I ended the telepathic call, but the high priestess's excited voice still echoed in my ears.

My mind wandered back to the promises Luci had once made to me.

"I never thought there'd be a goddess living in the forest, let alone one as beautiful and enchanting as you. Will you leave the forest and come with me to the human world?"

"I'll make you the happiest woman on earth."

"Don't worry. You've given up your life as a witch and left the forest for me. I'll love only you for the rest of my life. I'll never betray you, never leave you."

The man was still the same man, but his promises had become unrecognizable, warped beyond recognition.

Once, I couldn't bear to part with him. I gave up the divine position of the high priestess and all the medical knowledge that came with it. But now, what was left for me to hold on to?

It was time to leave.

The high priestess and I had agreed to meet in half a month. That meant I had only half a month left with Luci in this lifetime.

I wasn't sure how long they stayed in the bedroom. When Luci finally emerged, he moved with deliberate caution, as though guilt had hollowed him out. His instinct was to reach out and hold me.

But the sweat from his exertions still clung to his body, mingling with the scent of another woman.

I forced down the nausea rising in my throat, stepping away without making a scene.

"Mable, what's wrong?"

Luci used to say I reminded him of an unearthly being untouched by the world, a celestial spirit from the mountains. He would cling to me as if I might vanish at any moment.

But after I lost my sight, and after Jasmine appeared, he stopped saying things like that.

Now his hands gripped my waist tightly, pinning me in place.

"Mable, you look pale, and your clothes are damp. Did you catch a cold in the rain?"

With a tenderness that made my stomach churn, he grabbed a warm towel and began drying my hair. His movements were gentle, his eyes filled with what looked like genuine concern.

How was this the same man who, moments ago, had been pressing another woman beneath him, drawing ragged gasps from her lips?

The high priestess had been right—some men lie so seamlessly that the truth seems to vanish in their presence. Their deceit is a craft, perfected to the point that their true selves emerge only when it's too late.

Perhaps I never truly understood human love. And now, I no longer wanted to. I had been hurt too deeply, and there was no turning back.

Suppressing my grief, I furrowed my brow and said quietly, "My stomach doesn't feel well. Don't touch me."

Luci frowned, concern etched into his features. "I'm the one who loves you most. How could I not care for you? I've been so busy with work lately that I haven't spent enough time with you. But your birthday's coming up, and I've planned a surprise for you."

By day, he was the cold, ruthless CEO, wielding power with an iron hand. But before me, he was always soft, always obedient.

I thought I was the only one who knew this side of him.

I hadn't realized he could be just as devoted, just as indulgent, to another woman in the dead of night.

After tidying the bedroom, he led me inside and gently coaxed me to sleep, his voice soothing, his touch tender. He treated me like a child, pampering me endlessly.

Even if it cost a fortune, he would spare no expense just to see me smile.

And then, the sound of the door.

"Is she asleep yet? Hurry up. I still need you to give me a hard massage. Now!"

"I'm coming, you insatiable little fox. What's the rush…"

So, his tenderness was just a prelude to going back to her?

How could he be so heartless, so cruel to me? What had I ever done to deserve this?

Taking advantage of my blindness, he crushed my dignity and my feelings underfoot, grinding them into the dirt and spitting on the pieces.

Tears spilled down my cheeks.

I kept telling myself it was okay. It would all be over soon. I just needed to endure a little longer.

When I woke up again, a glass of warm milk had been placed on the bedside table.

"I took the day off just to spend it with you," Luci said casually, his body draped in a bathrobe, covered in a dense pattern of kiss marks.

I turned my face away, unwilling to look.

He fastened my favorite necklace around my neck, his voice soft and coaxing. "I've made a reservation tonight at your favorite restaurant. It's by the sea, with the best ocean view you love."

But I couldn't see anymore. What good was an ocean view to me now?

Suddenly, I remembered. Jasmine grew up by the sea.

Of course. He'd managed to hide living together with her from me—why wouldn't tonight's dinner include her as well?

I smiled bitterly. Luci mistook it for happiness and kissed me immediately.

That evening, the restaurant had been booked out entirely by him.

He even invited the band Jasmine liked and arranged for a drone light show.

I ate the food, which wasn't to my taste, while catching glimpses of his arm, which wouldn't stop moving.

Under the table, his hand had slipped beneath Jasmine's skirt.

"Mm... ah... stop it... not here..." she murmured, biting her lower lip, her voice teasingly low.

With his other hand, he kept a firm grip on mine.

"Mable, I love you," he murmured, his voice tinged with restrained desire.

Overcome with jealousy, Jasmine kissed him directly, forcing him to let go of my hand.

Her cheeks flushed deeply, and Luci was barely holding himself back.

After wishing me a happy birthday and professing his love, he turned and kissed Jasmine with an intensity that made me look away.

The musicians exchanged awkward glances, whispering among themselves, their expressions a mix of disdain and pity.

"Her own husband's being kissed by another woman, and she can still sit there eating?"

"I heard she's blind and has hearing problems too. She needs a hearing aid to communicate. No wonder her husband cheats—she's just a cripple."

The words stung.

Years ago, it was at this very restaurant where Luci proposed to me.

Even the band playing tonight was the same one from back then.

A shadow passed over my face, and Luci noticed immediately.

Gently pushing Jasmine aside, he asked, "What's wrong?"

But within seconds, Jasmine retaliated, clawing at him with mock frustration.

"I want your love and your body! Everything you did for her, you need to do for me now!

"I'm your woman now! She's useless—why do you still treat her like a treasure? What does she have that I don't?"

A single tear slipped from Luci's eye.

Was it sympathy for me? Or a crocodile tear meant to cover his guilt?

No, if he truly loved me, how could he do this?

Outside the restaurant window, drones lit up the night sky in dazzling patterns, spelling out his name intertwined with Jasmine's.

What was supposed to be my birthday dinner had turned into their announcement of love.

I was the extra piece, unnecessary and forgotten.

How laughable. How cruel.

"Mable, I accidentally got some oil on my collar. I'll go clean it up in the restroom. Wait for me," he said.

His collar was spotless, except for the small tears where Jasmine had ripped it apart.

They left, their urgency uncontainable, slipping into the private room next door.

Soon after, the muffled sounds of their passion drifted through the thin walls.

When I was left standing there, all alone, I felt the weight of the band's silent judgment pressing down on me.

"To end up like this as a woman—what a failure."

"Absolutely pathetic and useless."

I had once been revered as the Forest Witch, a healer of all things in the woods. Outsiders had treated me with awe, bowing for nine hundred and ninety-nine days outside the forest just for a glimpse of me. And yet now, here I was, surrounded by disdain, looked down upon by these very same people.

Gripping the knife and fork in my hand, I drove them hard into the flesh of the meat on my plate. If Luci claimed he couldn't live without me, then I would make sure he'd lose me forever.

I stood up, adjusted my clothes, and walked to the door of the private room. Peering through the narrow crack, I saw them entwined, their bodies glistening in the dim light.

Jasmine's flushed expression resembled a rose damp with dew, seductive and captivating.

"Hold me tighter. Yes, like that… harder..."

"Ah... Jasmine, I love you so much…"

My hand flew to my mouth, stifling a sob that clawed its way up my throat. My chest tightened as the metallic bitterness of grief filled my mouth.

Slowly, I raised my phone and captured the scene in its entirety.

After their passion subsided, Luci lay back, satisfied, resting on her.

I placed the gift box I had prepared long ago on the table and left a note beside it.

The note read: I prepared this gift for you.

He would surely be thrilled when he opened it.

Having done everything, I walked away from the restaurant without a backward glance.

The streets outside were cold and empty, the moonlight stretching my shadow long and thin—isolated, desolate.

I remembered the time when Luci had knelt before me, sobbing and begging me to leave with him.

"The moment I saw you, I fell helplessly in love. If I can't have you, my life will be nothing but suffering!

"Aren't you witches meant to save all living things in this world? What about me?

"Don't ever leave me. If you go, I won't survive."

Why had he been so devoted back then? He'd stayed by my side constantly, treating me like some kind of goddess to be worshipped, cherished, and adored.

People used to say the ruthless tycoon Luci had become utterly enthralled by a woman, so much so that everyone wanted to know who I was, what kind of person could capture him like that.

But now, looking back, I realized his feelings weren't about love. He was a businessman, a man who pursued what he wanted at all costs. Love had nothing to do with it—it was just his nature.

I thought about how I had lost my hearing and my sight while saving him from his enemies, how he had stayed by my side day and night during my recovery. He'd grown gaunt, fainted multiple times from exhaustion, yet refused to leave, fearing that his absence would mean my end.

"You have to live. If you die, I won't be able to go on either!"

That proud, arrogant man had humbled himself for me.

I still remembered all those moments, but now they felt so distant, so meaningless. He had been the one to pursue me, and he was also the one to abandon me for someone new.

The gift I left for Luci was what he valued most. My farewell letter.

When he came out, dressed hastily, he found I was gone. Only the gift box remained on the table.

Hearing it was something I'd prepared especially for him, he was overjoyed, like a child, and eagerly opened it.

But the moment he saw what was inside, his face went pale, his pupils dilating in shock.

"Baby, what's wrong? Come back to me…" Jasmine sauntered over to him, seeking affection as usual.

She didn't expect to be met with a resounding slap.

"Get lost! Who do you think you are? You're just a toy for my amusement. Did you really think you were anything more?"

Luci's eyes burned red as he grabbed her by the throat.

"If I can't bring Mable back, I'll kill you first!"

"You…" Jasmine was too stunned to speak, her back colliding violently with the corner of the wall. The sharp pain rendered her breathless, cold sweat streaming down her neck.

Usually, Luci would have crouched down to console her, but this time, he didn't even spare her a glance.

"Where's the driver? Get over here!" he roared, his voice echoing like a beast's feral growl. The hallway, eerily quiet, amplified the sound of his heavy, frantic footsteps. It made everyone's heart skip.

To outsiders, Luci was a volatile, temperamental man, and now, his towering rage sent everyone cowering in fear. No one dared to ask what had triggered such fury.

The paper from the gift box fluttered softly to the ground, landing in Jasmine's trembling hands.

Scrawled on it were just a few words:

I have returned to the Misty Forest. You will never see me again. Forget about me.

It was signed, Mable Caesar.