---- then carefully put the phone back like it was untouched. Her mind was in a mess. A short while later, Timothy emerged from the bathroom fully dressed. Just as he pulled his coat on, Madeline tugged on his hand and asked, "It's late at night. Where are you going?" He hesitated and paused just for a fraction of a second. Then, as if suddenly coming up with an excuse on the spot, he turned around and pressed a chaste kiss on Madeline's forehead, saying gently, ''Something really urgent just came up at the office, and I need to go there and take a look. "Go to bed first. Don't wait up for me." Then, Timothy walked out of the door without another backward glance. However, Madeline didn't feel like sleeping anymore after that. Around 2:00 am, about an hour after Timothy left, Madeline couldn't hold it in anymore and called him on the phone. Lacey was the one who answered the call." Timothy just went down to get medicine for me. If ---- you have a message for him, you can tell me and I'll forward it to him." Lacey's voice was saccharinely sweet. However, the sound of it felt like a knife that plunged straight into Madeline's heart. Just before the call ended, she heard Timothy's low, scratchy voice on the other end of the line. " Babe..." As if on instinct, Madeline hung up at once. But just a second later, she had already calmed down. Maybe it was because she had been hurt far too often in the past. She was already numb to the heartbreak that happened afterward. The only discomfort she felt was a stuffy feeling in her chest. She was upset that she'd been lied to and kept in the dark for such a long time. She'd wasted all of her youth and emotions on someone like him. Madeline was woken up by her usual daily alarm on her phone. Her pillow was soaked with tears. ---- Timothy only returned at night the next day. Madeline was having dinner when he came back. As soon as she'd heard the key turning in the lock, her first reaction was to get up and welcome him home. However, she quickly came back to her senses and stopped herself from doing it. In the past, every time Timothy came home from work, the first thing she would do was to run up to him and hug him tightly. But now, there was no need for that anymore. Timothy was a little surprised when Madeline didn't even acknowledge his return. "Why didn't you wait for me for dinner?" Madeline set down her fork and turned to look at him. He had changed into a new suit, and he smelled clean and fresh. She pretended as if nothing had happened as she got up to grab his plate and utensils. "I thought you wouldn't be coming back since you were so busy at the office," she said nonchalantly, without ahint of dissatisfaction in her voice. It was like she was calmly describing the weather.