Vera had a photographic memory. There was no way she could have forgotten what he’d told her.

Unless, in her heart, Caden and their child were more important than him.

He was already so disappointed in her, but his heart still felt like it had been run through with a sword.

The pain was raw, bleeding.

It took him a long moment to force the words from his dry throat. "I can't save it."

Vera’s brow tightened. "How do you know if you don't even try? Kaelen, think of it as accumulating good fortune. Or just do a reading, see if it's possible."

She looked at him with an intensity that said she wouldn't back down.

Kaelen suddenly felt a sense of release. Fine. Let this be the final payment for the love debt of the past few years. He raised his cold fingers and began to divine.

In just a minute, the hexagram formed.

Kun. The Quagmire.

A sign of endless troubles, immense danger, and no solution.

The dull ache in his abdomen returned. "There is no solution. Whether I try to change its fate or not, this child will not be born."

Vera's brow furrowed even deeper. "Is there really no other way?"

Kaelen was at the end of his rope. He glanced at the slight curve of her belly and shot back, "And you? Why do you care so much about this child?"

Vera's expression faltered, a flicker of fear in her eyes, thinking he had discovered everything.

She panicked for a second but quickly suppressed it, stepping forward to wrap her arms around him. "Honey, are you jealous?"

"I'm only concerned about Caden and his child because he's worked so hard for the company for years. As his boss, it's my duty to look out for him."

"But if you're unhappy, I'll fire Caden. You'll never have to see him again, okay?"

"I really do only love you…"

Vera held Kaelen close, her words a stream of promises and reassurances.

Kaelen rested against her chest, listening to the strong, steady beat of her heart and the faint, almost imperceptible flutter of life within. A sour ache filled his own chest.

He wanted to push her away, but Vera held him tight, leading him to the car. She didn't let go until they were home.

"If you're tired, go to sleep. I have some work to handle in the study."

She watched him get into bed and even tucked him in.

Kaelen didn't respond.

The next day, when he woke up, Vera was already gone.

His phone on the nightstand had several unread messages. All from a Mr. Davies, asking him to come over and check the feng shui of his house.

Kaelen got up, washed, and went to his appointment.

After finishing with the Davies' house, Mr. Davies pulled out his phone to transfer the payment, then asked tentatively, "Kaelen, are you and Vera doing okay these days?"

Kaelen was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I'm telling you, you gotta keep a close eye on a woman like that. A woman like Vera, she's a target for every pretty boy out there trying to latch on!"

Mr. Davies then held his phone out to Kaelen. "Look, my wife just sent this to me. Said she saw your Vera at a private photo studio!"

Kaelen looked down.

One glance was all it took to freeze him in place, the blood in his veins turning to ice.

In the photo, Vera stood under a studio backdrop. Her male secretary, Caden, was on one knee, kissing her pregnant belly.

The intimate touch was like a knife in his eyes, carving him up from the inside out.

Vera's promises echoed in his ears.

"Kaelen, it doesn't matter if we have children or not. All I want is you."

"Even if we never have kids, I'll love you forever."

…

He had believed her then. He had believed her right up until this very moment.

But promises are only valid when love exists.

When love dies, those words become smoke, meaningless.

As he thought this, Kaelen's mind suddenly went blank. He couldn't remember what he was just thinking. All that remained was a wisp of melancholy in his chest, scattered by the wind.

He said goodbye to Mr. Davies and returned to the villa.

He had lived here ever since he married Vera. This place was filled with five years of their 'memories'.

But now, looking around, so much of it felt foreign.

He was leaving anyway.

He gathered up their things, all the mementos, and carried them out to the yard. He took out a lighter and set them ablaze.

The flames shot up instantly, their heat searing Kaelen's eyes.

He took a step back and bumped right into Vera, who had just gotten home from work.

Vera saw the fire and frowned. "Honey, what are you doing?"

Kaelen took another step back, putting distance between them. "Just getting rid of some things I don't need."

Vera didn't think much of it at first.

But then her eyes scanned the pile, and her pupils constricted. She rushed forward, heedless of the roaring flames, and snatched a half-burnt sketchbook from the fire.

The sketchbook was still smoldering, covered in ash.

Vera didn't care. With tears in her eyes, she confronted Kaelen. "This is what you call 'things you don't need'? This is every sketch I've ever drawn of you! You treasured these! You never let anyone else even touch them!"

Compared to her frantic desperation, Kaelen was unnervingly calm, almost inhumanly so.

"Is that so? I don't remember."

His tone made Vera realize something. Her gaze shot back to the fire. "Don't tell me everything in there was from me…"

She could no longer maintain her composure. She ripped off her jacket and started beating at the flames.

But it was too late. By the time the fire was out, everything inside had been reduced to ash, their original forms unrecognizable.

Vera stared at the pile of ashes for a long time before her trembling hands reached out and pulled Kaelen into an embrace. "Honey, what's wrong with you? What did I do to make you so angry that you'd punish me like this?"

Kaelen thought for a moment, but his mind was still a blank slate. "Nothing. I just forgot these were all gifts from you."

Perhaps because he was about to leave, he didn't want to hide these small things from her anymore.

Vera froze, her eyes wide with disbelief.

She stared into his eyes, searching for any sign that he was lying.

But Kaelen’s expression was genuine. He wasn't faking.