Chapter 4

In the evening, William, drunk beyond measure, barged into the master bedroom.

My heart clenched, afraid that he would find the corpse in the bathroom.

"No! Don't, don’t let him see my body on my birthday, don’t be so cruel to him."

William swayed and collapsed onto the bed, sniffing the scent I left behind.

He mumbled quietly.

"One last time, today is my birthday, I’ll allow myself to ask for it one more time, you can’t blame me."

He got up, preparing to open the bathroom door.

I desperately tried to stop him, but it was in vain.

At this moment, Jessica entered the master bedroom and caught him.

"William, don't force Olivia, just rest for now."

She helped William back to the bed.

William looked at her with a gentle expression, as if recalling something, murmuring.

"She used to love me this much, even when I lived in the basement, she was always by my side."

I could hear the bitterness in his voice.

"Why is she so determined to leave me now?"

His eyes were filled with sorrowful tears, incoherently apologizing.

"Olivia, I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong? Is that why you want to leave me?"

William was like a child who had made a mistake, apologizing helplessly to everything.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me, will you smile at me one more time?"

His tears finally fell.

"Today is my birthday, don't you even want to fulfill this one wish?"

He knocked hard on the bathroom door that would never respond.

I apologized continuously, my heart aching, tears rolling down in big drops.

Nora kept whimpering in my chest, turning in circles.

"I'm sorry, if I had left earlier, would you not be suffering like this?"

The one who wanted you to be happy the most was me, but in the end, I had caused you so much pain.

In the face of his hysterical outburst, there was still silence from the inside of the door.

William stood outside the bathroom for a long time, silent.

Then he went downstairs to the kitchen and cooked a steak.

He knocked on the door and apologized.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you."

When there was still no response, he continued.

"I've just been a bit tired lately."

His voice faltered as if accustomed to my silence.

William placed the bowl at the bathroom door.

I watched him slowly sit down, leaning by the door.

"Is it because of Jessica?"

He spoke slowly.

"My marriage to Jessica was a political one. She pretended to be dead because she had someone she truly loved and wanted to escape from this prison-like marriage."

William spoke calmly.

"There was nothing between us. The only one I’ve ever loved is you."

But the only response to him was silence.

I sat beside William, tears streaming down my face.

Why did he wait until now to say these things?

Nora was wailing inside my heart.

I wanted to touch him, but I couldn't.

William no longer heard my hysterical cries.

"Fine, ignore me then. Don't hurt your body, your favorite steak is waiting, come and eat it soon."

He wiped the tears from his face, trying to calm down.

"Don't stay in the bathroom too long, I won’t come in... I won’t disturb you, the bathroom is cold, remember to go back to bed."

William gently closed the master bedroom door.