Chapter 3 Author: Scarlett Flame The sleeping pills wore off in the middle of the night, and the pain woke me up. That was when I realized that Elton had come home. He hadn't been home in a long time. He had purchased a villa for Yvette, where they lived together like a typical married couple. Elton leaned against the floor-to-ceiling window, a wine glass in his hand, and looked at me with a tenderness that I hadn't seen in a long time. As I walked past him in search of some painkillers, Elton suddenly grabbed my hand and asked, "Hedy, why have you lost so much weight recently?" His tone was full of concern, as if he still loved me. But I refused to believe it, especially since he seemed to have just come from another woman's bed. I pulled my hand away and replied with disgust, "That's none of your business." Elton was abruptly shaken off, and his expression turned cold in an instant. When I entered the living room, I saw a cake with lit candles on the table. That was when I realized that the phone call had been real. I had mentioned my craving for cake, and that very night, Elton went out to get one. I couldn't help but wonder if this was his attempt to atone for forgetting my birthday. But I was dying. I didn't need cake, and I certainly didn't need Elton anymore. I didn't spare the cake a second glance. Elton frowned and grabbed my hand. "Hedy, are you messing with me? Or are you mad that I forgot your birthday? I didn't actually forget. I just-" He tried to explain that work had kept him busy and that he'd planned to be with me after wrapping things up. However, I cut him off harshly, "That's right. I'm messing with you. So what? You're pathetic. I said I wanted cake, and you ran out to buy it. You're just as pathetic as you've always been!"