---- Chapter 8 "Sweetheart, I'm home," Joshua called out. He didn't bother removing his shoes, rushing straight to the bedroom. "Sorry, | got held up in a meeting, and you..." His words trailed off as he flicked on the light. His smile froze. The bed was neatly made, the room empty. No sign of Kathleen. He searched every corner of the house, but found no trace of her. The breakfast he made that morning still sat on the table. Panic crept into Joshua's chest. He grabbed a charger, plugged in his phone, certain Kathleen was upset. But where could she have gone so late? His hands shook as he dialed her number. The line indicated she was busy. He called a dozen times, but no one answered. "Hey, Brennen, is Kathleen at the hospital?" he asked, wondering if she had collapsed again. Her health had been declining rapidly. "No, she was discharged yesterday, wasn't she? Is she unwell again?" Brennen replied. Brennen's words sank Joshua's heart further. If Kathleen wasn't at the hospital, where was she? ---- He hung up, suddenly recalling the previous day at her parents 'villa. She must have gone there after he didn't show up. Joshua drove, dialing her number repeatedly, but still no answer. He punched in the villa's gate code with growing anxiety. Whether from nerves or fear, he entered it wrong several times. Frustrated, he pounded on the door. "Sweetheart! | know you're in there. Open the door, let me explain," he shouted. "Kathleen, can you hear me?" His fear intensified. Once before, Kathleen had locked herself in the bathroom, refusing to open the door. When he broke in, he found her in a pool of blood. She was saved that time, but barely. He couldn't bear the thought of her giving up again. He slammed his shoulder against the door, desperate to get inside. When the door finally opened from within, his heart eased. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry I'm late, |..." His words halted. The person at the door was a stranger. "Who are you? Why are you in my house?" he demanded. The woman looked confused. "| should ask you that. Banging on my door in the middle of the night? That's disturbing." ---- Joshua glanced at the door, then inside, certain he wasn't mistaken. "This is my house. Since when is it yours? Where's Kathleen?" The woman's expression shifted at Kathleen's name, as if understanding dawned. "Oh, you know Kathleen? She sold this house to me. It's mine now." Joshua stood speechless, stunned. Kathleen sold the house? He had no idea. She only said she wanted to visit, not sell it. His heart skipped a beat. Did she know something? He frantically dialed her number again, met with the same busy tone. He sent a voice message, asking where she was, only to discover she had blocked him. Realization hit. This wasn't as simple as he thought. In all their years, Kathleen was never out of touch. Where could she be? Joshua drove aimlessly, searching. He realized, with a jolt, that besides the hospital, he couldn't think of anywhere she might go. By six in the morning, he dragged his exhausted body home. The breakfast from yesterday still sat on the table. He refused to believe Kathleen would leave like this. ---- He opened the closet, finding none of her clothes. Panic surged. He checked the bathroom. Her toiletries were gone. He tore through every corner of the house, finding nothing to prove she had ever been there. Slumping to the floor, lost, he noticed a ring on the shoe cabinet, glinting under a divorce agreement bearing Kathleen's signature.