina’s persistent calls.
But she kept calling, relentlessly. Finally, he answered, annoyed. Seraphina’s voice was tearful. “Caleb! My water broke! Please, come quickly!”
“That’s your problem, not mine.”
Seraphina’s voice rose in disbelief. “Caleb! Have you forgotten that you’re my husband?”
Those words were the final straw that broke Caleb. “Get lost! If you hadn’t forced me to marry you, how could I have made Lily angry?! And how could I have caused the death of my own child!*
He hung up without mercy. Just then, a message from his assistant popped up.
“Lily is officially married.”
