Love Gone Hollow

Noah stayed by my side until dawn.

I woke to the shrill ring of his phone.

Seeing me stir, he frowned and declined the call, only for it to ring again immediately.

Once.

Twice.

The incessant noise drilled into my skull.

“You should head back to the office,” I said softly.

“I’m fine now. I’ll be discharged soon.”

He hesitated before nodding slowly.

“Well… you know how hectic things have been at work lately. I really can’t—”

“I know,” I interrupted gently. “I understand.”

That calm, compliant response made him pause longer than usual.

He looked as if he didn’t know whether to stay or go.

But then a new message from Jill lit up his phone screen.

I had caught a glimpse of the content.

She wore a maid's costume, barely covering anything.

Desire darkened his eyes before he wrestled it under control.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Emma? If there’s anything—anything at all—don’t keep it in. I’m your husband. I’ll always be your strongest support.”

I turned my face to the side, away from him.

“Mm,” I murmured, my voice even.

He couldn’t resist the temptation for long and eventually rose to his feet.

“Then I’ll head to the office for a bit. I’ll come pick you up this evening, I promise.”

The moment he left, I realized my cheeks were wet.

I hadn’t even noticed I’d started crying.

Silently, I reached for my phone and typed a message to Jill.

[Noah is on his way to you now. Let’s see if you can get him to sign the divorce papers.]

Jill responded instantly—as if she’d been waiting.

[Since you’re so kindly handing your position over to me, of course, I’ll grant your wish. A divorce agreement? Please. He’ll sign anything for me.]

I attached the prepared documents and sent one final line: [I do hope your confidence lasts.]

Her reply came dripping with venom: [Oh, I’m nothing like you, sickly little woman. You’ve no idea how obsessed he is with me.

[Even when I’m on my period, he can’t keep his hands off me. He’d rather die on top of me than spend another night with your pathetic—]

I powered off my phone.

Then I stepped out of the hospital room and took the opportunity to schedule a health checkup.

Ever since Noah donated his bone marrow to me, I have stayed on a strict regimen of recovery and care.

The doctor’s voice was calm and warm when he spoke to me.

“Ms. Newman, your condition has improved significantly. Now would be an ideal time if you’re considering getting pregnant.”

I had always looked forward to regaining my health, so I could finally plan for a baby with Noah.

But now, none of it mattered anymore.

“Thank you, Doctor. But I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I was only curious about my bone marrow status.”

Satisfied with the results, I stepped out of the consultation room.

Just as I exited, I heard a familiar voice drifting out from the exam room next door.

“Doctor, can you check what’s going on?”

Noah’s voice sounded strained, laced with fear, punctuated by Jill’s sharp cries of pain.

The doctor examined her quickly, his tone disapproving.

“Ruptured corpus luteum. Bear with it,” he said briskly.

“Even if you're young and healthy, you can’t treat your body like this. Recklessness has consequences.”

I froze mid-step, standing just outside the door, struggling to hold back the sting of tears welling up behind my eyes.

So this was the legendary stamina that made my sickly body inadequate.

A laugh escaped me, bitter and brittle, before I turned toward the discharge desk.

I knew better than to expect Noah now, and no longer intended to wait for him.

Sure enough, as darkness fell, my phone finally rang.

“I’m sorry, Darling,” Noah said, sounding apologetic.

“Things are still chaotic at the office, and I really can’t get away right now.

“I know I promised to pick you up, but it looks like I’ll have to break my word again.”

The guilt in his voice was almost convincing.

I muttered a few half-hearted replies, just enough to get through the call, and hung up.

When I returned to the villa, I immediately began packing my things.

Over the years, I hadn’t earned much, but enough to buy a modest apartment. By morning, I’d hired movers to transport my belongings there.

That was when Noah finally came back.

He looked stunned as he stared at me, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

“What are you doing, Emma? Where are you going? Are you leaving me?”

I swallowed my disgust and forced a sigh—what perfect timing.

Since I hadn’t yet gotten the signed divorce papers, I had no choice but to pacify him a little longer.

“Just some old stuff from the house. I’m thinking of storing it elsewhere—there’s barely room left here.”

The fear in Noah’s eyes eased just a little.

But then he spotted something among the luggage: an old photo album filled with pictures from all our years together.

His eyes turned red the moment he opened it.

“These are our wedding photos, Emma. You’re not keeping them here anymore?”

Back then—five years ago—my health had been fragile.

I couldn’t tolerate the wind, the rain, or even direct sunlight.

It had taken us ages to get those wedding photos done.

At the time, Noah had sworn that he’d treat me like a princess for the rest of my life, that he’d wrap me in warmth and happiness.

And I believed him.

Only now did I realize—he had only meant half of what he said.

Behind all those sweet promises of devotion lay nothing but filth and betrayal.

To avoid tipping him off, I took the album back and placed it with my things.

I’ll burn it at the apartment, I decided.

Leaving it here would only give him another weapon.

“This style’s outdated anyway,” I said lightly. “Don’t you want new wedding photos with me?”

At my words, Noah visibly relaxed, and all suspicion seemed to have left him.

Then, he pulled me into his arms and pressed his forehead against mine in that affectionate, familiar way.

“Speaking of which, our five-year anniversary is coming up soon. It would be the perfect time to take some new wedding photos.”

Noah never forgot a milestone, neither anniversaries nor birthdays.

Even when I’d lapse, he’d remind me with lavish surprises.

For ten years, he’d weaponized romance to make me believe in his love.

I turned to look at him.

“I think it’s tomorrow, right? That’s perfect—I’ll have a surprise for you, too.”

Noah seemed about to say something, but when he saw me heading toward the bedroom, he shut his mouth awkwardly.

He moved to follow me, but then noticed I had already locked the door behind me.

“I just want to rest for a bit,” I said through the door, but pulled out my phone and sent a message to Jill instead.

[I’m giving you just one more day. If you can’t give me Noah’s signed divorce papers, don’t blame me for breaking our agreement.]

Without waiting for a reply, I turned off my phone again.

It wasn’t long before I heard Noah’s voice from outside the door.

“I’ve made breakfast for you, Emma. There are still things to take care of at the company, so I’ll head out first.

“You’d better not forget the surprise you promised. I’m really looking forward to it.”

I didn’t respond, waiting until I heard the door close before stepping out of the bedroom.

On the dining table, he had left my favorite breakfast.

Noah rarely cooked, so the breakfast didn't look good.

Next to it was a note: [To my dearest wife, make sure you have a great day today.]

A man who loved me so much, yet had still betrayed me.

I left the food untouched and booked a one-way ticket far from the city.

Then I waited.

[Emma, I’ve sent you the papers. I hope you keep your promise.]

[Don’t worry, I stand by my word. Just make sure Noah doesn’t come home today, and when he returns, he’ll never see me again.]

I signed the divorce papers.

Then I placed all the evidence of his affair with Jill into an envelope and set it on the table.

I hope you’re ready to face the consequences of your betrayal, Noah.