Five days left. I went to see the fake death agency's preparation of my "corpse." I imagined how Joshua would react five days from now when he saw my lifeless body in the morgue. He'd probably be happy. Finally, get rid of me. He could live peacefully with Zafrielle, no longer burdened by my presence.

As I exited the building and waited for Shawn's car, I saw Joshua and Zafrielle drinking inside a bar across the street with a group of his fair-weather friends. Through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows across the road, Joshua suddenly lifted his head and locked eyes with me.

His friends noticed me, too. They exchanged a few words in hushed voices. Then, one of them stood up and walked toward me. It was Tommy, Joshua's old college friend. "Well, well, what a coincidence," he sneered. His eyes scanned me with ill-concealed malice, his tone slightly contemptuous. "Did you follow Joshua here on purpose? Pretending to run into him by accident?"

I ignored him and glanced at my watch.

"Come on, it's been a while, hasn't it? Gotta say, you've really matured. You've gotten sexier even. Now that you and Joshua are divorced, how about giving me a shot? I don't mind. To be honest, I've always liked you. You're way wilder than any of my exes." His words got filthier by the second and he actually reached out to grab my waist.

I quickly dodged, but he wasn't about to back off. When I looked up, I saw Joshua and Zafrielle watching the scene with amusement. Their lips curved into faint smiles, their eyes filled with detached amusement—like they were watching a circus act. "Get lost! Touch me again and I'll make you regret it!" I snapped, trying to shake him off.

However, Tommy's smile grew even more brazen. He tried to pull me into his arms, his other hand wandering over my body. "Bitch, stop pretending! We all know how slutty you are in private! How else could you have tricked Joshua?"

My blood boiled. I bit my lip hard and raised my hand to slap him with all my might. Unfortunately, before my arm could fall, he grabbed it. The disparity in strength between a man and a woman was painfully obvious at that moment.

Tommy leaned in close, his voice laced with mockery. "Come on, Evelyn, drop the act. You're not expecting Joshua to swoop in and save you, are you? Let me tell you something—he's the one who told me to mess with you. He's got his dream girl in his arms now. You? He couldn't care less."

Laughter erupted from the bar. Joshua raised his glass, took a slow sip and watched. At that moment, I meant less to him than to a stranger.

I felt a sense of disorientation, as if Joshua hugging another woman across the glass window was a completely different person from the one who used to cherish me. A wave of embarrassment and helplessness washed over me. Tommy's ugly face was about to come closer again, so a sleek Maybach pulled up to the curb.

Shawn stepped out, dressed in a long black trench coat. Without a word, he yanked me behind him and swung a brutal punch at Tommy. Punch after punch, Tommy's nose and mouth were bleeding. His face was now black and blue.

Joshua and his friends rushed over, but Shawn didn't glance at them. He pulled me into the car and sped off. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Joshua grabbing Tommy and saying something. I thought I saw him shove Tommy right before we turned the corner. It must've been my imagination. Even if they did argue, it had nothing to do with me.

It was the final day before I was to fake my death. The doctor called me again today. He said that Joshua, who had an appointment for a follow-up checkup, was nowhere to be found. I was packing my belongings, purging our home of every item that held memories of Joshua and me. My voice was as cold as ice as I spoke into the phone. "Dr. Carl, I'm sorry. I can't reach him either. You'll have to find another solution."

"Mrs. Sinclair, I know you're upset with your husband. But come on, no fight between a married couple lasts forever! Life is what truly matters! Mr. Sinclair barely survived that accident. Please, talk to him."

My throat tightened and Dr Carl continued before I could respond, "Oh and Mrs. Sinclair, the hospital has something that was recovered from Mr. Sinclair's car after the accident. You should come see it; I think it will help you understand how much he truly loves you."

He paused, then added, "He really does love you, you know."

After hanging up, I couldn't help but let out a cynical laugh. Joshua loved me? He had made it abundantly clear that his past affections were a facade.

The love he had shown me was meant for Zafrielle all along. It was my own shamelessness that had stood in the way of their genuine love. Despite my resentment, I decided to go to the hospital. I had already erased all traces of my past, even the things that once belonged to Evelyn. So, I needed to deal with whatever item Joshua had left behind at the hospital, which Dr. Carl mentioned.

I didn't want Joshua to have anything left to remember me by, not even after I was gone. If he never loved me, then there was no need to leave behind anything he could use to mourn me.

When I arrived at the hospital, Dr. Carl handed me a box before returning to his next task. Inside the box was a thick notebook. Its pages were filled with our memories, from the day we married five years ago until now. He had meticulously recorded my every like and dislike, casual remarks I had made, things I had wanted to do and the surprises he had carefully planned.

As I flipped through the pages, tears streamed down my face. It was the love that the past Joshua had shown me. After much hesitation, I couldn't bring myself to throw the notebook away. I was pathetic, clinging to the remnants of a love I knew to be false.

"Why are you here?" I never thought I would meet Joshua again with Zafrielle at the corner of the hospital corridor.

His eyes were hostile, as if I were some villain. I instinctively stepped back, my palms sweating as I gripped the notebook. "Don't worry, I'm not following you. I-I have a stomachache and came to get some medicine."

Joshua scoffed, "Hmph! You better not be!"

As I turned to leave, I couldn't resist glancing back at him. "I ran into Dr. Carl earlier. He couldn't reach you. You have a follow-up appointment today, don't forget."

"Stop trying to bother me! Evelyn, you're wasting your time! No matter how you pretend, I won't ever love you." Joshua's words were infuriating, but I suppressed the urge to argue with him. I reminded him that whether or not he went was his own decision.

"Wait." Zafrielle's voice stopped me.

I turned around, impatience evident in my expression. "What is it?"

She smiled innocently, pointing at the notebook in my hand. "Evelyn, what's that?"

"None of your business," I snapped, trying to act nonchalant.

Zafrielle tugged on Joshua's arm, swaying playfully. "Joshua, I think I've seen that before. Isn't it yours?"

Joshua followed her gaze, making me feel a surge of panic. Fortunately, she didn't dwell on it; he couldn't even bear to speak to me anymore. He casually put his arm around her, his voice filled with affection. "It's alright, Zafrielle. Let the past stay in the past. I'll make it up to you."

I turned and walked away, not wanting to spend another second in their presence. At the faked death agency, Shawn sat across from me. His face was worried as he saw the notebook lying on the table. I stared at the final confirmation paper, my emotions in turmoil.

"Evelyn, if you're having second thoughts, then … " Shawn started.

I looked up at him, my eyes filled with determination and signed my name on the contract. "It's okay, Shawn, I've made up my mind. I have one more request, though."

"What is it?"

"I want this notebook to be given to Joshua as my final memento after I 'die'." I had changed my mind; I wanted him to see how fake he had been. Our marriage wasn't one-sided and he had played a role just as cunning as mine.

Shawn studied me for a moment. He had no idea what was inside the notebook, but he eventually nodded. "Alright."

I smiled. Shawn had always been the same. He never turned me down, no matter what I asked. The agency staff began to call Joshua, informing him of my death. Evelyn was about to bid farewell to this world forever and Sierra's life was about to begin.