A Late Promise

When I returned to the apartment, the place was completely dark.

As expected, Derrick was not home. By now, I was already used to it.

I began packing up my father's belongings along with my own.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated.

A friend had sent me a news link. It was about Derrick having reserved the entire restaurant to celebrate Jessica's birthday.

In the photos, the two of them raised their glasses together, smiling brightly.

Calmly, I closed the page.

…

Just as I finished packing and was about to leave, the sound of the door lock turning echoed through the apartment.

Derrick stood in the entryway.

The moment his eyes landed on the suitcase by my feet, his voice tightened. "Are you leaving?"

"I'm going to stay at the hospital for a few days to take care of my father," I answered softly.

When Derrick heard my words, his gaze flickered, and his tone suddenly softened. "I've already contacted the specialists. We'll have Dad properly examined when the time comes."

Then, he pulled out a long box from his bag and opened it. "The custom hearing aid is ready. You can bring it to him tonight."

I froze in surprise.

Last year, on my father's birthday, Derrick had noticed him struggling to hear the television clearly. Back then, he had sworn he would get my father the best hearing aid available.

At the time, my father had smiled like a child and said he had never worn anything so expensive in his life.

Now, my father would never get the chance to wear it.

I gently pushed the box back toward him and said, "You can just give it to him the next time you visit him."

Hearing my words, Derrick frowned deeply.

After all, if this had been the past, I would have been so touched that I would have thrown myself into his arms.

Now, my coldness had left him completely lost.

Derrick gripped my shoulder and said in a trembling tone, "You're blaming me for not visiting Dad—"

At that moment, Jessica walked in.

She picked up the bracelet from the table and slipped it onto her wrist. "Derrick, this bracelet is so pretty. Can you give it to me?"

He had bought that bracelet for me.

"Take it off. That belongs to someone else." He removed it from her wrist and handed it back to me before quickly explaining, "Jessica didn't know it was yours. She just genuinely liked it. Please don't be mad."

His eyes stayed fixed on me, as if waiting for me to get upset and lash out at him.

Instead, I smiled and handed the bracelet back to Jessica. "If you like it, keep it. It's inconvenient for me to wear it while staying at the hospital with my father," I said.

Derrick stared at me in shock.

She happily snatched the bracelet away and immediately put it back on, deliberately waving her wrist in front of me as if showing off.

As I reached the doorway, Derrick hurried after me and blocked my path. The struggle in his eyes was impossible to miss.

Behind him, Jessica stomped her foot impatiently. "Derrick, didn't you promise to go shopping with me?"

In the end, he stepped aside with visible defeat and let me leave.

"Tomorrow," he said quietly, "I'll definitely stay at the hospital with you."

Five Million

Dragging my suitcase behind me, I returned to my old house.

My father had lived here his entire life. Every corner carried traces of his memory.

Tears fell heavily down my face as I looked around.

On the living room wall hung a family photo of us. Derrick had his arm around my father's shoulders, smiling brightly.

On the coffee table sat the cheap lighter Derrick had once given him, preserved carefully beneath a glass cover as though it were some priceless treasure.

The refrigerator was always stocked with the milk I loved and the soda Derrick liked, while my father himself drank nothing but plain water.

What hurt the most was the toolbox in the corner. It was filled with every worn-out tool my father had used while hauling freight.

To help Derrick repay his debts and make sure I could marry happily, my father had even refused to buy himself a new set of tools.

If he had been willing to spend the money, maybe the accident would never have happened.

Like a madwoman, I tore apart every photograph that included Derrick and smashed the ridiculous glass display case.

However, when my eyes landed on the newest photo hanging on the wall, my anguished screaming stopped abruptly.

In the picture, my father was wearing the baseball cap Derrick had gifted him, smiling like a child.

I couldn't bring myself to tear this one apart.

Instead, I took it down carefully and tucked it into the very bottom of my suitcase before heading back to the club to return the company laptop.

The moment I arrived, I saw Jessica casually playing with the small mechanical parts on my desk. People surrounded her, and the whispers instantly quieted when I appeared.

I assumed they were all waiting to see whether I would fight Jessica.

After all, everyone loved watching drama unfold.

Jessica lifted the bracelet in front of me, then tossed a bank card onto the floor at my feet. "Here is five million. I want you to leave this place immediately and never see Derrick again."

She looked at me arrogantly, but I merely bent down and picked up the card, then replied calmly, "Deal."

No one had expected me to pick up the card.

The looks they gave me were filled with contempt.

After all, the position of Mrs. Waterson was worth far more than five million.

Ignoring their murmurs, I quietly packed up my belongings and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, Derrick appeared. The moment he noticed I wasn't wearing my uniform, his expression stiffened. "What are you doing?"

Before I could answer, Jessica spoke first. "She's leaving."

Derrick's gaze turned cold as he looked at me. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

I raised the bank card slightly and waved it in front of him. "Five million. Your fiancee paid me to disappear."

Shock flashed across Derrick's face. Then, he turned toward Jessica with a questioning look.

Jessica lifted her chin proudly and replied, "That's right. I gave it to her."

He fell silent with a darkened expression. Still, he didn't reprimand Jessica for what she had done.

I ignored him and turned to leave.

Then, right in front of everyone, Derrick suddenly grabbed Jessica by the throat, fury exploding from him. "Who told you to make decisions on your own?"

By the time I walked out of the building, my phone was vibrating nonstop. One message after another from Derrick flooded the screen.

'Millie, the specialists are arriving tonight. We can check on Dad immediately.'

'I told you I'd stay with you tonight. From now on, I'll never be late again.'

'I want to have a proper meal with you and Dad together.'

I wiped away the tears at the corners of my eyes and took a deep breath.

'Derrick, there is no "from now on" anymore,' I thought to myself.

Holding my father's memorial portrait tightly in my arms, I boarded a flight overseas.

Before boarding, Derrick called me over and over again. When I refused to answer, he sent message after message instead.

'Millie, why is the hospital room empty? Did Dad transfer hospitals?'

'Why didn't you tell me? Which hospital is he in now? I'll bring the specialists there immediately.'

'Answer the phone! Millie, did Dad…'