When I woke up the next morning, Naomi was already making breakfast in the kitchen.

Peyton sat obediently at the dining table. When she saw me get up, she gave me a sweet smile. "Good morning, Daddy!"

Naomi poked her head out as well. "Honey, breakfast will be ready in just a minute. Sit down and wait."

The scene was so warm it almost made me think last night had been nothing but a dream. However, the very next moment, Naomi walked out carrying a plate, and my sharp eyes caught a faint red mark on her neck.

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach.

It was not a dream. She really had snuck out while I was sleeping to meet Avery again.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke. "I'm not very hungry. I'm heading out."

Without waiting another second, I left as quickly as if I were fleeing. I calmed myself down and drove to the funeral home to schedule a cremation for a week from now.

The staff member asked hesitantly, "Sir, are you making this appointment for a family member?"

I shook my head. "For myself."

A flash of sympathy crossed the staff member's face. They probably thought I had some terminal illness.

I continued, "I don't have any family, so I had to come myself. After the cremation, could you scatter my ashes in the ocean?"

I did not want any connection with Naomi and Peyton anymore, and I did not want them putting on a fake show of mourning at my grave. I wanted to disappear from their world completely.

After finishing the appointment, I headed to a nearby mall to get something to eat.

The moment I entered, I ran straight into Avery with his arm around Naomi's shoulders. They were looking at watches at a counter, and Peyton sat to the side clutching a giant stuffed animal.

The three of them looked like a happy family.

Peyton was restless by nature. As she looked around, she spotted me first, and panic flashed across her face instantly.

"Daddy..." she called out.

"What's wrong?" Avery responded instinctively, then looked at her. When he raised his head, he saw me too.

The atmosphere froze in an instant. Only then did Naomi belatedly look up and meet my cold gaze.

Naomi immediately shook Avery's hand off her shoulder and jogged over to me with a guilty smile. "Harry, don't misunderstand. I wanted to pick out a gift for you, but I didn't know what to get, so I asked my assistant to come help me choose."

I nodded noncommittally and glanced at Avery, whose face had gone pale.

He forced out a smile and quickly added his own explanation. "Yeah, Naomi asked me to come out and help pick a gift for you. Please don't get the wrong idea."

Peyton jumped down from her chair and clung to my leg, putting on her sweetest act.

"Daddy, it's really a misunderstanding! Believe me. Mommy brought me out to buy you a gift."

I almost laughed out loud. What a wonderful daughter Naomi had raised.

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Did you find something?"

Naomi immediately yanked the watch off Avery's wrist and held it up to me. "We picked this one. Do you like it?"

I gave a light laugh but did not take it. "I'm particular about cleanliness. I don't like things other people have used."

My words had a double meaning. Naomi's face went pale. She awkwardly returned the watch to the counter. "Then... should I help you pick something else?"

I shook my head faintly. "No need. You all keep browsing. I'm hungry. I'm going to grab something to eat."

Seeing that I was about to leave, Naomi grabbed my wrist. "Harry, let's eat together then."

In public, I did not want to make a scene. After a moment of silence, I nodded.

Right now, I really wanted to interview Naomi and ask what it felt like to have a meal with both her husband and her lover.

At the table, Naomi overcompensated. She kept piling food onto my plate and asking if everything tasted alright, leaving Avery sitting off to the side, visibly upset.

Avery's voice dripped with bitterness. "I'm so jealous you have such a wonderful wife and daughter."

I looked up at him. "You'll have them too."

Soon, they would all be his.

"I'm going to the restroom."

Avery thought I was provoking him. Looking wounded, he bit his lip, stood up, and walked out.

Seeing this, Naomi glanced at me hesitantly, then at his retreating figure, but ultimately did not choose to follow him.

A few minutes later, however, her phone started buzzing.

After rejecting the call twice, she finally could not hold back and said to me, "Harry, it's the screenwriter. I need to take this call."

I nodded, and she immediately grabbed her phone and rushed out.

Five minutes later, I said to Peyton, "Daddy's going to the restroom. Don't wander off."

I had just reached the emergency stairwell when I heard familiar voices coming from inside.

Avery asked with a sob in his voice, "Do you still love him?"

Naomi's voice came through, calm and cold. "Trust me. I only love you, Avery."

I clenched my fists, then let them fall limply to my side. I remembered when Naomi and I first got together, she had told me she would only ever love me.

How much of her love was ever real?

I eventually returned to the table, pretending nothing had happened.

About ten minutes later, Naomi and Avery came back one after the other.

This time, Avery wore an undisguised, triumphant smile on his face. It was like he was showing off.

I lowered my eyes and forced myself not to look at them anymore.

When the server brought out the last dish, their grip slipped, and scalding soup splashed toward Naomi.

Almost on instinct, I lunged forward to push her out of the way, but she shouted "Avery!" and shoved herself in front of him, pushing me.

The next second, a searing pain shot through my arm as the scalding soup spilled all over me.

"Harry!"

Naomi screamed belatedly. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to just now..."

Before I could respond, Peyton pointed at the blister on Avery's hand and shouted, "Avery's hurt! Look at that blister!"

The moment Naomi heard Avery was injured, she immediately forgot about my condition.

She grabbed his hand with concern. "I'll take you to the hospital!"

"Naomi..." I spoke through the pain.

Naomi cut me off, her face full of worry. "Avery's hurt. You should head home. I'll take him to the hospital."

With that, she hurried out of the restaurant with Avery and Peyton.

The restaurant manager arrived late, gasping when he saw the burn on my arm. "Sir, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? Let me get you some burn ointment!"

I shook my head. All I felt was the absurdity of it all.

This was the woman I had loved for ten years. In a moment of crisis, I thought of her, but she thought of another man.

I went to the hospital alone to treat my wound, then returned home. Unsurprisingly, Naomi and Peyton did not come back that night.

The next day, entertainment news exploded. Naomi and Avery had been photographed at the hospital behaving intimately, and public opinion went wild.

Naomi panicked. When she and Peyton rushed home, they found me changing the bandage on my wound. Guilt washed over her face.

She walked over to examine my injury. "I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't know you were hurt too..."

I pulled down my sleeve and said indifferently, "It's fine."

Her eyes flickered. She bit her lip and continued, "There's nothing between Avery and me. The reporters just made it all up..."

Peyton tugged at my sleeve. "Daddy, believe Mommy. She's not lying to you."

I curved my lips into something between a smile and a smirk. "Of course I believe you."

To avoid suspicion and out of guilt toward me, Naomi stopped working for the past few days and stopped seeing Avery.

Unexpectedly, just as I was about to leave, she suddenly transformed back into the sweet, devoted woman she had been when we first got together. Every day she stayed home and made desserts for Peyton and me.

Except...

I spat out the first bite.

Peyton wrinkled her nose. "Mommy, you put in too much sugar!"

I watched Naomi's embarrassed smile and set down my spoon indifferently. "It's fine. Thanks for the effort."

Her mind was still on Avery, so of course she was distracted while baking.

On the third day of the countdown, Naomi asked me to attend Sunday's press conference with her to help clear up her relationship with Avery.

I readily agreed.

After Avery failed to meet with Naomi several times, he turned his attention to me. So on the second to last day, I received an anonymous email.

Inside were intimate photos and videos of Naomi and Avery. I looked through them one by one until I reached the last one.

The three of them were on a Ferris wheel at an amusement park. Under a sky full of fireworks, my wife said to him, "Honey, I love you."

My daughter laughed and threw herself into his arms. "Daddy, I'm so glad I have you!"

I thought I heard something shatter. I had already decided to let go, to leave, but my chest tightened until I could barely breathe.

Then a phone call came through. I pressed the record button and answered.

"Mr. Gatlin, Naomi loves me. If you have any sense, you'll leave her and let us be together."

It was Avery, unable to wait any longer.

My voice came out hoarse. "So you're admitting you're the other man?"

Avery replied arrogantly, "So what if I am? Even if you're Naomi's husband, her heart belongs to me. We're truly in love."

I hung up, packaged the audio file along with all the photos and videos from the email, and sent everything to the biggest entertainment gossip reporter in the country.

"Sunday afternoon. Please release it on time."

Sunday arrived quickly. It was the day of the press conference and also my last day.

Naomi got dressed early and waited for me in the living room with Peyton. I made an excuse about not feeling well and told them to go to the venue ahead of me. Though she hesitated, there was no time left, so she had no choice but to do as I said.

As she reached the door, I watched her figure as she left, and a mix of emotions stirred in my chest.

This woman who had been by my side for ten years… To say I felt nothing for her anymore was impossible.

I could not stop myself from calling her name. "Naomi."

She turned back with a smile. "Honey, what is it?"

Honey...

The image of her calling Avery honey flashed through my mind instantly.

I clenched my fists, shook my head, and gave her a gentle smile. "It’s nothing. Drive safe."

Her eyes crinkled at the corners. "Okay. See you soon."

Peyton waved at me too. "Daddy, come quick, okay?"

I nodded and watched them leave. We would never see each other again.

The scheduled courier arrived on time, and I sent all the packed boxes to Avery.

On the shipping label, I left a note. "My wife and daughter are yours now too."

Afterward, I went to the backyard and burned everything I had left in one clean fire.

When I finished, I sat down on the couch, closed my eyes, and called out to the system.

"System, take me away."

A flash of white light passed, and I felt my soul rise into the air.

Looking down at the body on the bed, lips curved in a faint smile, no longer breathing, I suddenly felt lighter.

I was finally free.